Waka Huia Childcare Somerfield

Gardening with friends.

We encourage our tamariki to take part in caring for our place. They are so proud of our garden and what it provides for us and the chickens. Taking care of others and learning about responsibility supports our well-being. It also teaches and appreciation for nature and where our food comes from.

I wonder what we will make with all our produce???

🍂🍃 When nature provides the resources 🍃🍂

We are so lucky to have our incredible pear tree that provides for us all year round. We follow the seasons, guided by her blossoms, fruit and leaves.

Thankyou Papatūānuku and Tāne

Te aroha ki ngā hononga
Empathy and connection between people no matter what.

~We are born to connect. We want to be close to others. This connection is at the heart of experiencing health and wellness~ Dr Hinemoa Elder

At Waka Huia we encourage connections with others as a part of developing a sense of belonging and well-being. These moments of kindness, empathy and connection are what make our community strong.

I just have to share as this is such a great resource from Nathan Wallis - Neuroscience Educator for Parents.

The Complete Brainy Bundle Access Nathan Wallis’ series of brain-based seminars covering every stage from birth to adulthood. Learn how to support resilience, intelligence, emotional strength, and real-world outcomes using the latest neuroscience. ______________ 1) Understanding Your Newborn's Brain This seminar takes every...

🧸🫖 A Teddybears picnic fit for a Queen 🧸🫖

At Waka Huia Childcare, our transition to school visits are an important part os supporting tamariki as they prepare for the next step in their learning journey. These visits help tamariki to build confidence, become familiar with a school environment, develop relationships and gain a sense of belonging before starting school.

By supporting a smooth transition, we help tamariki feel excited, capable and comfortable to take the next step in their learning. It is amazing to see their confidence grown as they explore new learning opportunities and experiences.

Bread and Butter!!!

We had a very busy day at Waka Huia on Friday making Bread Rolls and Butter from scratch. It was a long process and involved a lot of hard mahi. From waiting for the dough to rise and shaking the cream until it changed form.

We added the yeast and the sugar to the warm water and watched as it began to bubble. We discovered the yeast seemed to be gobbling up the sugar and then doing little farts.

We then made a volcano with our flour and had to ensure the yeast and water mixture didn’t erupt out of the sides of the volcano as we mixed it together. The tamariki were very committed to ensuring it stayed intact.

Following that we kneaded the dough and then put it in the ‘sun’ as Archer suggested to keep it warm.

While the dough was rising we set to work on the Butter. We added cream and salt to a mason jar and everyone took turns to shake and shake and shake. Lucky we have lots of shakers as it took a long time and then suddenly it changed colour and form. We took the butter ‘Blob’ out and squashed it in the ice bath.

The dough was ready and the buns were rolled and baked.

The tamariki and kaiako thoroughly enjoyed the fresh bread rolls with butter. Our only problem…..we didn’t make enough.🥖

Today we celebrated Waka Huia turning 5!! It was a beautiful day, we dressed in our favourite colours and celebrated with games and treats. I want to extend a huge thank you to the kaiako, tamariki and whānau who have made the last 5 years absolutely incredible. We are eternally grateful for the times we get to share with you all. Bring on the next 5.

🌈🌈Te Iringa-o-Kahukura🌈🌈 - 'This translates literally to "The uplifting or hanging of the rainbow god". The name refers to the legend of the rainbow god Kahukura, who hangs his radiant cloak (korowai) over the hills surrounding the suburb.
We are so lucky to be rainbow spotting from our playground.