Home Grown Kids Southland

15/09/2026

We are looking forward to Wig Wednesday at Playgroup to spread awareness and raise funds for child cancer and kiwi families who are going through their toughest time 💛

15/09/2026

Bring te reo Māori to life in your daily moments. Our educators do a wonderful job of this in their day to day with our tamariki.

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori encourages us to make our language a fundamental part of everyday life with our tamariki. A single word, a phrase, or a story at kai time - every moment is an opportunity. Take a step and have a go! By speaking, we nurture the health of te reo Māori.

14/09/2026

With the warmer weather here, our playgroups have been the perfect place to get outside, get our hands messy and explore! 👐

From scooping and pouring to squishing, mixing and discovering different textures, our tamariki have been busy using all their senses as they play.

But messy play is about so much more than making a mess! It gives children opportunities to build fine motor skills, problem-solving, creativity, language and confidence while learning about the world through hands-on experiences.

There’s also something pretty special about giving children the freedom to explore without needing everything to be neat and tidy. ✨️

09/09/2026

Our tamariki have been trying on different hats job-wise and it's been cool to see this learning unfolding. Hairdressers, shopkeepers, doctors, nurses... they've got a lot of future aspirations 📚.

This made us wonder about other roles in our community, so we started with the most important question: 'What's a Mayor, and what do they do?'

So a small group of our tamariki we went to investigate!

With their clipboards ready and tough questions, we met Invercargill Mayor Tom Campbell and Councillor Boyle at the Civic Chamber to hear what role the mayor plays in our community. Turns out, a big role! Thank you so much Mayor Campbell and councillor Boyle for taking time out of your busy day to speak with us! 🙏

Our community is such an important part of children's learning, and sometimes the best way to understand a role is to meet the person who does it!
Invercargill City Council

03/09/2026

From storytime to messy time! 📚➡️🚜

There was lots of messy-play fun to be had as we celebrated Book Week with an old favourite — The Little Yellow Digger! 🚜💛

Our tamariki got stuck into their own messy digger adventures! There was plenty of digging, scooping and exploring as they brought elements of the story to life through hands-on play.

An old favourite, but definitely still a goodie! 💛

03/09/2026

🤸‍♀️ Back at Drop-In Gym!🤸‍♂️

We’ve been loving getting back into Drop-In Gym — especially with the weather we’ve been having lately! 🌧️

It’s so much more than just running, jumping and climbing. Our tamariki have a safe space where they can move their bodies, test their abilities, take on challenges and build confidence. 💛

Through these experiences, tamariki are developing:

✨ Gross motor skills and body awareness
✨ Balance, coordination and strength
✨ Confidence to try something new
✨ Perseverance when something feels tricky
✨ Problem-solving and decision-making

We love watching the progression from “I can’t do it!" to “Look what I can do!”.

06/08/2026

🌺 Kia orana, its Cook Island Language week.

At play group this week, we celebrated Cook Island culture via art and hands-on learning. Tamariki created their own 'ei katu' (traditional flower head garland), by choosing flowers, colouring them and adding greenery, beaming with pride as they showcased their handmade garlands. Traditionally, 'ei katu' signify love, respect and cultural heritage.

06/08/2026

Thank you for having us!

On 4 August we welcomed our home-based care group for a special library experience. The group enjoyed an active rhyming session full of movement, laughter, and learning, followed by a cool behind-the-scenes library tour.

They discovered how the library works, learned about what librarians do every day, and got a glimpse of the many things that happen behind the shelves.

Fancy a cool library experience tour? Book a visit with us at the library and explore what happens behind the shelves at https://www.ilibrary.co.nz/2-services/teachers

04/08/2026

Such a special experience learning about our local library and seeing behind the scenes. Thank you again Invercargill City Library 🥰