AROUND AND ABOUT OUR KINDERGARTENS

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Generation after generation of New Zealand families have grown up with kindergarten as their first experience of being together in a group of children, playing and learning together - gaining the confidence and skills that will do them proud in the years ahead.

It's so much part of our culture as something that "kiwi families do".

No wonder kindy has always had such a fond place in our hearts and continues to be such a strong presence in our communities today.

You'll see our bright patterns all over Kidsfirst Kindergartens, which are our take on kowhaiwhai and represent the values of Kidsfirst whānau. They each have special meaning. Find out more...

The fern behind our "KIWI AS KINDY" graphic was part of a series of leaf paintings done by the children at Kidsfirst Opawa St Martins.

Kidsfirst Lincoln made a video about our dolphins, thinking about our NZ environments.

Many of our kindergartens bake with the children. And what better than a traditional ANZAC biscuit?

Kidsfirst Mathers Rd proved their strong connections to the community with their new whare, involving the community and local school.

At Kidsfirst Belfast, community spirit was demonstrated with a haircut...

There's nothing quite as 'kiwi' as having your own vegetable patch and that's exactly what so many of our kindergartens have.

Our kindergartens celebrate Matariki in so many different ways. Here are some examples...

Kidsfirst Lincoln took a visit to its local reserve and the children had some advice for the High School Students.

At Kidsfirst we're proud to only employ 100% qualified, registered teachers.

A carving on the wall of Kidsfirst Ngaire Larcombe has links back to a painting by one of our teachers...

There's nothing like a good, old fashioned trikeathon to rally the community around a kindergarten. We've been proving that recently with lots of fun events.

We're opening two great new early learning centres - one in Franz Josef and one in Diamond Harbour. Find out more about this exciting development....

There are wonderful natural plantings at many of our kindergartens, which is a long way from the primroses in the formal garden beds of  the kindys a century ago...

Kidsfirst Riccarton used our patterns as the base for some stunning mosaics - and they weren't alone.

It was kiwi icons all the way with Kidsfirst Hokitika's award winning Christmas float last year. It won best youth float in the parade - festooned as it was with fake chocolate fish, jandals and other symbols of NZ.

Are those birds and lizards and butterlies on the fence at Opawa St Martins.
They sure are.... (but they're not real!)

Being aware of the nature around us is so important in developing young minds.

Kidsfirst Greymouth is one of our kindergartens using the humble, hardworking gumboot in a new way to add colour to our kindys...

Kidsfirst Wigram has a wonderful new playground... and it's a proving to be a big success.

Kiwi ingenuity is alive and well in our kindergartens as some of our more recent projects go to show...

Denise Sheat has joined Kidsfirst Kindergartens as Cultural Advisor. But she's no stranger to kindergarten, having attended one of our kindys during the war years...

The strands of Te Whāriki (the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum) weave through each other

much like this flax...

KIDSFIRST KINDERGARTENS ARE A NOT FOR PROFIT ASSOCIATION THAT HAS DEVELOPED AND MAINTAINED KINDERGARTENS IN CHRISTCHURCH, CANTERBURY AND ON THE WEST COAST FOR OVER 100 YEARS - AS THE PLACE LOCAL KIDS COME TO LEARN, PLAY AND HAVE FUN.