Farmhouse Preschool and Nursery

02/09/2026

Here is some mahi from room 3 this week

31/08/2026

Here is some mahi that the tamariki in room 3 have been doing this month.

28/08/2026

12/08/2026

Today farmer Tom brought us something special, three baby girl rabbits!

Our tamariki couldn’t wait to have a cuddle. They were all very patient as they took turns to have a cuddle and some gentle pats. Tamariki were fascinated with how small they were and discovering that they had ears, eyes and noses just like them!! One of our tamariki was really excited to share that one of the baby rabbits looked just like her rabbit Winnie at home.

Through these experiences tamariki learn to recognise feelings, practice using their gentle hands and develop an understanding that other living things have needs.

Tamariki have opportunities to develop their language and vocabulary skills through naming animals and describing sounds or body parts.

They are exploring basic biology through having korero about what different animals eat, where they live and how they move.

They have opportunities to develop their sensory and fine motor skills through being able to touch the animals fur (different textures) and helping to feed or groom the animals that builds physical coordination.

What an amazing learning experience that facilitates tamariki knowledge about their natural world and that fosters curiosity and empathy for all living things in a safe and nurturing environment.

11/08/2026

Our room 4 tamariki have been very busy taking care of our three new two week old baby goats. It can be super exciting having these animals in their learning environment so tamariki are taking the time to adapt to this change. Through these experiences tamariki are developing their social competencies through having to be patient and take turns when having pats, negotiating who will make up the bottles and who will be feeding the goats. They are also learning that they need to use their quiet voices around the goats, especially when they are being fed and to use their gentle hands when showing them affection.

These opportunities facilitate tamariki understanding of empathy and compassion where tamariki are taking on this responsibility through consistent routines to be a kaitiaki as together they take care of our farm animals. Tamariki are developing their hand-eye coordination and concentration skills through making up the bottles and then feeding these to the goats. They also have opportunities for sensory exploration through being able to touch these animals and how the different parts of their bodies feel that provides them with tactile feedback about their natural world.

What a wonderful experience for our tamariki!!

09/08/2026

Over the last week our room 4 tamariki have been super busy engaging in their learning environment.

They have had lots of opportunities to practice their social learning through turn taking and sharing the resources that fosters respect and collaboration through learning-focused relationships. This has provided tamariki with opportunities to show manaakitanga towards each other where they are developing their emotional regulation and practising responsible decision making that facilitates positive outcomes.

Tamariki are learning to be a kaitiaki of their environment through developing a responsibility and respect for our animals and each other through meaningful interactions.

Through these experiences tamariki are developing the understanding of the ways that they can actively contribute to strengthen their relationships and enrich their play.

05/08/2026

Today it was wonderful to see our room 4 tamariki enjoying our ruma hūmārie (quiet room). This is a space where tamariki can spend some time reading books, explore puzzles or simply spend time relaxing with friends.

It was wonderful to be invited by a group of tamariki to share in their mahi as they explored some puzzles. I could see tamariki persevering and actively using their problem solving skills throughout their chosen mahi.

These experiences provide opportunities for tamariki to strengthen their finger and hand muscles (motor skills required for learning how to write). This also facilitates early mathematical thinking through recognising visual clues, matching colours/shapes and sorting edges.

It was wonderful to hear tamariki providing social and emotional support to each other through using such language as ‘I can help you’, ‘can I show you?’, ‘here, I found it for you’ and ‘can I have a turn after you? This experience provided opportunities for tamariki to communicate ideas, negotiate turns, scaffold each other’s learning and demonstrate a visible sense of achievement and pride. Tino pai tō mahi tamariki!!