Busy Bees Kawatiri

08/09/2026

Exploring Colours, Science & Learning Through Play!

We have been having lots of fun exploring colours, mixing, matching and making discoveries with our amazing kaiako, Teresa and Brooke!

Science with Teresa
Teresa invited the tamariki to explore coloured water using syringes and droppers, carefully transferring colours onto cornflour. As the colours met and mixed together, the tamariki watched closely to see what happened.
“What happens when we put these two colours together?”
“What colour did we make?”
“Will it change if we add more?”

This hands-on experience encouraged tamariki to predict, experiment, observe and investigate cause and effect. They were developing early scientific thinking while strengthening their fine-motor skills, coordination and confidence to have a go!

Colour & Shape Matching with Brooke
With Brooke, the tamariki have also been developing their colour and shape recognition through a fun matching and sorting game. Brooke raises a coloured shape and the tamariki look carefully at their own board to find the matching colour and shape.

We have been practising both English and te reo Māori as we identify our colours and shapes, supporting tamariki to build their vocabulary and confidence using both languages.

Through these experiences, our tamariki are learning to notice differences and similarities, make connections, communicate their ideas, problem-solve and learn alongside one another.

Te Whāriki
These experiences support Mana Aotūroa | Exploration, as tamariki investigate, experiment, problem-solve and develop an understanding of the world around them. They also support Mana Reo | Communication as tamariki learn new colour and shape vocabulary in both English and te reo Māori.

Busy Bees | Be Curious
Our Bee Curious curriculum encourages tamariki to wonder, question, predict, explore and discover. Through hands-on experiences, tamariki are encouraged to follow their curiosity, test their ideas and learn through play and experimentation.

04/09/2026

Our Spring Show Creation!

Spring has sprung, and our tamariki have been busy getting creative! Together, the children have created a beautiful art and craft bouquet of flowers using coffee filters, dye spray, playdough and lots of imagination!

This has been a wonderful opportunity for tamariki to explore creativity, colour, textures, fine-motor skills, collaboration and making their own choices as they worked together to bring their beautiful bouquet to life. It has also encouraged curiosity, problem-solving and a real sense of pride and achievement in their creation.

This intentional learning connects with Te Whāriki | Mana Aotūroa – Exploration, as tamariki explore materials, experiment with different techniques and develop confidence in their creative abilities. It also reflects our Busy Bees Bee Curious curriculum, encouraging tamariki to be curious, creative, confident and active learners who explore, discover and share their ideas.

And now our creation is off to the local Spring Show!

Carters Beach Hall
Saturday 5th September
10:00am – 3:30pm

Head on down, take a look at all the wonderful entries, and make sure you talk to your tamariki about their amazing creation and achievement! We are so proud of the creativity and effort they have put into this special project!

04/09/2026

Storytime with Melissa!

Today we had a special visit from Melissa from the Pāpura Room, who brought along her wonderful board stories for the tamariki to enjoy! The children were instantly captivated, eagerly listening, joining in, sharing their ideas and using their imaginations.

This intentional learning experience supported **Te Whāriki | Mana Reo – Communication**, as tamariki developed their ability to listen, understand, communicate ideas, build vocabulary, express themselves and enjoy language through stories. It also supported **Mana Atua | Wellbeing** by creating a warm, enjoyable group experience where tamariki could feel confident and connected.

**Busy Bees Bee Curious** was also shining through as tamariki were encouraged to be **curious, engaged and active learners**. Through storytelling, they were exploring new ideas, making connections, wondering “what happens next?”, using their imagination and learning alongside their friends.

We loved seeing those little faces light up with excitement as they discovered the magic of storytelling together!

02/09/2026

For our under twos, literacy begins through warm, responsive relationships and everyday experiences. Sharing books, singing songs, rhymes, talking, listening, and exploring sounds, children are developing early communication and literacy skills.
Te Whāriki, we support children to build confidence as communicators, encouraging them to express themselves, share their ideas, and develop a love of language and stories.
Bee Curious, immersed in a literacy rich environment children encounter stories, rhymes, poems, and storytelling that reflect diverse cultures, developing their growing understanding and use of symbols and text.

21/08/2026

Making the Most of the Sunshine!

What a beautiful week of weather we have had! With the sun shining, we have made the most of every opportunity to get outside, explore, play and learn together.
And, of course, the bike track continues to be the go-to favourite!

