Best of friends

Puppet show

Christmas decorations

As we entered in to the festive season at the start of December, I set up resources to make Christmas decorations. I had a whole group of children make things through out the morning, some staying for a long time, and others just making one or two things. Jack and Emily took a real interest in making the snow flakes, which involved tracing around something round, cutting it out, and then folding it lots of times to create a pizza/triangle shape. They then made cuts in to the paper any size or direction they wanted. Once it was unfolded, and flattened out, it was a pretty snowflake, (which are now hanging in the art room).

Thadeus, Cian, Cleo, Noah, Ahlyna and Ruby had fun decorating Christmas boots and circle's. They used glitter and special Christmas sprinkles and whatever else they chose to put on them. While the children were creating their decorations, there was talk about where they will go, and the children started to plan where they can hang them.

This experience was a great way to let the children create things individually and how they wanted it to look. They were proud of their work and couldn't wait for them to dry.

Later in the day, Emily helped me stick some on the wall and thread ribbon through some to hang off the ceiling.

Ainslee

KIDSPACE Christmas Party

Drawing with chalk

I had put the chalk out, then Jack came and said, "Where are the ones Mollie brought us". I said, "I will go and have a look for them". I then brought them out. Jack and Charlie were the first ones to show an interest in chalk drawing. Then eventually their was a busy group of children creating which included Noah, Maia, Ahlyna, Cian and Lexi,(who stayed for a little bit to write her name). After the boys had done a few drawings they decided to lay down on the concrete and draw outlines of their bodies. Maia had observed them doing this and lay on the ground also, so I asked if she wanted me to draw around her body, she nodded. These children are showing the ability to express themselves and ideas through different media, in this case chalk.

Tamara

Cleo's kitten comes for a visit

Cleo's mum had come to pick up Cleo and she said their little kitten had come for a ride in the car. A few children over heard and took interest. Cleo's mum offered to bring the kitten in, Ainslee and I said, "yeah, bring her in the children would love it". When the kitten came in Cleo got all excited, she picked it up and showed all her friends. The kitten eplored KIDSPACE and climbed in amoungst the blocks. When children get to interact with animals it's a great way for them to learn about empathy and being gentle.

Thanks for bringing your kitten in for a visit the children really enjoyed it.

Tamara

A visit from Niche a Guide Dog.

Last week we had a lovely visit from Owen Wilson who is blind, also his wife along with his guide dog Niche.

The children got the opportunity to pat her, which was very special, as when guide dogs are on duty this is discouraged in case of causing a distraction.

Monica

A face of Imagery

A face of Imagery

Fire Truck, Fire Truck

Lately I have been singing and reading the storybook "Fire Truck" by Ivan Ulz with the children. The children love singing along with me and the c.d while doing the actions to the song. This interest has been extended by Noah, Cian and Joshua in which they have created their own fire trucks with mobilo and have been re-creating their own fire truck stories, together racing along to the next fire. From the pictures you can see their fire trucks have ladders just like the one in our story.

Ann December 2011

Magic Colours

Last week Lexi asked me how do you make her favourite colour - purple?

Supporting this question I set up a paint activity consisting of the primary colours of red, blue and yellow together with white. With a small group of children I explained how mixing certain colours together created different colours for example: red and blue make purple, yellow and red make orange etc. Charlie, Lexi, Taneesha, Hannah and Anika couldn't believe their eyes when they watched me mix colours together to create a different colour. They all excitedly had a go at mixing their own colours together to create new colours.

Ann, Exploration

Christmas visit to Bardowie

Ainslee

Happy Birthday Irene

Ainslee

Christmas Tree

A huge thank you to Mission View Gardens so do your Christmas shopping at Mission View Gardens this year and support this business who have donated a lovely living Christmas tree to KIDSPACE. The children can help care for the tree throughout the year, and each year we can bring it inside and decorate it.

KIDSPACE Christmas Party

Reminder: this Thursday 8 December 4.30-6.30
Bring all the family and join in the fun!

Christmas Tree for KIDSPACE

We would really appreciate a donation of a pine Christmas tree (or branch) for the children to decorate.

5 Best Toys

"The 5 Best Toys of All Time," published, of all places, in the high-tech Wired magazine. Here is the list:

1. Stick
2. Box
3. String
4. Cardboard Tubes
5. Dirt

What would be your top 5? Maybe a ball?

Happy Birthday Mollie

On Wednesday we celebrated Mollie's 5th Birthday and Graduation with a shared lunch.

Jude, Mollie's mum, brought in hot chips, fruit platters and also some edible dainty teacups, which the children really enjoyed. Happy school days Mollie.

KIDSPACE sponsor child

Instead of buying individual Christmas presents for KIDSPACE children, we have decided to sponsor a child through World Vision for $45 a month.

Our child is Abdul Aziz Gondi, a two year old boy from Yehi village in Mali, West Africa.

Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world (ranked 173 out of 177) with 65% of it's land area classified as desert or semi-desert. More than 70% of the population survive on less than NZ$2 a day. Accessing safe drinking water is difficult and time consuming.

Mali's infant mortality rates are among the highest in the world. Chronic malnutrition causes developmental problems in more than a third of children under 5 years. KIDSPACE children will be able to write to Abdoul and learn about his way of life.

