We dropped the paint on the paper, then used a straw to blow, blow, blow! Our breath made the air move—whoosh! The moving air pushes the paint and the harder we blow, the further our paint goes! How cool is that! We can make all different patterns and shapes as it slides and moves across the paper!
Over the past week we have been experimenting with painting with light. The children got to pick their favourite piece of music and in the dark of the block room we used lights attached to our fingers to capture the movement and expression of our bodies. Using a long exposure photo the light acts as a "paintbrush" to create glowing designs as we learn about the kinetic energy of how our body moves.
The children worked together to make the longest pipe they could. They began with just two pieces joined together, then excitedly added more until it stretched right down to the sandpit. They experimented by sending balls and cars down the pipe, noticing how quickly or slowly they travelled. There was lots of discussion about weight and speed — they observed that the lighter balls sometimes got stuck, but when a heavier ball followed, it pushed them through using force. The children also talked about direction, carefully turning the pipes to see how it changed the movement. Everyone was thrilled when, after much problem-solving, their ball finally reached the end of the pipe, and they celebrated their success with excitement.
Afterward, the children decided to change the direction of the pipes and use them to transfer water from the sandpit, discovering new ways the pipes could carry and move materials.
This week we celebrated Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week). The children have been learning to greet each other with a friendly “kia ora”, and enjoyed using these new words in their play. We shared lots of waiata (songs) and dancing, explored rhythm and movement with rakau (sticks) and poi, listened to kōrero (stories), and created toi (art) inspired by Māori culture. The children joined in with enthusiasm, showing curiosity and respect as they explored te reo Māori through music, movement, stories, and creativity.
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The canvas changes as different artist explore their creativeness!! This encourages creativity, self-expression and collaboration while showing children that art is a process not just a finished product.
We have been adding colours, mixing colours to see what new shades we can make, we have added shapes, dots, lines and textures, building on our painting each day and week. Different children have visited and re-visited, recognising how the picture has changed and how they can add their idea's. Each child could see their contribution into a collective artwork.
We will continue to add to it as it is forever changing, next week it will look completely different.
Today we celebrated our real-life superheroes – our Dads, Poppas, and Grandads! It was such a joy to have them join us for a morning filled with outdoor play, construction, colouring, story time, and plenty of fun in our special “Super Dad” photo booth complete with costumes and props. Everyone gathered to share a delicious Father’s Day breakfast of bacon butties, hash brown bites, waffles, pikelets, fruit platters, apple muffins, and chocolate brownies – yum!
With the sun shining down, it was the perfect backdrop for such a special occasion.
Happy Father’s Day to all our amazing dads and the special people who bring so much love to our lives!
Congratulations to our winners of the raffle:
1st Prize - Tyler's Uncle
2nd Prize - Kayla's Dad
With the jumping mat, the children explored ways to challenge themselves. They began by jumping with the mat close, and then extended their learning by moving it further away. Some even challenged themselves with free falling, showing confidence and excitement in testing their abilities.
Through this experience, tamariki built strength, coordination, and spatial awareness, while also practicing risk-taking in a safe environment. They engaged in problem-solving as they judged distance and adjusted their movements, and developed a sense of pride and achievement as they discovered what their bodies could do.
