Waikanae Beach Kids

26/08/2026

This week Harold the Giraffe from Life Education Trust came to visit us! 🦒💛🧡
Our tamariki had a fantastic time learning with Phoebe and Harold about looking after and regulating our bodies, caring for our friends, and showing kindness.

Our tamariki made us incredibly proud when they recognised the similarities in the message shared and wanted to tell Harold all about Kindness Kris and what he stands for.
This showed us just how much this social emotional learning has made an impact!

With a puppet show, dance-off and informative story, our tamariki were engaged, active and having fun while strengthening their understanding of wellbeing. This learning connects beautifully to the wellbeing strand in Te Whaariki supporting tamariki to develop an understanding of their own wellbeing and how their actions can positively support the wellbeing of others.

29/07/2026

At Waikanae Beach Kids, we are licensed for children aged 0 - 5 years. We have a dedicated nursery for up to five pēpi, while our preschool welcomes children aged 2 - 5 years, creating a rich mixed age learning environment. While we do have seperate learning areas, we often have the pēpi come visit our class or playground with their Kaiako.

Mixed age settings naturally foster tuakana - teina relationships, where older tamariki become caring role models and younger children learn through observing, imitating, and participating alongside their peers. As older children guide and support others, they build confidence, leadership skills, empathy, and a strong sense of mana. Younger children benefit from seeing what is possible, often feeling inspired to challenge themselves and develop new skills.

Our mixed age environment is also wonderful for siblings. Having an older brother or sister nearby provides younger tamariki with a sense of familiarity, security, and belonging, helping to make transitions into the preschool environment feel calm and positive. It also strengthens the special bonds siblings share as they learn, play, and grow together throughout the day.

At Beach Kids, we treasure these relationships and the meaningful learning that happens when children of different ages connect, support one another, and grow side by side. 💚

22/07/2026

Growing, Learning, and Connecting with Papatūānuku

At Waikanae Beach Kids, we believe that some of the richest learning happens when tamariki are immersed in the natural world.
Through a Te Ao Māori lens, we encourage children to build a meaningful relationship with Papatūānuku (Mother Earth), fostering a sense of kaitiakitanga (guardianship), respect, and appreciation for the environment that sustains us.

Our māra kai has become much more than a garden …… it has become a living classroom.
In preparation for our Matariki hāngī, tamariki spent months creating and caring for a herb garden that would eventually provide fresh herbs for our stuffing. From preparing the soil and planting seedlings to watering, weeding, removing the dreaded cabbage worm, and observing the changes each week, the children experienced firsthand the importance of patience, responsibility, and nurturing living things.

These authentic experiences naturally extended learning across every area of Te Whāriki. Our Kura Crew strengthened their literacy skills by designing and creating signs for the garden, carefully sounding out words, writing labels, and exploring new technology by using a laminator to protect their work.
Along the way, tamariki investigated scientific concepts as they discovered what plants need to thrive, developed mathematical thinking as they measured growth and counted seedlings, and strengthened their communication and collaboration through shared experiences.

Rather than teaching subjects in isolation, we allow children's interests to guide meaningful learning. A simple idea - planting herbs for a hāngī - grew into months of rich exploration, discovery, and connection.
Tamariki experienced the joy of caring for something over time before harvesting it for a special purpose, helping them understand the importance of giving back to the whenua and appreciating where our food comes from.

By embracing Te Ao Māori and learning through nature, we are nurturing curious, capable learners who understand that caring for Papatūānuku also means caring for ourselves, each other, and future generations.

He taonga te taiao – the natural world is a treasure.
Together, we learn from it, care for it, and grow alongside it

09/07/2026

08/07/2026

Matariki mā Puanga – he wā whakahirahira mō tātou katoa. ✨

What a truly magical evening we shared celebrating Matariki alongside our wonderful Beach Kids whānau.

Over the past few months, our tamariki have embraced all things Matariki—planting herbs and tending to them for our hangi stuffing, discovering the stories of the nine stars, learning waiata and kapa haka, creating beautiful artwork and decorations, and exploring the values that make this season so special. The excitement had been building for weeks, and they were incredibly proud to share their learning through their kapa haka performance.

Matariki is a time to pause and reflect on those who have gone before us, to celebrate the present, and to look ahead with hope. It is a season of renewal, new beginnings, gratitude, and growth—a time to gather with those we love, share kai, strengthen our connections, and dream about the aspirations we hold for ourselves, our tamariki, and our future.

It was so special to see our whānau writing their hopes and dreams for their tamariki on our Hiwa-i-te-Rangi stars, flying kites in honour of Waipuna-ā-Rangi, sharing kai together, and taking part in all of the wonderful activities that celebrated the spirit of Matariki. These moments of connection, laughter, learning, and togetherness are what make our Beach Kids community so special.

Our tamariki absolutely shone during their kapa haka performance. Their confidence, enthusiasm, and pride were a beautiful reflection of the learning, commitment, and aroha they have poured into preparing for this celebration. One of our Dads today said to us ‘it was one of those things when you watch, you can’t help but smile….. it was just epic!’

Ngā mihi nui to all of our whānau who joined us for such a memorable evening. Thank you for celebrating with us, for supporting your tamariki, and for helping create such a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Together we honoured the past, celebrated the present, and looked towards the future with hope.

24/06/2026

Black and Yellow Day at Waikanae Beach Kids 💛🏉🖤

On Friday, we got into the Hurricanes spirit ahead of the big grand final with a Black and Yellow Day! Many of our whānau were heading to Wellington to cheer on the Hurricanes live, so it was a great way to share in the excitement together.

With several tamariki recently starting Ripper Rugby, this was a wonderful opportunity to extend their interests and celebrate our local rugby community. It was also a special way to celebrate the last day of one of our rugby-mad friend before he heads off on their next adventure, making the day even more meaningful. Happy School Days Dalton!

At Beach Kids, we love creating meaningful connections between home, centre, and the wider community. Supporting local teams and extending on the interests of our tamariki helps foster that special "home away from home" feeling while creating fun and memorable links between home and Beach Kids.

22/06/2026

Mōrena e te whānau - Happy Tuesday! Just wanted to share this Preschool Acro flyer if your little one is interested in trying something new. Charis is a fabulous teacher 🤸🤸‍♀️🤸‍♂️ They have an open day on the 11th of July ✨

17/06/2026

At Waikanae Beach Kids, we celebrate kindness every day, but this was an especially meaningful day as we came together for Pink Shirt Friday - a day dedicated to learning about, sharing, and celebrating kindness.

One of the highlights was celebrating the many random acts of kindness shown by our tamariki. They were encouraged to keep an eye out for kind actions and nominate their friends, helping to deepen their understanding of what kindness looks and feels like in every day moments.

Of course, Kindness Kris was there too!
As our kindness mascot, Kris helps us share and celebrate kindness every day here at Waikanae Beach Kids!

What a wonderful day filled with caring hearts, thoughtful actions and lots of pink!

31/05/2026

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