I traveled in Mali in 1978. Somewhere at home I've got slides of children, camel trains, sand storms, and even a kindergarten in Timbuktu, so I will hunt these out and bring them in and show the children.

Irene

Interest in literacy

Jack was very interested in writing numbers last week, his aim was to write from number one right through to one hundred. On this day Jack (ONLY?), had enough time to write to sixty nine, I thought this was very impressive. Rochelle and I worked closely along side him at different times throughout the day, when he asked for help. Jack has recognition of numbers and what they represent when spoken allowed. When I would say the next number is, let's say 27, he was able to listen to the number I said then write it down on his paper. This happened right through to double digits. Ka pai to mahi Jack!!! You are amazing, your love for learning and extending yourself really shows through. You showed such persistence to reach your goal. The very next day I observed you again writing your numbers, getting closer and closer to the big one hundred.

While Jack was working at the puzzle table, Lexi had sat down and chosen to work on the alphabet puzzle. Lexi asked if I could help her write her name with the pieces. I suggested she have a go first, then if she needed my help, I was right there. I watched as Lexi looked for the different letters of her name. She got a little stuck on finding the x so I showed her where it was, then Lexi found the i and successfully finished spelling her name. This puzzle has both lower and uppercase letters so I was able to talk about this with her in relevence with her name. Discussing with her that the first letter of her name L starts with a captial and the rest of her name is in lower case, then I talked about her last name having a captial letter also.

Jack and Lexi are showing familiarity with print and its uses through exploring and using literacy in meaningful and purposeful ways to them.

Tamara

Happy birthday Tamara

Ainslee

Trip to Nelson Park School to visit Donnagh

Lots of interest in baking

There has been a lot of interest in baking lately, children have been involved in imaginative baking play in the sandpit and with the playdough. We had Salina from E.I.T and she noticed this interest and planned various experiences for the children which happened throughout her four week practicum. On this occassion I organised to make muffins and Salina helped, Jaz, Josh, Emily, Noah, Charlie, Hannah Paige, Cian and Lexi (she left the table just before I took photos) rallied around the table eager to help. We made raisin and cinnmon muffins and replaced the ingrediants with dairy free, so Mollie could also eat them for morning tea the next day. The children often ask what the white powder is, "It's egg replacement", I tell them. All of these children were very good at turn taking, often they ask, "I want a turn, is it my turn"?. I let the children know they would all get a turn at measuring an ingredient and having a turn at folding the mixture. The concept of folding the mixture provided a bit of learning for some of the children, Charlie, Noah and Jaz were very eager to mix the mixture round and around, but Salina and I talked about the process of folding the mixture, very carefully and modelled how this was done (not to over stir the mixture). This was a great opportunity to extend on childrens interest and giving them an opportunity to be involved in real baking, which we like to do at KIDSPACE as often as we can. Children are able to engage in and learn about early maths concepts through the use of measuring cups and talking about different quantities. This was a social time where children shared when they helped with baking at home and what they made, making links with their centre life and what they do at home. A fun time was had by all.

Tamara

Straight after the Kapa Haka

Not long after we arrived back from seeing the Kapa Haka concert at Onekawa School.

Emily, Isabella, Jack and Zoe found the poi's and started spinning them around like they had seen being done at the school. All the girls said, "You go like this, this is where the poi goes, hahaha", (as they placed the poi's in the front parts of their t-shirts and dresses). From this I could see that the children had been really interested and taken back by the Kapa Haka as they reinacted what they had seen. Through these experiences children are able to link experiences from outside the centre and bring these experiences back into the centre and act these out in their play. These children were able to learn about the New Zealand Maaori culture, some have been exposed to Kapa Haka groups before and others hadn't. Zoe shared that her sister's in the Kapa Haka, she said to me, "that's not my sisters Kapa Haka, my sisters has a different one". I enjoyed seeing you children show confidence and act these dances out.

Tamara

Scarlett's dance

Last Monday afternoon I put some te reo Maori music on for the children to dance to. Scarlett wandered down to the art room after her sleep to see what all the noise was. She stood and watched as the older children danced. Once the older children had left she started to dance. She had some very graceful moves mixed with a few break dancing moves too. She danced like this for a good five minutes.

Scarlett, it was a pleasure to watch you dance. You showed great persistence and had an array of dance moves which you were not afraid to show off.

Rochelle

Teddy bears picnic

Click to enlarge

Ainslee

Visting Onekawa school kapa haka performance

On Friday, we took all of the children down to Onekawa school, to watch their Kapa Haka group perform. And what a performance it was.! The children sat nice and quiet on the mats and 'grandstand' as the kapa haka group filed into the hall. The girls all had matching red dresses on, and the boys had red skirts. All of the children had painted moko on their faces, and the girls had poi tucked into their dress.

All of songs were sung in te reo; loud and confident with great pronouncation. After a couple of songs, the girls stepped aside, allowing a gap for the boys to walk forward to the front and perfrom the haka. They sung 'ka mate, ka mate', with big powerful voices. Our children watched with such concentration! It was a great experience for our children. Not only to visit Onekawa school, but to see a bi-cultural experience, and there's nothing like a local kapa haka group singing waiata, using poi and doing the haka!

Ainslee