Today the children enjoyed a camp set up in the sun shine. We had the Barbeque with sausages and kebabs. They looked and smelt delicious and we could see the children have observed adults cooking on the Barbie as they turned the sausages to cook, and were mindful as it was 'hot' and to be careful.
There were some great conversations of sharing holiday stories of when some children have been camping with their whanau.
At Uxbridge we are lucky to be surrounded by beautiful native bush which we love to explore. Whilst we were at the library the other day celebrating Matariki, we noticed a brochure all about our native birds. We thought this was a great opportunity to get some fresh air, and go and explore in small groups what birds could be seen or heard, in the Ngahere, or near our Marae. This resource invited the children to work together in pairs with clip boards and a marker, to circle and identify each bird.
By taking part in the garden survey conveys positive messages about caring for the environment, knowing and protecting what’s theirs.
They explored classification, counting and listening to different bird sounds. The children really enjoyed using the clip boards and worked really well with each other, listening, sharing their ideas.
We believe that our children have such a great opportunity being able to venture out and explore or local community, and also think this will be a catalyst for an interest that has re-emerged making bird feeders, as we spotted some on the tracks from our kindy children last year.
Our friend Chloe P brought in a bird nest she had crafted at home, which inspired us to create our own nests at Kindy. With the clay ready, we began our work. Chloe enthusiastically took on the role of a teacher, guiding us on how to manipulate and mould the clay into a beautiful bird nest. "Copy me," she instructed as she skillfully shaped the clay. Everyone followed her lead, and look at how beautiful our nests turned out! The children demonstrated great attention to detail, experimenting with different techniques to achieve the desired effect. Working with clay provides another medium for the children to explore and use to construct and represent their ideas in three-dimensional form.
Our children have been reading The Colour Monster: A Story About Emotions by Anna Llenas, which assigns colours to emotions: yellow for happiness, red for anger, blue for sadness, black for fear, pink for love and green for calm. Inspired by the book, we created sensory bags with these colours, helping children explore and manage their emotions. This activity develops their fine motor skills, introduces new vocabulary, and supports emotional regulation by providing a tangible way to understand and express feelings. Using the iron to make the bags also introduced them to new technology. Sensory play with colour helps children connect with their emotions, laying a strong foundation for their social and emotional development. Understanding and managing emotions is essential for overall well-being, enabling children to form healthy relationships, cope with stress, and navigate social interactions effectively.
On the 7th day of the 7th month, Tanabata is celebrated in Japan and worldwide. (Tanabata means "The evening of the seventh"). A special Star festival that recognises the same star cluster that we celebrate for Matariki. Following Japanese traditions, we made wishes to send up to the stars, called Tanzaku, and we hung them on a bamboo tree. It was lovely to hear our children's Tanzaku wishes. We also decorated colourful lanterns and made paper chains. We loved sharing our wishes with one another.
Here were some of our wishes...
"
I wish for a cat" - Owen
"I
wish for a party" - Hazel
"
I wish I can have a pet " - Caleb
"I
wish to play with Ella" - Madison
"
I wish for a kitten" - Chlo P
"
I wish for a toy cat" - Summer
"
I wish when someone loves me" Lucy
"
I wish if a tooth fairy could come and take my tooth" Charlotte
"I
wish for a digger" - Frank
"
I wish for a big mashmellow " Chloe O
"
I wish for a dump truck " Tate
"I
wish for a doggy" - Penelope
"I
wish for santa to give me a trampoline for my dolls" Ivy
"I wish for a real unicorn - Isla
