Palms Educare

What a beautiful and emotional Mother’s Day celebration today at Palms.

Most of our mums came along to spend this special morning with their children, and it truly touched our hearts seeing all the smiles, cuddles, and love shared together.

Thank you to all our amazing mums for coming, our lovely children for making the morning so joyful, and our incredible team and teachers for all the hard work behind the scenes.

Our Mother’s Day party was such a beautiful success, and we feel so grateful to be part of these special memories with your families.

Happy Mother’s Day to all our mums.

A special goodbye, full of love

Surrounded by flowers and family, we celebrated our little ones as they finish their journey with us — with cuddles, smiles, and a few tears.

Each child received their certificate, ready to begin a new adventure at school.

So proud, yet so hard to say goodbye…
You will always be part of our Palms family.

**Some of the most meaningful learning happens during play.**

During outdoor play, one child had an idea:

**“Let’s build a ladder to climb up the box.”**

He started by stacking the plastic crates together.

Soon other children became interested and joined in.

Some helped carry the crates, some placed them carefully, and others stood nearby watching and discussing.

After a while, they realised something:

**one level was not high enough.**

So together they decided to **add another level.**

Through many attempts, adjustments, and discussions, the children worked together to complete their little “project”.

It may look simple, but in this process children were developing:

teamwork

problem-solving skills

imaginative play

communication and negotiation

persistence

What looks like simple play is actually powerful learning.

Through play, children learn how to think, collaborate, and create together.

This is how little engineers begin.

At first, the children simply wanted to build a bridge using the wooden planks.
They started arranging the boards and connecting them together. Soon they realized the bridge was not stable enough, so they began adjusting the structure.

Some children carried the boards, some placed them carefully, and others checked underneath to see whether the bridge was strong.
After many attempts, discussions, and adjustments, they finally built a very strong bridge — strong enough for toy trucks and even strong enough to sit on.

Through this process, children were developing:
Teamwork
Problem-solving skills
Design and construction thinking
Understanding of structure, balance, and gravity
In preschool, these moments of play may seem simple.

But the exploration and creativity children experience every day can become the foundation for future skills.

**The “mess” that might be stopped at home becomes important learning at preschool.**

In our **Baby Room**,

**Sensory Play and Messy Play** are an important part of children's daily experiences.

What may look messy or chaotic is actually very meaningful for young children.

When children are:

grabbing

dropping

throwing

stepping into materials

they are exploring and understanding the world through their senses.

These kinds of experiences help children to:

stimulate different senses such as touch and sight

build concentration

encourage curiosity and exploration

develop fine motor skills

At home, when children make a big mess, it can sometimes feel frustrating.

But in preschool, we **intentionally create environments like this** —

so children can explore freely, experiment, and enjoy the process.

Because for young children,

**exploring is learning.**

Who am I? Where do I come from?

At our preschool/kiwi room, our current project is “Who am I?”
From there, children begin exploring “Where do I come from?” and learning about the cultures that make each of us special.

Because our children come from all around the world, this project gives us a beautiful chance to celebrate and learn from one another.

Recently, we explored Chinese culture through many hands-on experiences:

Chinese New Year celebrations

Chinese fans, Great wall of China

Dumpling making

Music, movement, colours and stories

Along the way, there were also many meaningful conversations between teachers and children about family, traditions, language, and belonging.

We have also been celebrating and learning about other cultures too, including:
Matariki, Christmas, the Philippines, India, and more.

Through these experiences, children are not only learning about the world — they are also learning about themselves, others, and how to respect and appreciate different cultures.

Confidence grows step by step

In our Preschool/Kiwi room, children gradually learn to speak in front of others.

When they first join the room, teachers gently support them by sitting beside them and sharing together.

Children use the Letter Basket, bringing an item from home that connects to the letter of the week — supporting both early literacy and confidence building.

Over time, children become more comfortable and begin to do Show & Tell by themselves, proudly sharing with their friends.

Every child moves at their own pace, and with the right support, confidence naturally blossoms.

Children’s play doesn’t need to be designed by adults.

Two children, one simple idea， a moment of cooperation, a shared creation.

From trying → changing → building.

In the end, they invited more friends to join.

This is how creativity grows.

Palms had a very special visit from an Assistant Puppy in training and its handler.
Nadia from Assistant Dogs, New Zealand Trust talked to the children about the important job Puppy Joe would be doing after he finishes his training in 14 months time.
Joe will be helping a child with either a disability or an illness such as Autism or Diabetes.
When we see a dog or puppy with a coat on, we can't touch it as they will be working.
Luckily, Joe had some time with us without his coat on so we could say hi.
It takes a lot of time and money to train a Puppy like Joe, but Joe has a wonderful sponsor who helps with the cost.
Thanks Nadia, Helen and Joe for visiting us!

When kaiako stand back for a while and leave opportunities for children to lead their learning, children can create ideas that capture everyones interest.

This is happening at Palms Educare. A group of Tui children (2-3 1/2 years old) decided to "go camping at Browns Bay Mountain."

Conversations about how to get there, what you need for camping and who could come developed into a huge planning activity as the majority of our Tui and Kiwi (3 1/2 - 5) children joined in.

Problem solving came to the fore with ingenious solutions for the "double decker bus' which would take them to their destination.

Child-led learning is deeper and more meaningful for our tamariki as they have autonomy, choose their own pace and direction for their curiosity and interests to go.