Celebrating children and supporting parents

Are you planning to do something special with your children this Sunday?
Universal Children’s Day was established by the United Nations in 1954. For over 55 years, governments have celebrated Universal Children’s Day on the 20th of November to promote the well-being of children. This date also marks the day on which the United Nations adopted the Declaration on the Rights of the Child (1959) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)

This is an interesting website to check out: www.babycenter.com
There is information on topics ranging from a week by week pregnancy guide, coping with crying and colic, how to choose child care, support for new mums, and the 7 signs of a bad doctor.

Another useful site is www.jigsaw.org.nz a NZ site that is currently running a campaign about Extra-Ordinary dads to celebrate fathers and the important role that they have in their child's life.

Important Blog Links

On the right hand side of the blog page we have added two important links. The first one takes you to the Child Forum's summary of the Government's ECE Taskforce report, An Agenda for Amazing Children, which was released yesterday.

The taskforce have made 65 recommendations, although it remains to be seen how many of these the government will choose to implement. The report clearly recognises the huge impact of high quality early childhood education. There is some information on the KIDSPACE noticeboard about the report and some copies of this mornings Dominion Post article about the benefits to families and society of high quality ECE.

The other new link is to the Fightflu website, Don't let the 'flu get you! This colourful, easy to follow website has lots of useful information on keeping winter chills and ills away.
Irene

Hanging around

Last week a small group of friends walked to Onekawa Park for shared morning tea, this is the park we will have our children's Christmas party at on Sat 11th December.

After using a wet wipe to clean our hands and saying our karakia kai, we had morning tea.

Once we had eaten we played Duck, Duck, Goose, climbed trees and rolled on the grass.

"Children experience an environment where their health is promoted", Well-Being, Te Whaariki.

Essential skills- these children and teachers are demonstrating physical, social and emotional growth. Children are developing personal health through exercise, good hygiene and healthy diet and enjoying recreational, motor and manipulative skills. (Well-Being, Te Whaariki).

"He oranga ngaakau, he pikinga waiora.

Positive feelings in your heart will enhance your sense of self- worth", Health and Physical Education, The New Zealand Curriculum.

Jessie

Healthy Heart smoothies

Supporting KIDSPACE achieving the Healthy Heart Award- Xavier, Emily, Jorja, Aimee, Lyrique, Jaz, Noah, Acacia, Mollie, Libby, Netana, Isabella,Travis, Max, Caelyn and I celebrated by making fruity smoothies for morning tea kai.

We used juice, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and bananas to make our yummy smoothies. We drank these with our Healthy Heart straws.

Char from Sports Hawkes Bay will award KIDSPACE the Healthy Heart Award sometime over the next couple of weeks.

"Children develop self-help and self-care skills fir eating, drinking and food preparation. Children develop positive attitudes towards eating", Well-Being, Te Whaariki.

Ann/Jessie

New trampoline

Tarquin's mum Kelly very kindly donated a trampoline to KIDSPACE, the tamariki have had lots of fun, turn-taking and exercise on this, they have jumped (peke), kicked (whana), rolled over (hurihuri) and counted "kotahi, rua, toru, whaa, rima, ono, whitu, waru, iwa, tekau", or "one, two... ten"."Children develop confidence that they can participate and take risks without fear of harm", Well-Being, Te Whaariki.

Jessie

Awa, Whenua game

These tamariki enjoy playing Rie's 'Awa, Whenua' or 'River, Land' game.

Lyrique, Jorja, Jordan, Noah, Emily and Rionagh join in.

The aim of the game is to jump into the awa-river or back to the whenua-land when the caller calls 'Awa' or 'Whenua'. We have played this a few times now at KIDSPACE and the children become excited when Rie goes to the shed to collect the rope.

On Tuesday 12th October we are taking part in the Heart Foundation Jump Rope for Heart and this is one of the games we will play.

These tamariki demonstrate "Children develop a capacity to pay attention, maintain concentration, and be involved", Well-Being, Te Whaariki.

Jessie

Maia turns five

Today Maia turned five and celebrated at KIDSPACE along with Taneesha and mum plus party food. Maia also graduated today, moving on to Greenmeadows School. We look forward to seeing Maia and whaanau when Taneesha is dropped off and picked up at KIDSPACE.

Charlie turns five

Thursday 8th July was Charlie's fifth birthday. We celebrated at KIDSPACE with chocolate cake and a song. Charlie selected his own five birthday candles and after blowing these out he cut his cake for friends.

Jessie

Haere mai Tyson

Welcome to KIDSPACE Tyson. We have noticed already your interests in construction and outdoors play plus having a go at play dough and puzzle activities also. We know you will have lots of fun here. Haere mai.

Jessie

See-saw

Keita, big sister Alana and Libby enjoyed each others company on the see-saw today. Alana did lots of smiling. Keita had to be reminded to hold on and Libby said "get my photo too".

These friends are showing"... an increased ability to determine their own actions and make their own choices", Well-Being, Te Whaariki.

Jessie

Farewell Chardanae

Friday 20th November was Chardanae's happy last day with us. On Monday she is off to Maraekakaho School, joining Joaquin. We had lots of fun on Chardanae's last day... cake, fresh fruit, play with friends and then water sprinkler play in the afternoon. We look forward to a visit from her during the school hoildays, soon.

Have fun at your new school Chardanae.

KIDSPACE visit Colenso for shared morning tea

This morning a Harry, Ruby, Caelyn, Maia, Taylah, Sophie and Netana with Rie and Jessie walked to Colenso Teenage Parent Unit.

Here we contributed to morning tea taking strawberries, pita bread and pineapple. With their sandwiches, raisins, water, milk and dates we all sat outside on the grass to eat. After eating we joined in for a new 'rooster song' that the Colseno teachers had learnt.

Inside the KIDSPACE children explored and played with playdough, did drawings and used the toilet.

We had a great time and Colenso is very close to KIDSPACE, in our community that we will visit them again.

Jessie

More ideas with kebabs

Noah's mum Gemma's blog comment after our 'Fruit Kebabs' post on the whanau blog was...

"Another idea... doing cooked ham steaks, cheese and cherry tomatoes! Yum!"

So we did and what a hit these where with the children. Kian reaches for more cheese and Taylah, Tyra, Eneri, Elijah, Laker and Charlie all dig in, and Noah co-ordinates his kebab with his cup.

Thanks for this suggestion Gemma.

Jessie

Our front garden

On Friday we played, explored, climbed, sang, read, ran and collected all from the front garden.

This is a great space and it was wonderful to play on soft grown grass.

Here is Laker, Sarah, Corbin, Noah, Elijah, Maia, Eneri, Isaac and Charlie.

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

Jessie