Learning Adventures Rotorua

21/09/2026

another couple of lovely waiata

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21/09/2026

Māori Language Week was filled with waiata, dance, and poi. Our tamariki are confident as we encourage them all year round to use Māori words, participate in waiata, and engage in dance; it is part of our daily routines. It is always a joy to watch our tamariki showcase their amazing skills as they move the poi with respect. Māori Language Week is a week we treasure, and we aim to learn new things that we can incorporate into our centre.

19/09/2026

The Joy of True Friendship
every morning these three little friends began their day with a treasured ritual.

Two of them snuggled together in the tiny doll's bed, tucked beneath a soft blanket. Their third friend sat lovingly beside them, making sure they were warm, comfortable, and well cared for.

Soon, the two friends reached for each other's hands. they began to sing their favourite song. Their gentle voices filled the room, while their caring friend watched over them with a happy heart.

It was a simple moment, but a beautiful one - a moment filled with kindness, laughter, and love. Watching them together was a true joy, because their little morning tradition showed what friendship really means: holding hands through every moment, caring for one another, and finding happiness simply by being together.

08/09/2026

🤎 Fun in the Mud! 🤎

Our mud pit wasn’t quite ready for play today, but one of our little tamariki just couldn’t wait to get in! Sometimes, the best learning moments happen when we simply follow a child’s curiosity. 🌿

He became completely engaged in the mud, splashing his hands through it and watching with fascination as the mud flicked in every direction. He would then bring both hands down with a big splat, watching closely and repeating it again and again.

There was something so beautiful about watching how deeply engaged he was. The mud seemed to capture his full attention — the feeling between his fingers, the sound as he slapped it, the movement as it splashed, and the joy of seeing it flick up onto himself. 🤎

I couldn’t help but wonder what was going through his little mind as he explored. Was he watching how far the mud could splash? Was he enjoying the sensation? Or was he simply enjoying being completely immersed in the moment?

For him, this wasn’t just playing in the mud. It was a moment of exploration, discovery, sensory learning and pure joy. There was such a sense of calm and tranquillity as he became absorbed in what was right in front of him.

It reminds us that sometimes, something as simple as mud can provide a child with so much — the freedom to explore, the opportunity to investigate, and a space where they can simply be present in the moment.

What a beautiful little muddy moment! 🌿🤎✨

08/09/2026

🎣 Fishing in the Toddler Room! 🎣

Today, our mud pit had filled with quite a bit of water, while one teacher was in there digging up the mud to help the water drain. one of our teachers saw a wonderful opportunity to extend on our tamariki’s interest in fishing while we were getting the mud pit safe and ready for play — something we know is also a much-loved activity for many of our whānau.

The tamariki were so excited as they picked up their big rakau, with little fish attached to the ends, and carefully threw their fishing rods over the fence and into the water-filled mud pit.

“Look, I caught a big fish!” 🐟

There were lots of moments of excitement, but also some beautiful moments of patience and concentration. The tamariki would hold their rods very still, watching and waiting for their fish to bite — just as they would when fishing in real life. 🎣

It was wonderful to see the tamariki using their imaginations, communication, concentration and perseverance as they talked with one another about what they had caught and patiently waited for the next big fish.

We love seeing our tamariki bring real-life experiences into their play. Through these moments, they are able to connect what they see and experience in their own lives with their learning here at the centre.

A huge thank you to our wonderful teacher for noticing this opportunity and creating such a meaningful learning experience for our tamariki. It may have looked like simple fishing play, but there was so much learning happening beneath the surface! ❤️🎣🐟

08/09/2026

A Very Special 2nd Birthday Celebration! 🎂

Birthdays are such special moments here at Learning Adventures Rotorua, and we love creating a little celebration in each of our rooms to make every birthday child feel truly special. ❤️

Today, we celebrated one of our beautiful tamariki turning two! 🥳

In our Toddler Room, we add a little extra magic to the occasion. Alongside their special little cupcake, the birthday child is given their very own tea cup and little jug, carefully placed in front of them on a tray — making it feel like their very own special birthday tea party. 🫖🧁

Our birthday girl absolutely loved her special cake and her little cup and jug. But I think her favourite part was having everyone sing Happy Birthday just for her. Her beautiful smile said it all! 🥰

Afterwards, she had so much fun pouring her milk into her cup, taking a little sip, and then pouring it back into the jug — enjoying every moment of her special birthday experience. It was such a beautiful example of how something so simple can create such a meaningful moment for a child.

