Howick KIDS Early Learning Centre

Kia Ora Whanau and Friends,
I stands for identity!
At Howick Kids, every child is unique, and we celebrate their individuality every day.
What a very special and emotional day we had today as we welcomed Zelie back to our centre for her graduation ceremony.
Recently, Zelie and her family moved to a new area after buying a new home, and she has since started attending another early childhood centre. However, because Zelie began her learning journey with us as a baby and spent most of her early years here at HK, her family wished for her graduation to be celebrated with us.
Today, Zelie returned with her mum and brother, and it was wonderful to see her again. Our teachers and children worked together to decorate the environment and make the occasion feel extra special. Zelie proudly put on her graduation gown, and we celebrated her achievements by singing her favourite songs and sharing this memorable milestone together.
It was a joyful and heartwarming occasion filled with smiles, laughter, and special memories. We are so proud of the confident, capable, and kind young learner Zelie has become. Watching her grow from a baby into a school-ready child has been a privilege for all of us.
Thank you to Zelie and her family for allowing us to be part of this important celebration.
As you begin your school journey, Zelie, we wish you happiness, confidence, and success in all that you do. May you continue to be curious, make wonderful friendships, and embrace every new learning opportunity with enthusiasm. Remember that you will always be a special part of our HK family, and we look forward to hearing about all the amazing things you achieve in the future.
Good luck for school, Zelie—we know you are ready to soar!

Kia ora whanau and friends,
K stands for knowledge!
Today we had a very special visitor at our centre, Lorne from Ear Education, who came to teach the children how to keep their ears safe in noisy environments.
Lorne shared valuable tips with the children, such as covering their ears with their hands when they hear very loud sounds, asking an adult to turn the TV volume down if it is too loud, and moving away from loud noises whenever possible.

The children actively participated in a variety of listening and sound games. They explored flashcards, viewed visual images, and listened carefully throughout the session. The children demonstrated their learning by sharing their ideas, asking thoughtful questions, and engaging enthusiastically in the activities.

It was a fun and educational experience, and the children gained important knowledge about protecting their hearing and staying safe around loud sounds.
"Ka pai, tamariki!"

K stands for knowledge
Today, our little ones enjoyed learning a new Māori word – “rapeti” which means rabbit 🐰
We sang the Oma rapeti song and explored its English meaning together. We talked about what rabbits like to eat, the different colors rabbits can be, and other interesting facts about them.
The children enjoyed coloring their own rabbit pictures, expressing their creativity while reinforcing their learning. It was wonderful to see their curiosity, participation, and enthusiasm through the experience.
Learning through songs, discussions, and creative experiences helps our tamariki build language skills, knowledge of the world around them, and confidence in sharing their ideas.

Kia ora whanau and friends,
K stands for Knowledge!
Today our tamariki had a wonderful hands-on learning experience in our māra ( garden). They helped their kaiako pick fresh lemons from our lemon tree and then worked together to squeeze the lemons into a large bowl. The kaiako added water, and together we made refreshing homemade lemonade.
Our tamariki enjoyed sharing the lemonade with their yummy afternoon tea, celebrating the fruits of their teamwork and effort. This experience supported their learning about healthy food choices, wellbeing, and where our kai comes from. It also encouraged cooperation, responsibility, and a connection with nature.

Through activities like this, we promote a healthy lifestyle, encourage positive wellbeing (hauora), and foster a sense of belonging and contribution within our learning community.
Ka pai, tamariki!

Kia Ora Whanau and friends,
K stands for knowledge!
Today, our 4-year-olds explored with different shapes through singing. The teachers drew various shapes on the whiteboard while singing shape songs with the children. The children were excited and eager to participate, happily taking turns to identify and talk about the shapes through song.
This fun and engaging approach not only helped the children learn about shapes but also encouraged them to participate confidently in a group setting.
Singing and taking turns provided a wonderful opportunity for the children to build their confidence, communication skills, and enjoyment of learning.

🎂🎉 Celebrating Lucas's Birthday! 🎉🎂

Today we had a wonderful time celebrating Lucas's birthday with his mum at the centre. The tamariki and kaiako gathered together to sing Happy Birthday and make Lucas feel extra special on his big day.

Lucas enjoyed spending time with his friends, sharing smiles and laughter, and being part of the celebration. It was lovely to see everyone come together to celebrate this special milestone.

Thank you for sharing this memorable day with us, Lucas and whānau. We wish you a very happy birthday and a year filled with fun, learning, and wonderful adventures! 💙🌟

Kia Ora whānau and friends

⭐️C standards for counting⭐️

Our tamariki had a wonderful time during mat time, exploring the numbers and counting through fun songs, actions and colorful resources. As they sing and move together, they practiced counting, number recognition, and taking part in group learning experiences.
Music is a fantastic way to support early mathematical learning. It is also lovely to see so much enthusiasm, participation, and joy throughout the mat time.

Learning is always more meaningful when it is fun and engaging!!

Talofa lava everyone,

More glimpses from today's celebration. Thank you all for being part of such a wonderful and memorable day.

Fa'afetai lava.

Kia ora whānau and friends,
As we celebrated Samoan Language Week from 2 June 2026 to 6 June 2026, we enjoyed a wonderful week of learning and cultural experiences.
Our beautiful Sina introduced Samoan songs to all the children, and throughout the week we explored Samoan music, language, food, and traditions. Sina also helped the children prepare a delicious Samoan dish, giving them a hands-on cultural experience.
Today the celebrations culminated with all the children and staff dressed in beautiful cultural costumes. We played Samoan songs, and the children enthusiastically danced to different tunes while enjoying a delicious lunch and afternoon tea together.
Overall, it was a fantastic celebration filled with learning, fun, and cultural appreciation.
A big thank you to all the wonderful parents who supported the event by sending their children in beautiful cultural dress and contributing plates of food to share. Your support helped make this celebration truly special and memorable for everyone.

Today, our infants had a fantastic time enjoying the Wheels on the Bus activity. The children eagerly took turns sitting on the chair one by one while we sang the song together as a group. They smiled, laughed, and joined in with the actions, showing great enthusiasm and engagement throughout the experience.

As we sang, the children listened carefully, watched their friends, and responded to the familiar words and movements of the song. This fun and interactive activity supported their language development, listening skills, turn-taking, and social connections. It was wonderful to see the children building confidence, participating alongside their peers, and sharing such a joyful learning experience together.