Key Dads on Session
When I attended a meeting at Ohau Playcentre recently, I was amazed when I looked at all the photos, learning stories and posters displayed which showed what our tamariki were doing during the term. What really caught my attention was the contribution to Playcentre from many of our dads. Some dads attend on a regular basis and some go along to a session or two during the term.
William’s dad, Ashley Perkins, saw some of the children had an interest in making fishing rods with magnetic paper fish. The next session he brought along his fishing boat which the children loved! They put on the life jackets and sat on the boat with their rods. He also brought some fish he had caught, and with the help of the children filleted the fish and made a raw fish dish. Delicious!
Following a session evaluation, one of the tamariki Merepeka Maraki-York showed a real interest in music. To extend on that interest, Ashley Perkins offered to bring his DJ turntable and disco lights. The tamariki loved dancing to the music with the disco lights flashing.
Sophie and Jackson’s dad, Shaun Dunning, brought in his bee-keeping gear together with a honeycomb frame with no honey and a honeycomb frame full of honey. The children were able to feel the difference in weight between them, which was about 2kg, and were given the opportunity to try on the beekeeping gear.
William and Hannah’s dad, Nigel Everton, brought in his big dump truck from their farm. He tilted the dump truck tray up and the children were amazed at how high the tray went up! The children climbed into the dump truck to see what it was like to sit in the driver’s seat.
Vatau’s Dad, Nathan Isaac, attends Playcentre 3 sessions a week and has completed course 2. He facilitates a lot of the outdoor play and in particular the carpentry area. The tamariki have built cars, skyscrapers, phones, walkie talkies and more.
What a valuable contribution our Dads make to Playcentre!
Karen Sagaga, Ohau Playcentre, Playcentre Journal, Issue 150.
