My Taonga Treasure!

We have a special book in our Library that is called "My special Taonga"  A Taonga is a special gift or treasure.  Tane who goes to Kohunga Reo which is a kindy just like Uxbridge says the thing he likes doing the best is playing with clay.  Tane loves to make worms, and he explains just how to do it "I take a small bit of clay and roll it between my hands.  I roll it into a long skinny worm" he says.  His whaea is very impressed with his worms and then shows Tane how to make a Taonga from the clay worms.  The pictures in the book along with the story was a wonderful provocation today enticing our tamariki to make their own special Taonga too just like Tane. 

 We took a small bit of clay and rolled it between our hands, then rolled it on the tray to make a long skinny worm

Elle loves sensory play and using clay is another medium for her to explore.  The wet clay stuck to our fingers, it was great fun.

Rolling, rolling, back and forward we go

"A really long worm" says Jack

Elle follows the pictures in the book to then roll her clay worm into a spiral - "it looks like a snail" she says

Sienna decides to make a really big one, a gift for her mummy.  We go on the hunt for some natural treasures to decorate it.

Once our Taonga is dry, we can give them away to someone special.  These Taonga have been made with such care and  love, they are so beautiful and so special, they will be treasured forever.