Kakapo Creek Children's Garden

🐛 A very special storytime at Kakapo Creek today.
We were delighted to welcome Chrissy, our wonderful local children’s librarian, who led a beautiful mat time with our preschool tamariki. There was storytelling, connection, curiosity, and just the right amount of library magic.

📝 Our Tuakana School Readiness Programme leaders have been collaborating with Chrissy since last year, creating meaningful links between Kakapo Creek and East Coast Bays Library. Through regular termly visits, both to the library and here at Kakapo Creek, we are nurturing a rich love of language, literacy, and community in our tamariki.

📚 At Kakapo Creek, school readiness is not a checklist. It is a thoughtfully woven journey of relationships, real-world experiences, and bespoke learning moments that help our tamariki step confidently into their next chapter. Thank you, Chrissy, for bringing the joy of stories to our day!

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🍋 Recently in our Tonga Room, our kaiako made the most of citrus season using beautiful fresh produce from our Farm School.

🧠 Through tuff tray exploration, science experiments, and water play, our tamariki squeezed, poured, mixed, floated, smelled, touched, and noticed. These rich, multi-sensory experiences supported early scientific thinking as children explored colour, texture, scent, volume, cause and effect, and change.

❄️ At Kakapo Creek, we love seeing seasonal produce become a meaningful invitation for curiosity, discovery, and joyful hands-on learning.

👮🏼👮🏻Recently in our Preschool Rooms, we were favoured to welcome one of our very own Kakapo Creek mums and her colleague, who visited us in full Police uniform.

🚔 They shared with our tamariki the important mahi our Police do to care for and protect our community. Through conversation, questions, and real-life connection, our children explored what it means to help others, keep people safe, and be part of a caring community.

At Kakapo Creek, we treasure learning that grows through relationships and meaningful experiences. A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful visitors for sharing your time, stories, uniforms, and important mahi with us.

📖 A day of nourishment, reflection, and renewal for our teaching team: Our kaiako spent the day completing the second half of their Circle of Security certification, guided by our very own COS Facilitator and Centre Director, Kaye.

👩🏻‍🏫 At Kakapo Creek, our attachment-rich pedagogy begins with the adults. When teachers are supported, strengthened, and given space to reflect, they are better able to offer children the secure, responsive relationships they need to flourish.

💡 The afternoon was also dedicated to fresh thinking, as our team shared ideas to bring renewed energy and intention into their classrooms for the rest of the year.

🩵 This is our quadruple bottom line in action: investing in our people, enriching outcomes for children and families, strengthening our community, and sustaining the heart of our work. Because when our teachers are nourished, our children are held more deeply!

In our A-Uru Room, creativity is often quiet, focused, and full of intention. A small hand chooses colour. A shape is placed, moved, layered, and noticed. The work unfolds slowly, because children are given time to stay with their ideas. 🩵🔸🔺🔹🟨 When children feel safe, they linger, take risks, make choices, and try again. Their confidence grows through knowing their ideas are valued. The kaiako’s intentional preparation offers a beginning, but the children bring the experience to life!

RECENTLY IN RAKI: Little hands, big learning. 👐🏾

🧱 Our toddlers have been exploring puzzles, balance blocks, and wooden blocks at the table, and these simple moments are full of purpose.

As they turn pieces, stack blocks, test balance, match shapes, and try again, our toddlers are developing coordination, concentration, problem-solving, and perseverance. They are learning how to make choices, follow ideas, manage small challenges, and celebrate little successes.

Equally important are the connections happening: sharing space, watching friends, communicating ideas, and feeling supported by familiar kaiako. Being in an attachment-rich environment, children feel safe to explore, take risks, and grow in confidence.
This is the beauty of play: everyday moments becoming meaningful learning.