Days filled with sunshine
From excursions to lambs and daffodils, it's nice to see the sunshine and the freedom of warmer, drier days. The tamariki can't wait to get outside into the spring weather - and neither can their kaiako!
Kidsfirst Selwyn Street marked Daffodil Day with an explosion of yellow across the kindergarten. Tamariki dressed in bright sunshine colours enjoyed some fabulous face painting and making artwork of their own joyful daffodils. A bonus was the generous donations the kindergarten was excited to be able to pass on to the Cancer Society.
The better weather also brings an appreciation of the world around us. Piwakawaka (fantails) grace the trees and the imaginations of tamariki. There have been some fantastic artworks depicting these small feathered friends, but also bird boxes and seed balls for them to peck away at.
Kidsfirst Papanui took the children on an excursion to teach tamariki about kaitiakitanga - guardianship for our natural environments . This time it meant a neighborhood clean up and a trip to the local park to see some native trees.
Meanwhile, tamariki have also been watching things grow in and around the kindergarten. In their own kindy gardens or community plots, the children have shown a great interest as seeds turn into plants.
At Kidsfirst Lady May, kaiako are encouraging the curiosity and learning of tamariki as they make bird seed feeders, houses, learn about our feathered friends, grow seeds, tend the kindergarten's edible garden, go on bug hunts and much more. The seedlings on the window are a massive favourite.
Kidsfirst Cromwell tamariki recently had a visit from some early Spring lambs and they were able to get up close and hands-on. "Some children had never seen lambs before or had the experience of interacting with them," says teacher, Nicola Brown.
"It was a wonderful experience for them, and also a great opportunity to practise using their quiet voices, be gentle in their interactions, and learn more about the cycle of life and how the seasons change."
Taking lambs to kindy is nothing new. Here, we flashback to much earlier times to show nothing much has really changed, with a snapshot of teacher Anna Domino dressed as Little Bo Peep (with a variety of friends) at a dress-up day for her kindy in the 1970's.