Papakura West Kindergarten

The tamariki have been enjoying using air-dry clay. A group of girls created beautiful little trinket bowls using dried flowers that we had pressed in a book. They carefully shaped the clay with their thumbs to form the bowls, developing their fine motor skills and creativity. The children then arranged the dried flowers inside and glued them in place before covering their bowls and waiting for them to dry.

Through this experience, the children explored the use of natural resources, incorporating flowers from the environment into their artwork. They learned about preserving natural materials through flower pressing and discovered how nature can be used creatively in art and design. This activity encouraged patience, problem-solving, and creativeness while strengthening their knowledge of the natural world. The tamariki are very excited to take their creations home to share with their whānau.

To celebrate World Bee Week, our tamariki created beautiful bee watering stations for our garden. This project involved several careful steps and encouraged creativity, problem-solving, and care for our environment.

The children began by using clay and a flower-shaped cookie cutter to form the base of their watering stations. They then carefully shaped the edges upward and created a small landing area in the centre where bees can perch while drinking. Using sticks, they made a hole in the bottom for the garden stake.

Once the clay had dried, the tamariki chose colours to paint their flowers. To waterproof the creations, the flowers were carefully coated with hot beeswax. This was a delicate part of the process, and the children watched with great interest as the wax dried very quickly.

After the wax had set, we glued sticks into the holes at the base and left them overnight to dry securely. The next day, the children proudly placed their finished bee watering stations throughout our garden, where they now look absolutely fantastic.

Last week we were very lucky to have an educator from Project Jonah visit our kindergarten and teach us all about the whales and dolphins we might see in New Zealand waters. We learnt about the parts of the whale.

The tamariki were fascinated as we explored just how large these amazing sea creatures are. Using a tape measure, we measured out the size of different whales and dolphins. We discovered that an orca whale could be almost three-quarters the length of our kindergarten!

We also learnt about the dangers of rubbish and plastic in our oceans. The tamariki discovered that dolphins can accidentally swallow plastic because it can look like jellyfish, one of their favourite foods. Together we talked about how important it is to pick up rubbish, place it in the bin, or take it home so it does not end up in the sea and make these wonderful creatures sick.

The children were especially interested in learning what to do if they ever came across a stranded whale on the beach. We learnt that we can call Project Jonah for help and that while waiting for more volunteers to arrive, we can help keep the whale “cold and wet” by gently pouring water over its body — being careful not to get water into the blowhole, which is how the whale breathes. We also discovered that a whale’s tail is its strongest part, so we need to keep ourselves safe too. We can approach the whale near its eyes and speak calmly and softly to reassure it that we are there to help.

The tamariki eagerly took turns emptying the water trough to keep our pretend whale cold and wet. Through this hands-on experience, they began to understand that caring for animals can take patience, teamwork, kindness, and responsibility.

This experience supported the children’s growing understanding of kaitiakitanga — caring for our environment and the living creatures within it. The tamariki showed empathy, cooperation, curiosity, and a deep respect for the natural world around them.

Yesterday, our kindergarten whānau came together for a very special Pink Ribbon Mother’s Day Breakfast. It was a beautiful morning filled with connection, manaakitanga, and quality time shared with our tamariki. Families enjoyed fresh cups of tea and coffee, pancakes, cupcakes, and most importantly, being together as a community.

It was wonderful to see so many of our whānau and tamariki making a special effort to come dressed in pink, helping to create such a vibrant and meaningful atmosphere. We also sincerely thank everyone who purchased raffle tickets or made a donation where possible in support of the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation. Your generosity and kindness truly made a difference.

Thank you for helping create such a warm and memorable celebration of love, whānau, community, and togetherness. 💗