Something really special we have been noticing lately is the way our tamariki are supporting and helping one another. We have seen tamariki taking turns pushing their friends up the hill, and then happily swapping roles so the pusher gets their turn to ride.
It may look like simple play, but there is so much learning happening within these moments — cooperation, turn-taking, communication, problem-solving, empathy and developing a sense of belonging with others.
Our tamariki are building relationships and friendships in leaps and bounds at the moment, and it is wonderful to watch these connections grow.

This links beautifully with Te Whāriki, particularly Mana Atua – Wellbeing, Mana Whenua – Belonging and Ngā Hohonga – Relationships, as tamariki develop trust, confidence, a sense of belonging and positive relationships with their peers.

It also reflects our Bee Curious approach — encouraging tamariki to be curious, connected, confident learners who learn through play, exploration and meaningful interactions with others.

We love seeing our tamariki learning that we can achieve more when we work together. What a wonderful way to learn, play and grow!

21/08/2026

A Wee Transformation Has Happened!

We have some awesome news to share with the world!!

While our tamariki have been busy playing, exploring and learning this week, we have been busy behind the scenes creating a wee transformation in our learning environment!

On Monday, a big truck arrived with brand-new furniture! The excitement was real! Our tamariki even jumped in to help us move our inside environment out, ready for the transformation to begin once they had gone home.

Furniture was moved, spaces were changed, and then… the next morning, our classroom was brand new!

The excitement was contagious — our kaiako were excited, our tamariki were excited, and our whānau have been just as excited to see the changes!

We are so proud of our new environment and can't wait to see all the wonderful learning, creativity, imagination and adventures that will happen in these new spaces.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this happen. Our tamariki deserve an environment that inspires them, excites them and makes them want to come through the door each day — and we think we've achieved just that!

Keep your eyes peeled… there may be more to come!

20/08/2026

Our Tamariki Have Spoken!

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with some of our older tamariki and have a kōrero about what they would like to see happening at our centre.

We decided that we should use their ideas to help create some weekly or fortnightly fun focuses — because who better to tell us what they would enjoy than the tamariki themselves!

Some of the ideas shared were:

🌟 Marley – Wear Your PJs Day
🌟 Dakota & Marley – Dress Up with Cardboard
🌟 Lola – A Fun Day
🌟 Marley – Sleepover
🌟 Rylan – Crazy Hair Day

And then the tamariki came up with even more fantastic ideas:
📚 Book Day
🧸 Teddy Bear Picnic
🛞 Decorate the Wheels
🧺 Picnic Day
🚲 Bike Day
🏫 South School
⛰️ Mountains
🏖️ Beach to Collect Sticks
📖 Library Visit
🏭 Warehouse Visit
🌿 Make a Scarecrow from Sticks
🎉 Party Day
💃 Disco
⚽ Ball Games
🛒 Trolley Poly
💃 Dancing
🪂 Parachute Fun
🌽 Grow Corn, Tomatoes & Carrots
🎲 Games Day
What an amazing list!

There are so many wonderful possibilities here — and what makes it even more special is that these ideas have come directly from our tamariki.

Over the coming weeks, we will start bringing some of their ideas to life and creating lots of opportunities for fun, creativity, connection, exploration and learning through play.

We can't wait to see where their ideas take us!
Watch this space… some very exciting tamariki-led fun is coming!

29/07/2026

28/07/2026

.. VISITING PRIOR LEARNING ..

Today in our 4-year-old programme, spent time revisiting some of our previous learning, and it was such a special experience.

It was wonderful to see our tamariki pointing out themselves and their friends, sharing what they noticed, and taking the time to really look, listen, and learn from one another. The conversations were full of excitement, curiosity, and connection.

These moments reflect the heart of Te Whāriki as tamariki strengthen their sense of belonging (Mana Whenua) and develop their communication skills (Mana Reo) through shared experiences. They also beautifully align with our Busy Bees Bee Curious curriculum, encouraging children to revisit, wonder, make connections, and celebrate their learning journey together.

He taonga ngā tamariki – our children are treasures, and today they reminded us that some of the richest learning happens when we learn with and from each other.

24/07/2026

What a wonderful week we've had in the Kōwhai Room! 💛

Our tamariki have been busy helping our kaiako create exciting new play spaces, sharing their ideas and working together to make the environment inviting and fun for everyone.

Throughout the week, they have enthusiastically taken part in a variety of activities that challenged their abilities, encouraged problem-solving, sparked creativity, and built confidence. It has been lovely to see new friendships blossom as the tamariki supported one another, shared experiences, and celebrated each other's achievements.

We love watching our tamariki explore, discover, and grow through play, and we're looking forward to another week full of learning, laughter, and new adventures!