News
22 April 2025
Family and Dramatic Play
Young children are learning their place in the world every single day in multiple ways. The ideas that they form from observing the world around them will often show up when children are engaging in family and dramatic play, but what exactly is family and dramatic play and what are the benefits of your child engaging in it?
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02 April 2025
The Challenges of Threading
One of our beautiful tamariki at Active Explorers Blockhouse Bay enjoying the challenges of threading. Threading supports our children to develop their fine motor skills through the early years, experimenting with practicing gaining control of their bodies, persisting with challenges and building fine motor skills. The actions used for threading build the muscles in their wrists, hands and fingers providing them opportunities to practice small and precise movements. All of these skills are needed throughout their lifelong journey of learning and heading to kura where they will continue to be immersed in the wonderful world of written literacy.
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31 March 2025
Tuākana-Tēina
If you have had children in early childhood education for a wee while you may have heard of the phrase tuākana-tēina when referring to children’s learning, but what exactly does this mean and how can this social learning benefit your child?
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28 March 2025
Excursions, Carpentry Play & Creative Learning!
March has been a wonderful and busy month for our centre! With sunny and warm weather, we have been making the most of it by taking our tamariki on regular excursions to Paper Road Park and Panmure Library. Our babies, toddlers, and preschoolers have loved these outings, exploring new environments and engaging in new learning experiences. We are also excited to share that we have introduced new resources to support our tamariki’s love for carpentry play. These hands-on experiences continue to spark creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork among our young learners. Our March learning has been rich and diverse, with a focus on colour mixing and loose parts play. These activities have encouraged our tamariki to experiment, create, and discover through open-ended play. We look forward to more exciting learning adventures in the coming months!
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28 March 2025
Holi Celebrations
The centre was filled with excitement and energy as children and teachers came together to celebrate Holi, the festival of colours. The atmosphere was vibrant, with laughter and joy echoing throughout the space. Bright colours filled the air as everyone participated in the tradition of throwing coloured powders, creating a beautiful array of hues. Children giggled as they playfully smeared bright colours on each other, while teachers joined in the fun, creating lasting memories. The day was filled with music, dance, and the delightful taste of traditional sweets, making it an unforgettable experience for everyone involved. Holi marks the arrival of spring and symbolizes the victory of good over evil. It is a time for forgiveness, renewal, and the celebration of love and friendship. This celebration not only brought joy but also fostered a sense of community, reminding everyone of the importance of togetherness and harmony. The epic time spent celebrating Holi will be cherished by all at the centre.
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28 March 2025
Hands on learning and exploration!
This month in Pohutukawa Room there has been lots of hands-on exploration and learning. This month saw the start of our ‘Friday Make Our Own Lunch’ programme and it has been such a success! We started off with the Tamariki making their own pizzas and the smile on the children’s faces said it all…they were so proud! The children were able to choose what toppings they had on their pizza and there was lots of discussion between the children as to what they were choosing to put onto their pizza. At lunch time they were able to give it the taste test…..and it tasted good! Since then, the children have been able to make sandwiches and wraps and we are looking forward to what else the children can make for themselves for their kai on Fridays. This month there has also been a lot of messy play exploration happening, which the Tamariki are always keen to explore and get messy! Messy play has so many benefits, including: Children's fine motor skills are enhanced Children's emotional regulation, and social skills are supported Children can express themselves freely, fostering creativity and imagination What an amazing month we have had in Pohutukawa Room, so much learning and having fun!
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03 March 2025
A month of Learning, Exploration and Fun!
