The PLD Team hopes everyone has had a fabulous break and you are all ready to start Term 3. This month we are sharing some photos for inspiration, ideas and reference.
Te reirei bon te matau ae kookona. Education is a magic hook and key to knowledge.
From the pukapuka Mana of the Pacific – Kiribati
Have you seen these pukapuka?
Such fabulous inspiration!
A great example from Paekākāriki Playcentre on the Kāpiti Coast of Te Reo Māori in areas of play to support us as kaiako to learn and practice!
Handwritten signs for your centre are just as effective as printed signs and get displayed instantly! This is also an awesome rack, out of reach of the tamariki, that a drink can be put safely while an adult is busy.
Have you tried sand mousse?
It is very simple to make and SO satisfying to play with.
A cup of water/detergent (just cover the bottom of a paint pot with detergent and then fill with water) plus about 8-10 cups (or 3-4 tamariki shovels full) of sand in a big bowl, mix and mix and squeeze and mix. It doesn’t transform instantly. Don’t be tempted to add more water, seriously… keep mixing and squeezing and mixing and suddenly it will transform… So soft and smooth and delightful… We love sand mousse, the hardest part often is stopping tamariki adding more water… Sand mousse is a bit like gloop, magic when it’s the right consistency… disappointing if there’s too much water. If they want to add stuff encourage them to add more sand and mix some more… the more you mix it the softer it gets, and the more sand it needs and once it is all mixed and working, it can tolerate having more sand added, and more sand and keep mixing. Fabulous and mouldable, on a tuff tray or regular tray, great for small world play, and great for those kids who don’t like the texture of sand because it goes smooth not gritty… Can be kept in a lidded container, or the big bowl for a few days to reuse, and can be plonked back in a corner of the sandpit when done, for foamy messy play or another moussey day next session. Eventually rain washes the detergent away.
How are your whānau cultures reflected in your centre?
In what ways do your tamariki see themselves and their whānau reflected in their environment and in play?
Setting up invitations to play in innovative ways makes things interesting.
Have you tried hanging strips of paper for tamariki to practice cutting with! Cutting horizontally is often easier for our learners.
A basket of board books near the library and/or heuristic baskets makes pukapuka accessible for our little ones.
Finger paint with tiny drops of colour in each blob is a fun transformation whilst exploring.
If you have any PLD questions, please contact
Karina Hart | Professional Learning and Development Lead [email protected] 027 880 5378