Cuddly Kiwis Childcare - Papatoetoe Centre

Matariki Celebration: Raffle Tickets & Hamper Announcement!

The countdown to Matariki is on! Our beautiful celebration hampers are officially ready, and we can’t wait to draw our two lucky winners next week on Wednesday, 24th June. 🎁🎉

Tickets are just $3.00 each and are selling fast. Pop in and see our kaiako at drop-off or pick-up to secure yours!

Thank you for supporting our community as we prepare for this special time. 🌌💙

Matariki mā Puanga — a time for reflection, celebration, and coming together.

We are overjoyed to welcome our newest tamariki and his whānau to Cuddly Kiwis!

Joining a new learning community is a big milestone, and we can't wait to build strong bonds, share plenty of laughs, and watch you thrive.

Nau mai, haere mai – step into your new home away from home! 💛

Matariki is just around the corner, and our kaiako are thoughtfully planning meaningful activities to celebrate this special time of the year. These activities will encourage a sense of belonging, reflection, gratitude, and connection to whānau, culture, and the natural world.

Follow along for more exciting Matariki activities and learning experiences coming up over the next few weeks!

🎉 Happy Birthday Yihan! 🎉

Wishing you a very happy birthday filled with joy, laughter, and wonderful memories. Thank you for being such a caring and dedicated kaiako. Your kindness, positivity, and support make a difference in the lives of so many tamariki and whānau.

Best wishes from all of us at the Cuddly Kiwis Team! 💐🎂🎈

We are excited to welcome these little friends and their whānau to the Cuddly Kiwis family.

It is wonderful to have you all join our learning community. We look forward to getting to know you, building strong relationships, and sharing many happy moments together.

Nau mai, haere mai – welcome to your new home away from home! 💛

🔦✨ Science, Light and Writing Fun! ✨🔦

Today our curious tamariki became little scientists as they explored how light travels through darkness using torches. They were fascinated by the way light brightened dark spaces and created different effects and shadows.

To extend the learning, we provided sand trays for mark-making and early writing. The children practised drawing lines, shapes, letters, and patterns in the sand while placing torches inside the box. They noticed how their creation turned with and without light , eagerly sharing their discoveries with their friends.

Through this hands-on experience, tamariki developed their curiosity, scientific thinking, early literacy skills, and problem-solving abilities—all while having lots of fun!

✨ Learning through play, exploration, and discovery every day. ✨

A big thank you to our lovely whānau, Loleta for treating our teachers to the delicious Samoan dessert, Fa’ausi, during Samoan Language Week.

It was absolutely yummy, and we truly appreciated your kindness and generosity. Thank you for sharing a special part of your culture with us and helping make this week so meaningful for our tamariki and kaiako.

Happy Birthday, Kaiako Sw****ka Hope your day is filled with lots of love, laughter, and cake. Have a fantastic year ahead! 🎂🎉"

🌴 Learning Through Culture 🌴

This week our tamariki have been immersed in Samoan Language Week celebrations. From creating cultural artwork to learning new Samoan words, songs, and dance moves, children have been developing an appreciation for the rich culture of Samoa.

Thank you to our whānau who joined us and shared their culture with our Kaiako and children. We value the knowledge and experiences you bring to our centre.

Fa’afetai for being part of our journey! 💙