Kia Ora! What a fantastic month it's been, filled with exciting learning experiences! We kicked off the month with the living eggs. The children watched in awe as the eggs hatched and the chicks emerged. They even had the chance to hold the chicks once they were two weeks old, before bidding them farewell as they returned to the farm. We were also visited by Old MacDonald's Farm, where the children got to interact with chickens, sheep, horses, and pigs. They were full of curiosity and kindness as they learned about farm animals and life on the farm. Our little chefs had a blast outdoors, whipping up pretend pancakes and muffins with their own creative recipes. They also expressed themselves through freehand artwork, exploring different textures and colours. The dinosaur enthusiasts gave their dinosaurs a bath, working together to ensure each one was sparkling clean. Meanwhile, our tamariki embraced nature, creating stunning crafts using leaves, flowers, and seeds to explore textures and patterns. In our health class, the children practiced yoga, mastering the Warrior and Rakau poses. They showed great strength and balance, learning how movement helps keep their bodies and minds strong. They also explored building new structures through creative play. We have been doing letter of the week and have been working on "D"! The children had fun exploring everything from dinosaurs to dot painting, enhancing their fine motor skills and reinforcing letter recognition. Our budding scientists were thrilled by the balloon-blowing experiment, where they learned about cause and effect by combining vinegar and baking soda to inflate balloons. Finally, our school readiness tamariki enjoyed practicing their caterpillar alphabet puzzle, matching uppercase and lowercase letters. They also made colourful bead necklaces, developing early math skills by counting beads and identifying shapes and colours. What a month of growth, creativity, and hands-on learning! Connections to Te Whariki (ECE curriculum) learning outcomes: Children are provided with an environment where: • They are encouraged to learn with and alongside others • They learn strategies for active exploration, thinking and reasoning • They develop working theories for making sense of the natural, social, physical and material worlds
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24 February 2025
A Flourishing Month in Our Garden
February has been an incredibly busy and rewarding month for us as we continue to nurture and expand our garden projects! The beauty of nature is truly in full bloom, and we are excited to share the progress and new additions to our green spaces. New Flowers at the Centre We have introduced a variety of new flowers to the centre, bringing more vibrant colours and fragrances to our environment. These fresh blooms not only enhance the beauty of our space but also attract pollinators that help maintain a healthy ecosystem. Harvest from the Vegetable Garden Our vegetable garden has been thriving, producing an abundance of fresh, nutritious produce. One of the highlights this month has been our kumara leaves, which we happily shared with our family. It is always fulfilling to enjoy and share the fruits of our labour, knowing that we are growing food sustainably and with love. Introducing a new Preschool Vegetable Garden To further encourage hands-on learning and foster a connection with nature, we have also created a new vegetable garden for our preschoolers. This initiative allows children to actively participate in planting, watering, and caring for the plants, instilling a sense of responsibility and love for gardening from a young age. We are excited to see how these projects continue to grow and evolve in the coming months. Gardening is a journey of patience, dedication, and joy, and we are grateful to share this experience with our community. Stay tuned for more updates next month!
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20 February 2025
Reconnecting after the holidays!
February has been another busy month here at Active Explorers Greenmeadows, as children have returned from their Christmas/January holidays. It has been great reconnecting with all our friends and there has been so much fun and learning happening! We started the month off with our first whānau picnic at Anderson Park and it was a great success! It was so nice being able to come together outside of the centre, and for all of our families to reconnect with not only the Kaiako but other families as well. The children loved the face paint and bubbles! We will most definitely hold another whānau picnic at the park, as the feedback from this night was fantastic. We have also been providing opportunities for the Tamariki to help Teresa, our cook with getting morning and afternoon tea ready. The children in Kōwhai Room had a great time helping us to make the scones for afternoon tea! They helped pour the scone mix into the bowl, and then helped Kaimahi Donna stir the ingredients in the bowl. That afternoon they were able to taste their baking and it tasted soooo good! Baking is definitely something we are going to continue to ensure that is happening, as the children absolutely love having this sense of responsibility.
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18 February 2025
The Incredible Value of Visual Arts in Early Childhood
Visual arts can play a crucial role in your child’s development by offering a large range of opportunities to explore their world and extend on their learning and communication skills, but what exactly is visual arts?