We also had the pleasure of welcoming her Dad and big sister into the room this morning. They were so excited to celebrate their beautiful daughter and sister turning two, and they made the celebration even more special by shouting our wonderful teachers some pizza to enjoy together. 🍕❤️

Thank you so much! It was such a thoughtful and generous gesture.

We love how our Toddler Room creates these little moments where our tamariki feel celebrated, valued and so very special. Sometimes it’s the simplest things — a little cupcake, a tiny tea cup, a jug, and the voices of their friends singing to them — that create the most treasured memories. 🌸🎂💕

Happy 2nd Birthday, beautiful girl! We hope your special day was filled with love, happiness and lots of birthday magic. 🎈❤️

06/09/2026

📚 The Love of Reading

Our little one has developed such a beautiful love for reading! ❤️

We often see him pick up his portfolio book and carefully turn through the pages, taking his time to look closely at the photographs and memories within. He loves pointing out the pictures to his friends and teachers, sharing what he sees and engaging in little conversations about the people and experiences that are familiar to him in his own way.

It is such a beautiful moment to watch him. He shows so much respect and care for his portfolio book, as well as for the other pukapuka in our learning environment. Even though he is not yet two years old, the way he handles his book so carefully shows that he is learning the importance of looking after books and treating them with care.

We often see him sitting comfortably, holding his book with both hands, turning the pages gently and looking deeply at each picture. These moments show so much more than a love of books — they demonstrate his growing concentration, curiosity, communication skills, independence and connection to his own learning journey.

What a wonderful foundation he is building as a young reader. 📖❤️

06/09/2026

Making Our Own Playdough

Our tamariki absolutely love making their own playdough! What I particularly enjoy watching is that the learning begins before we even start mixing the ingredients.

At the beginning of the activity, our tamariki naturally work together to decide who is going to do each job. When I ask, “Who is going to put the salt in?”, they are quick to let me know who has chosen that role. Once their job is finished, they happily wait for the next person to have their turn.

This is such a wonderful opportunity for our tamariki to develop turn-taking, communication and respect for others. They are learning to listen to one another, share responsibilities, wait patiently and give their friends the time and space they need to complete their job. These are important social skills that help build positive relationships and a strong sense of belonging within our group.

As we make our playdough, there is also so much mathematical and cognitive learning happening. Our tamariki are learning about measurement, quantities and numbers as they help measure and add each ingredient. They are developing an understanding of more and less, watching carefully to make sure the right amounts are added, and beginning to understand that changing the amount of an ingredient can change the outcome.

Following the recipe also encourages our tamariki to listen carefully, follow instructions and remember the sequence of what comes next. They are developing concentration, problem-solving skills and the ability to work through a process from beginning to end.

And, of course, there is plenty of sensory and physical learning too! Scooping, pouring, stirring and mixing strengthen those little hands and develop fine-motor skills, coordination and hand-eye coordination.

What makes this experience so special is that our tamariki are not simply making playdough — they are learning alongside one another. They are becoming confident, capable learners who can communicate their ideas, take responsibility, cooperate with others and celebrate what they have created together.

So much learning, laughter and teamwork can come from something as simple as making playdough! ❤️

06/09/2026

Happy Father’s Day to all our amazing dads at Learning Adventures Rotorua! 💙

What a treasured Father’s Day moment we shared today! 🥰

There were so many beautiful smiles as our tamariki proudly prepared their dads’ sausages — carefully adding the onions, sauce and mustard, placing it all onto the bread, and then handing their special creation over to Dad. 🌭❤️

Some of our dads even gave their tamariki a helping hand, making it a beautiful moment of connection, laughter and togetherness.

The smiles on everyone’s faces said it all. It wasn’t just a special moment for our dads — it was just as special for our tamariki, who were so proud to be doing something for their Dad.

These are the little moments that become treasured memories — moments filled with love, pride, connection and whānau. ❤️

To all our wonderful dads, stepdads, grandads and father figures — we hope you had a very Happy Father’s Day! You are so loved and appreciated. 💙

Ngā mihi nui from all of us at Learning Adventures Rotorua. 🌿❤️

19/08/2026

Thank You, Whānau ❤️

We would like to take a moment to say a huge thank you to some of our amazing whānau who have generously brought kai in for our Pātaka Kai.

It is truly heartwarming to see the kindness, generosity and care that continues to shine within our Learning Adventures whānau, especially during these challenging times. 💕

Your generosity not only helps to support others in our community, but also shows our tamariki the importance of manaakitanga, aroha and looking after one another.

To our wonderful Learning Adventures whānau — thank you for all that you do. Your kindness makes a real difference, and we are so grateful to have such a caring and supportive community around us.

He waka eke noa – we are all in this together. 🌿❤️