Learning Adventures Takanini

Matariki Celebration 2026
Today, our centre came together to celebrate Matariki through meaningful, hands-on experiences that fostered learning, connection, and a sense of community.
Our tamariki had a wonderful time making a delicious Friendship Soup. Families contributed a variety of fresh vegetables from home, and together with Nikau’s mum, the children carefully washed, peeled, and chopped the vegetables. This was a fantastic opportunity for them to learn about healthy eating, food hygiene, and the importance of preparing food safely before cooking. They also explored the names, colours, textures, and smells of different vegetables while developing their fine motor skills and confidence in using child-safe kitchen tools.
As the soup simmered, the delicious aroma filled the centre, creating excitement and anticipation. At lunchtime, everyone gathered to share and enjoy the Friendship Soup together, celebrating the values of manaakitanga (caring for others), whanaungatanga (building relationships), and sharing kai as a community.
The learning continued through creative and imaginative play. Tamariki expressed their ideas by drawing a variety of vegetables and extending their understanding through dramatic play, pretending to prepare and cook soup in the home corner. These experiences encouraged language development, creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving.
During mat time, we celebrated Matariki through music and movement. Tamariki enthusiastically learned and sang Matariki songs and participated in a traditional rākau stick dance, practising rhythm, coordination, listening skills, and teamwork. These experiences helped deepen their understanding of Matariki as a special time for remembering the past, celebrating the present, and looking forward to the future with hope and gratitude.
It was a joyful day filled with learning, laughter, cultural celebration, and shared experiences. Thank you to all our whānau for contributing vegetables and a special thank you to Nikau’s mum for joining us and supporting this memorable activity. Your involvement helped make our Matariki celebration meaningful and enriching for all our tamariki.

Since the weather was unfavourable today,we decided to stay indoors and engage in some exciting activities.First,everyone was eager to explore with play dough as they gathered around the table .This experience helped them to develop their problem solving skills as they shared and played with the play dough toys.It also enhanced their creativity and supported their emotional regulation through hands -on exploration.The children used their imagination during the play dough activity,by cutting out shapes with play dough cutters and objects in an exploratory manner.Afterwards,they had the opportunity to explore sharing cream and mix the colour which involved their hand-eye coordination as they moved their hands and eyes together while mixing the cream.

Kia ora whānau,
Today, our Buzzy Bee tamariki enjoyed participating in a collaborative drawing experience where they worked alongside their peers to express their creativity and imagination. As they explored different colours and mark-making techniques, they practised holding crayons and pencils with increasing control, strengthening their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. The shared drawing activity also encouraged communication, turn-taking, and the exchange of ideas as the children contributed to a collective piece of artwork.
Meanwhile, our Pūkeko tamariki began their Matariki art project by creating a Matariki wharenui (meeting house). The children explored Māori patterns and symbols, thoughtfully incorporating them into their designs while learning about the significance of Matariki as a time of remembrance, celebration, and coming together. Through this creative experience, they further developed their fine motor skills, concentration, and perseverance while deepening their understanding and appreciation of Aotearoa New Zealand’s cultural heritage.
It was wonderful to see our tamariki engaged, confident, and proud of their creations as they expressed themselves through art and meaningful learning experiences.