Helping to bake pink chocolate chip pikelets!

At a quiet time after lunch, I had a group of great helpers to make chocolate chip pikelets. Sarah, Caelyn and Issac were 3 of a larger group that helped in the process cooking. During this experience, all the children involved had a turn at either adding ingredients, mixing or pouring. I also talked to the children about mixing for a good 'consistency'. When I asked what colour pikelets we should have, Sarah yelled "PINK"... so thats what we had. Very tasty :) Thanks for your great help children!

Ainslee

December/January Newsletter

0110 January

Jack's first month at KIDSPACE

Jack has had a great first month at KIDSPACE getting to know new friends, routines and our environment. He happily feeds himself lunch, plays with the train tracks, cools off in a small water trough outside, shares books with Paige, Noah and Max, and watches a volcano in the sandpit with Ruby, Charlie, Isaac and Kian.

Jack demonstrates curiosity, trust, confidence, problem solving, making new connections and relationships plus great self-worth as he becomes more and more familiar with KIDSPACE.

"The (early childhood) programme enables toddlers to take part in group activities, for example, at the water trough or dough table", Belonging, Te Whaariki. Jessie

Stories on the grass

This was Rie's first day back at KIDSPACE after her hoilday break. Outside Maia, Sarah, Max, Isaac, Theo and Jasper listening to her read stories on mattresses on our newly grown grass. "Children are helped to participate in social and cultural settings, demonstrating consideration for others through qualities such as caring, fairness, tolerance and generosity",
Te Whaariki: Well-Being

Jessie

Hair, hair everywhere

Last week we used whero and kakariki washable coloured hair spray in some of our children's hair. Asking permission from Mums and Dads first, children then decided did they really want a turn before starting. Ruby, Tyra (said no as she had some the day before and didn't want to wash her hair again) and Noah said no at the time, but Jasper, Laker, Sarah, Isaac, Oly, Maia, Eneri and Elijah all decided yes. We had shark stripes, lines, and coloured hair sprayed fringes and pony tails. Children wore a towel on their shoulders to protect bodies and faces from the coloured hair spray and looked in two mirrors and at themselves on the camera to see if they were happy with the outcome.

"Young children have a widening range of opportunites for independence, choice and autonomy", Te Whaariki: Well-Being. Jessie

Noah and Paige assist making morning tea

Noah and Paige are regular early morning children at KIDSPACE. Through the daily routines they are aware of our daily morning set up. Often helping to draw on the whiteboard, they let Jo-Jo and Murphy out of their cage, Noah takes the stools down from the table and together helping to set up equipment and puzzles inside. Here they take an interest in morning tea preparation, knowing to stand on a stool to see (just) over the kitchen bench. They are very interested in the popcorn machine!

"The (early childhood) programme provides many opportunites to participate in regular events", Belonging, Te Whaariki. Jessie

KIDSPACE 9th birthday

KIDSPACE is 9 years old! Join us this Friday 29 January 2010, from 4.30pm to celebrate our birthday and our lovely new grass. This is also a good chance to get to know some of our new teachers and to farewell Louise whose last day will be Friday 5 February 2010.

Bring all the family and have some fun trying out some of the activities that your child enjoys at KIDSPACE - painting, carpentry, puzzles, play dough and lots more (but no jockeys and horses)!

Please bring a plate of food to share

Messy play at KIDSPACE

Today was a nice sunny day.... great for playing outdoors. I mixed up some 'gloop'... a mixture of corn flour and water. Maia helped me pour the yellow gloop onto the table. Other children came over and dipped their hands in, exploring, touching and enjoying the sensory experience. I glided my hands through and dripped the gloop down on to the table to show Paige and the other children the different ways you could play with it. This activity worked well alongside the water trough... messy water play fun!!

Ainslee

Stories with face paint

Paige, Theo, Max, Laker, Jasper and Elijah asked Monica to read them a story after they had very successfully painted their own faces with face paint. The boys wanted the crocodiles and alligators book as they had painted kakariki (green) on their faces to be dragonflies and wanted to know other kakariki coloured animals. They listened intensely to the scientific story, asking a question if not really sure on an explanation in the book, keen to know what these animals ate and how strong their tails and teeth were.

Children often become and act out what they have painted on their faces, roaring like a Tiger or sliding along the ground like a snake. Face paint is a great way to show different expressions through imagination.

"Children are encouraged to develop the ability to use symbols, make comparisons, recall, anticipate situations, and shift their focus away from the here and now", Exploration, Te Whaariki. Jessie

Ainslee's First Day at KIDSPACE

Hi to all the parents and whanau

Today is my first day at KIDSPACE...

And what a day its been... learning and remembering names, getting to know your children, familiarising myself with the routines and day to day programme, and becoming part of the KIDSPACE teaching team. I love working outdoors, getting amongst nature, the worm farm, and any other hands on activities. I am passionate about noticing and recognising children's interests, strengths and abilities and working along side them to extend their skills and promote great learning outcomes. I look forward to meeting and chatting with you over the next few weeks.

Ainslee :)

Jasper turns five

The brothers turn five

Baby Reef for Taylah and Marley

Today Marley and Taylah's new baby brother Reef was born at 11.15am and at 3pm he arrived at KIDSPACE with mum and dad to meet his older brother and sister.

Marley squealed and danced around in huge excitement, while Taylah beamed only like an older sister can and closely studied his feet, skin, toes, ears and lips.

Jessie

Donnagh and Taylah's very own bus

Tamara

Our trip to the Library on the bus

On the 28th December Rie and I took Taylah, Marley, Laker, Elijah, Donnagh and Rionagh on the bus to the library. We got all the prams and trip bag ready, we also brought our lunch boxes too. Before we headed off Donnagh must have started thinking about the bus and he said " I don't wanna go on the bus", so I reaasured him and off we went to find the bus stop and wait for the bus to arrive. We hopped on the bus ( I would have loved to get some photos of the children on the bus but both Rie and I had our hands full, with one double pram etc). The older children were great and chose their seats. Donnagh then turned and said to me, "This is isn't scary, I like the bus, it's fun," so this was good learning for Donnagh. Once we got to the library the children had a little look around and Taylah and Donnagh particularly enjoyed the chalk board as you can see from the photos. Marley found a nice snuggly pillow to lie on while I read a story to Laker and Elijah. Rionagh enjoyed trying to eat the books and take some off the shelf. This was a great experience for our tamariki to get out into the community to experience a bus ride and visiting the library. On the way they saw so many things such as signs, especially being higher up on the bus, we saw police cars and ambulances. Just before we headed back to KIDSPACE we had one more stop, we went to my house for a picnic and on the way there we saw a train. The children enjoyed a bit of their lunch then it was time to go to the bus stop in Wellesley Rd and would you believe it, on the way to the bus stop the children got to see another train, they were all very excited. This was a fun trip and we all enjoyed ourselves.


Tamara

Picnic at the park

On the Christmas eve the teachers and children had lots of fun with water guns and water balloons most of the day trying to get each other I think Rie got soaked the most Taylah, Sarah, Laker, Elijah and Donnagh all got her with their water balloons. Later on in the day we all took a walk around to the Onekawa park for a picnic lunch. Laker and Elijah then continued to chase a few of us around with the water guns they had lots of fun, but were very sneaky (they giggled lots when the teachers tried to get them back). All of the other children explored the grass and had a run around.