Our blossom tree

Our KIDSPACE blossom (putiputi) tree is in its period of flowering and when the wind (hau) blows it is like pink (mahwero) snow (huka). Petals (raupua) cover the grass (karaaihe), concrete (raima), deck, children, sandpit (raukirikiri) and even blow into the artroom and onto activities set up outside.

Come and have a look at our putipuiti next time you are at KIDSPACE.

Jessie

Exploring Colours with the Light Box

After lunch today the children played some games naming shapes and colours in Te Reo Maori. Jess and Jessie organised the Light Box and some coloured squares and circles for the children to experiment with. They had multi coloured ink inside, kind of like marbling inks. As they are squashed and moved about the inks divide and form patterns. The children enjoyed exploring the movement of the liquids inside each shape and trialled layering the colours over top of each other. They followed up with some painting. Libby made a rainbow. Vicky (Massey Student)

Te Mahi Kai- the Language of Food

This week is Maaori Language Week, and the focus for this year is Te Mahi Kai- the language of food.
These two new karakia kai we are learning...

Our special thank you
Mo tenai kai
Mo te maunga
Mo te moana
Tatou tiaki e
--------
Thank you for our food
Thank you for our mountain
Thank you for our sea
Keep us safe
(From Kathleen Reed and Bellblock Shildcare in Taranaki)

Karakia kai- Blessing of food
E to matou matua
Whakapaingia enei kai
Hei oranga mo o matou tinana
Whangai o matou wairau
Ki te taro o te ora
Nou hoki nga mea katoa
Amene
--------
Dear Lord
Bless this food
As it provides nourishment for our bodies
Provide nourishment also to our spiritual well-being
With the bread of everlasting life
The most important thing of all
Amen
(From Otahuhu Motessori Preschool in Auckland)

Jessie

Whaanau Weaving Evening

On Wednesday 21st of July, from 7 to 8.30pm we had our Whaanau Weaving Evening at KIDSPACE. Thank you to the parents and grandparents who attended. We welcomed Rev Marie McDonald, who blessed our art room 3 years ago, to say a karakia to the group and share some of her knowledge and the tikanga around harakeke. Things like cutting it on an angle, returning the unwanted trimmings back to the flax bush, and not to step over harakeke, nor work with it while pregnant etc. Jess took a group to demonstrate making a ki (ball) and Rie took a group making putiputi (flowers). Tamara's dad helped Bridie, Tamara and Monica to make a kai bowl. We interacted and learnt by watching and doing (just like our tamariki do). We had some drinks and nibbles towards and the end, while sharing what we had made.

Ainslee

Paapaakiri bread

On Wenerei (Wednesday) we made Paapaakiri bread (flat bread) and butter with a group of children.

We measured out all of our ingredients for the bread, we mixed, we kneaded, and then it was ready to cook. It looked like a giant scone. To make butter we poured in a bottle of cream and shook, and shook, and shook, and shook.....

Charlie showed great persistence with making this, we found jumping up and down while we shook the shaker really helped.

We had the bread and butter with homemade jam for pm/tea- yum.

Process cooking exposes children to early science concepts. They are able to observe that effect that temperature, force and interaction have to change row ingredients into a new product. The butter e.g., cream stared as liquid and the interaction and force changed this into a solid mass. Physical science is the interactions between matter and form and the study of change.

Authors of 'Who Am I in Teaching Lives of Children?, Introduction to Early Childhood Education' believe- "That science education for younger children must not only be hands on, but must also be mind on".

Rie

Rock art

Caelyn, Libby, Donnagh, Teihana, Ruby H and Eneri all had a go at painting on rocks. I displayed some pictures reflecting Maaori culture like bone carvings, kowhaiwhai patterns, flax and plants which reflect new beginnings and growth. I put these pictures out to inspire the children and show them different types of art. Eneri choose to paint the Matariki stars on his rock, Caelyn layered colours starting with black then putting white over the top. Libby used several colours on her stones putting on lots of layers of colour.

It was fantastic to see the children having a go, exploring with Papatuuaanuku (Earth Mother)and being self expressive.

Tamara

Matariki screen printing

Today was the perfect opportunity for the children to do some Maaori inspired screen printing for Matariki week.

The children looked through books with korus and other Maaori art works. After looking Caelyn and Maia then drew and cut out their own shapes.

"I am going to make a zig zag, like in this picture", Maia was telling me. After carefully drawing and cutting out their patterns, the children then placed their patterns where they wanted them to be on their piece of paper.

"I would like the red first, but not to put on all of it", Caelyn told me as she was setting up her picture.

The children spread the paint over their picture, and then re-laced their cut outs to make another pattern. They then chose another colour and repeated the process.

Rochelle

KIDSPACE teachers Team Building day

On Saturday 6th March the teachers of KIDSPACE had a team building day in the fabulous upstairs meeting room above Thorps Coffee House. All of our regular team attended even Jess and Ann who are currently at other centres on practicum. We played games, discussed our KIDSPACE shared vision and had a wonderful spread of kai thanks to Eneri's mum and owner of Thorps Coffee House. We really bonded as a team and enjoyed this day with our tamariki always at the heart of our brain storming. Over the coming months we will continue to develop our strategic plan. Initially, we will be working on increasing our confidence and competence in using Te Reo Maaori. We would be interested to hear your ideas for future development.

Jessie

Maori legends storyteller

On Friday 2 October at 10am Jase Hema will be visiting KIDSPACE. Jase will be sharing his passion for maori legends and waiata with the children.