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03 February 2025
Celebrating Culture and Community
A Joyful Lunar New Year Event at Lollipops Albany! At Lollipops Albany, we believe in creating meaningful learning experiences that celebrate cultural diversity and bring our community together. Our recent Lunar New Year celebration was a heartwarming event filled with joy, laughter, and cultural appreciation. Embracing Tradition with Families The event saw families and staff coming together to honour the traditions of the Lunar New Year. Parents and children dressed in beautiful traditional Chinese outfits, adding a colourful and festive atmosphere to the centre. The day was filled with warm smiles and shared experiences, reinforcing the strong sense of belonging within our community. A Feast of Flavors One of the highlights of the celebration was the shared meal. Families gathered around tables to enjoy a spread of traditional foods, including dumplings, fruits, and snacks symbolizing good luck and prosperity. Children eagerly tried different foods, engaging in conversations about the significance of each dish. The act of sharing a meal fostered connection and appreciation for cultural traditions. Joyful Moments and Cultural Learning Throughout the day, the children participated in various activities that immersed them in Lunar New Year traditions. They played, laughed, and learned about the importance of this special occasion. Many of them embraced the opportunity to wear traditional outfits, adding to the authenticity of the experience. A Community United in Celebration Seeing children, parents, and educators come together in celebration was truly heartwarming. Events like these remind us of the importance of cultural diversity and the joy of learning through shared experiences. At Lollipops Albany, we are committed to fostering a nurturing and inclusive environment where children can explore and appreciate the richness of different cultures. As we welcome the Year of the Sanke, we look forward to more moments of joy, learning, and community building. Thank you to all the families who joined us in making this celebration so special! Happy Lunar New Year! 🧧🎉
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31 January 2025
Great start to 2025!
Kia Ora, Welcome everyone to 2025! It has been a wonderful start to the year with lots happening at Lollipops Newton. We started off the year with working on our philosophy and asking the parents input as to what values are important to them. The learning through play week was the highlight of the month. Each day was a focus on a different thing- splash day, creative day, active day, dress up day, nature day. Each of these days, learning experiences were set up which gave the children an opportunity to enjoy! We had big pools for splash day and our tamariki dressed in their swimming gear, excited to dive into the water play. Outside, they experimented with floating and sinking objects, sparking curiosity and scientific thinking. Inside, we brought *The Pig in the Pond* to life, acting out the story with characters, making it even more interactive and fun. On dress up day, the children dressed up in different characters and carried out their roles to perfection. On nature day, our Tamariki dove into a sensory-rich experience with rosemary, dried leaves in stunning shades, vibrant flowers, olives, and seeds. They got creative by using these natural ingredients to make pretend food and drinks, crushing rosemary to release its delightful scent, and taking in the soothing aroma. Our little artists embraced nature as creating stunning crafts using materials like leaves, flowers, and other natural elements. From delicate butterflies to imaginative faces, the creativity on display was truly inspiring! On active day, inside, our tamariki had a fantastic time solving mystery games and playing with skittles. The challenge and excitement of knocking down pins brought so much joy. Outdoors, cricket became a new favourite! Although it was their first time trying, with persistence and determination, many tamariki managed to hit the ball—ka pai! Not only this we also celebrated Chinese New Year with all our tamariki where they did the lion dance and enjoyed eating dumplings at lunch time. Our tamariki were fully immersed in the festivities, creating beautiful Chinese lanterns, colourful fans, gold coin envelopes, clay snakes, and vibrant dragon masks. We also incorporated Chinese culture into our mat time with stories, songs, and counting in Chinese. Thank you to Ariel, mum of Jayden and Kaikai, for leading a special mat time session. Your contributions added value to the day, and our tamariki truly enjoyed learning from you. Connections to Te Whariki (ECE curriculum) learning outcomes: Children are provided with an environment where: • They are encouraged to learn with and alongside others • They learn strategies for active exploration, thinking and reasoning • They develop working theories for making sense of the natural, social, physical and material worlds
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