Busy Bees Ngongotahā

Bring your Lamb to Daycare 🐑

One of our lovely families were kind enough to bring in one of their lambs for the tamariki to see. Being able to feel the softness of the lambs coat and maybe even let it eat from their little hands!
So much fun to experience the different animals apart from cats and dogs. Ka Rawe!

Bubbles are always so exciting and are definitely one of our favourites! They're even more fun and satisfying when we're the ones blowing and creating them ourselves. We used recycled milk bottles that had been cut into bubble blowers, dipped them into the bubble mixture, and then blew to create bubbles. Some were a little tricky to make, but with persistence we created some really cool bubbles and had lots of fun experimenting with different shapes and sizes!

This experience reflects our Bee Curious curriculum by encouraging children to explore, experiment, and discover through hands-on play. As the children investigated how to create bubbles, they developed their curiosity, problem-solving skills, and perseverance while learning through trial and error. Working alongside their peers also supported communication, cooperation, and confidence as they shared ideas, celebrated their successes, and enjoyed the wonder of creating bubbles together.

Police Visit 🚓

We had a special visit from two police officers and their furry friend, Spencer! Our tamariki loved meeting Spencer, learning about police equipment, watching his tricks, and checking out the police cars and flashing lights.

A fun and exciting morning for everyone! Ka mau te wehi!

Busy Bees' finest little chefs whipped up a delicious batch of smoothies this week! We had so much fun chopping the fruit, adding it to the jug, and using the stick blender to mix everything together. A tasty way to explore healthy eating while building confidence and developing new skills!

As part of our Bee Curious Curriculum, this hands-on cooking experience encouraged children to explore, investigate, and learn through play. Preparing smoothies helped develop fine motor skills, early mathematical thinking through measuring and sequencing, and language skills as we talked about the different fruits, colours, textures, and flavours. It also fostered independence, teamwork, and a curiosity about healthy food choices.

Planting Sunflowers 🌻

With the help of uncle Aaron the tamariki have had fun decorating pots and planting sunflower seeds. Carefully scooping the soil into the pots and making a small hole for the seed. Once the seed is in the soil another small scoop of soil on top. The tamariki had so much fun participating in this activity, and the best part is they were able to tak them home and watch their flowers grow and bloom just like them here at Busy Bees. This also reflects Tupuanuku one of the Matariki stars.

What a blast we all had celebrating Matariki together last Thursday evening! There were fun starry art activities, playdough, dancing under the sparkly lights, and of course, delicious soup and rēwena bread.

Thank you to all the whānau who came along and made it such a wonderful celebration as we welcomed the Māori New Year together.

Last week, as we headed into the week of Matariki, we celebrated Pōhutukawa, the star that connects us with our loved ones who have passed on. To honour this, the tamariki painted glass jars with star shapes. Once the paint had dried, we placed an LED candle inside each jar, creating beautiful lanterns to remember those who are no longer with us.

The tamariki also created glittery starry skies on black paper. To represent Hiwa-i-te-Rangi, the star associated with hopes, dreams, and aspirations for the year ahead, we invited parents and whānau to share their aspirations for their child. These heartfelt messages were added to the artwork, celebrating the hopes we all hold for our tamariki as they continue to learn and grow.

These meaningful Matariki experiences reflect our Bee Curious Curriculum by fostering a strong sense of belonging, identity, and connection. Through creative expression, storytelling, and collaboration with whānau, tamariki explored the significance of Matariki while developing their curiosity about te ao Māori and the world around them. Inviting families to contribute their aspirations strengthened our partnerships with whānau and created opportunities for tamariki to see themselves as valued members of a connected learning community, where their hopes, ideas, and cultural heritage are celebrated.

DIGGERS!
Some of our over two tamariki went for a walk to check out some construction and some diggers. Big smiles on the tamariki's faces as they saw the diggers move around and dig up the dirt. Thank you to Aunty Sophie for organising such a cool walk for some of our tamariki. They had so much fun.
Link to Te Whariki - Mana Tangata | Contribution - supports children's learning with other children.

We have continued our Matariki celebrations through a range of hands-on experiences inspired by the night sky. Children explored materials with dark tones, such as black rice and black paper, creating a rich sensory backdrop that reflected the darkness of the night. They then added colourful and sparkly materials, including glitter paint and foam shapes, to represent the stars and constellations of Matariki.

This learning reflects our Bee Curious curriculum by fostering Bee Creative, as children expressed their ideas through open-ended art experiences, Bee Inspired as they explored the cultural significance of Matariki with curiosity and wonder, and Bee Expressive as they communicated their thinking creatively.

Curiosity with Carpentry.
The tamariki have been enjoying the carpentry table. With the assistance of Uncle Aaron, the tamariki have been learning how to use the tools safely. From drilling holes in wood to using a saw to cutting wood. Through this the tamariki are learning to problem solve and express their creativity in a 3-dimensional way.

Te Whariki - Exploration- Mana Aoturoa | children gain confidence and control of their bodies, especially in the fine movements associated with using tools.