A month of Learning, Exploration and Fun!
Kia Ora! What a fantastic month it's been, filled with exciting learning experiences! We kicked off the month with the living eggs. The children watched in awe as the eggs hatched and the chicks emerged. They even had the chance to hold the chicks once they were two weeks old, before bidding them farewell as they returned to the farm. We were also visited by Old MacDonald's Farm, where the children got to interact with chickens, sheep, horses, and pigs. They were full of curiosity and kindness as they learned about farm animals and life on the farm. Our little chefs had a blast outdoors, whipping up pretend pancakes and muffins with their own creative recipes. They also expressed themselves through freehand artwork, exploring different textures and colours. The dinosaur enthusiasts gave their dinosaurs a bath, working together to ensure each one was sparkling clean. Meanwhile, our tamariki embraced nature, creating stunning crafts using leaves, flowers, and seeds to explore textures and patterns. In our health class, the children practiced yoga, mastering the Warrior and Rakau poses. They showed great strength and balance, learning how movement helps keep their bodies and minds strong. They also explored building new structures through creative play. We have been doing letter of the week and have been working on "D"! The children had fun exploring everything from dinosaurs to dot painting, enhancing their fine motor skills and reinforcing letter recognition. Our budding scientists were thrilled by the balloon-blowing experiment, where they learned about cause and effect by combining vinegar and baking soda to inflate balloons. Finally, our school readiness tamariki enjoyed practicing their caterpillar alphabet puzzle, matching uppercase and lowercase letters. They also made colourful bead necklaces, developing early math skills by counting beads and identifying shapes and colours. What a month of growth, creativity, and hands-on learning! Connections to Te Whariki (ECE curriculum) learning outcomes: Children are provided with an environment where: • They are encouraged to learn with and alongside others • They learn strategies for active exploration, thinking and reasoning • They develop working theories for making sense of the natural, social, physical and material worlds
