Welcome to our Whānau

There are so many places parents and whānau can find stories and ideas to support their journey, but getting practical, local, trustworthy information is not always easy.

Our Whānau Connect pages are designed to provide you with a resource to complement your Kidsfirst experience. Here, you’ll find a mix of home grown wisdom, academic and developmental ideas that resonate with the kindergarten philosophy and draw on the decades of experience of our teaching teams, as well as experts in a variety of fields.

Ngā mihi from all the team at Kidsfirst

Ngā tamariki, te ako, te katakata
The children, the learning, the laughter

Whānau Connect

• Ready for longer days 26 Feb 2019Ready for longer days 26 Feb 2019More hours at kindergarten can offer increased opportunities for learning and social development. How do you know if your child is ready to take on a longer day at kindergarten? Some of our fantastic kaiako from across the network have weighed in on some of the key indicators that your child may be ready.Read More
• Growing good people 26 Feb 2019Growing good people 26 Feb 2019Many whānau today are just as focused on what kind of person their child will become as much as the formal learning they might receive. It’s a big concern in workplaces now too. We asked kaiako how they help tamariki develop the behaviours and dispositions they will need for the future.Read More
• Can you rock te reo Māori like a 3 year old? 26 Feb 2019Can you rock te reo Māori like a 3 year old? 26 Feb 2019It happens to the best of us - that moment we realise our children are teaching us, instead of the other way around. These days, it’s as likely as not to be Te Reo Māori.Read More
• Getting kids out of the house and into the garden 26 Feb 2019Getting kids out of the house and into the garden 26 Feb 2019It’s never been more important that our children grow up feeling a sense of connection to, and respect for, the natural world around them,Read More
• Helping children through change 26 Feb 2019Helping children through change 26 Feb 2019How you support your child can turn challenging times into valuable life lessons and help build resilience for the rest of their lives. Read More
• Learning through play at home 26 Feb 2019Learning through play at home 26 Feb 2019As your child’s first teachers, you and your whānau have a key role to play in helping them to develop through play-based learning at home.Read More
• Raising confident, resilient kids 26 Feb 2019Raising confident, resilient kids 26 Feb 2019Most children go through phases when they’re more hesitant than usual. There are things you can do to boost your child’s confidence to give things a go.Read More