Big Bubbles 09 November 2010

Yesterday Amanda made a bubble solution and was making big bubbles outside! They were so cool but the bubbles were popping too quickly. We wondered if there was a bubble solution that would last longer. We looked in the Childspace Space magazine for a bubble mixture recipe because Kirsty remembered an article about big bubbles.
We found one and decided to give it a go but it did recommend to sit the bubbles overnight.
This morning the bubble mixture was ready so we went out onto the deck to give it a go and see if this mixture was any better.
The bubbles did last fractionally longer but seemed to pop once they had separated from the bubble wand. We wondered if it was our technique so we swished and flicked (just like Harry Potter and his wand). That worked a little better but not as successful as we hoped. Kirsty then slowed the action right down and the bubbles stayed formed for longer. Fantastic!
Jay, Enzo and Amelia loved watching the bubbles and reaching up to pop them! We saw lots of different colours in the bubbles and they didn't always form perfect round shapes either. They laughed when the bubbles popped and asked "where gone?"





Bubbles challenge the children's knowledge about things in their environment, especially as bubbles look solid but easily pop when touched. Bubbles help children develop working theories about the properties of bubbles and how they are formed.

This is how we make formula...

02 November 2010





Our children have been very interested in family play and have been acting out roles within the family and what routines we follow!
One of the main interests are with the babies. The children love to carry their babies, put their babies to bed and to put them in the high chair.
Today I found an empty formula tin on the bench so I rinsed it out and got the spare bottles from the pantry and gave them to the children to use.
They loved it! It was cool to watch them scooping the formula out of their tin, into their bottles. When they had made their bottles, it was time to wash the dishes :)!

This is a fantastic example of how the children learn so much through observation and through doing! They had so much fun role playing and taking leadership in their play.

Parent Evening 1st November 2010

Tonight we held our parent evening. The theme for the evening was "A day in the life" and we focused on our daily routine and what the learning is behind the children's play.
First off Gemma talked about the inside area and the activities that we usually have inside. We shared the actions for one of our favourite songs "Mrs Bunny". The parents joined in and looked like they had a fun time as well.

Gemma then took us through the non-mobile area and what we like to do on the deck. We made some 'gloop' but only one of our parents were keen to try it!

Then Amanda talked to the parents about the activities we set up outside and made a volcano for the parents. It was so cool!

We also talked about our natural projects such as our willow tunnel and cave as well as our edible garden we have planted.

Stef then spoke to the parent about the routines surrounding nappy changes and sleeping. Some feedback we received after the night ended said that the parents were really happy that we have respectful practices with nappy changes and liked how we followed the children's individual routines when it was bedtime.

To finish the evening off, Kirsty talked to the parents about mealtimes, the routines and practices we follow as well as our centre ICT. Kirsty covered how we encourage independence with handwashing and sitting at the table and a little bit about our journey with the Healthy Heart Award. Then Kirsty spoke about our blogging, emailing and skyping and the value for families, especially the family members that live overseas or in different towns.

The evening was enjoyed by all and great feedback was recieved from all who attended! We can't wait until the next parent evening, I wonder what we will do next time?

October Newsletter

Our Postman Pat!

WOW Beetle-mania!!!!

What an amazing day of discovery and exploration in the world of insects today! It all began with Stuart's discovery of a little black beetle in the sandpit - we watched it as it moved, rolled onto it's back and crawled. Where was it going? What does it eat? Where does it live? Can it fly?

Soon Stu and Jay gathered their courage and were able to pick it up gently, letting it move across their hands and putting it near the fence. There was lots of discussion as they watched as it scuttled away under the fence - running to the other side of the garden to see if they could see it outside the Village Kids fence.

The bug-buzz continued throughout the morning and the children found ants, Steel Blue Ladybirds and spiders! We put these in the bug catchers so we could take a closer look... fascinating! I wonder how long this interest in tiny creatures will last??

Stu, Jay and Amelia were actively exploring the natural world (Strand 5, Te Whaariki), developing ideas about other living creatures and how to care for them. They used their observation skills to look at name the different parts of the beetles body, and to identify that all the insects except the slug have legs! They learned that spiders can be found near webs, and that webs can be found under ledges in the playground!!

September Newsletter

We are now going to be placing our newsletters on the blog for you to share with others and if you unfortunately lose your paper copy, you will always be able to access the latest centre information!

Its birthday time!!!

We love to celebrate special occasions with our children and this week is no exception!
On Thursday Ngakau turned 1 and today (Friday) Manaia turned 2!
It was so cool that we were able to celebrate these special days with them.




Celebrations such as these allow the children to feel comfortable with the routines, customs and regular events. They develop an understanding of the routines, customs, and regular events of the early childhood setting and an understanding that these events can be different in other settings.
Te Whaariki, Strand 2: Belonging, Goal 3.

Playdough fun!

Today on the deck there has been alot of playdough fun! We made some new yellow playdough and the children enjoyed squashing it, rolling it and feeding it to the animals, especially the crocodile. Unfortunately there are no photos of this mornings fun however here are some photos of yesterdays fun with the playdough!






Playdough is a fantastic resource for the children to learn and develop many skills.
Playdough fosters the development of their mainpulative skills as they squash and roll the playdough using the small muscles in their hands. Children develop an awareness of social interactions and the 'rules' surrounding our interactions with others. Playdough aids in the development of their language skills as we use describing words and put words with their actions and using playdough enhances children's creativity by using their imagination to create a masterpiece.
For more information, copy and paste the following link:
http://www.grownups.co.nz/read/lifestyle/family/importance-playing-with-children

A Double Celebration

This morning we had a double celebration. At morning tea we celebrated Eddie's second birthday with a yummy chocolate cake. Eddie blew out his candle and we all sang happy birthday to Eddie. What a yummy cake it was Eddie, with it's pink icing and marshmallows.

It has also been such a glorious day that everyone has been playing outside in the sandpit and sprinkler. The water from the sprinkler had turned the dirt in to mud and the children were having a ball. Squishing their fingers and toes deep into the mud, experiencing new and different textures to excite and stimulate the sensory system.

A Monet Morning

The creativity was flowing this morning with children creating masterpieces with paint and getting their groove on, dancing to our favourite songs. We had paint set up on the deck before morning tea with different shaped stampers to create different patterns on our paper.

Another group of children were gathered around the stereo inside dancing and jumping to some favourite songs, including Fancy dance and Mrs bunny. Dancing to music allows the children to be able to express themselves in different ways, also creating awareness of their bodies movements and spacial boundaries when learning and moving around friends.

Our busy morning...

This morning we had a very busy morning. We made a volcano, did some painting on the deck, made some playdough biscuits and were busy in the kitchen mixing and baking.

The children got very excited when the 'lava' flowed over the side and down the mountain!

A couple of the children tried the lava and by looks on their faces, it didn't taste very nice. Volcanos are a fantastic way to introduce science concepts and to allow the children to learn using their senses; sight, smell, taste and touch.

The children enjoyed the painting experince on the deck. It was fantastic to observe the children sharing and taking turns as well as being part of the awesome language that is beginning to emerge!

We made heaps of fantastic creations at the playdough table; gingerbread men, worms and flower biscuits to name a few. Jay chose to share his with Gemma, yummy!

The children enjoyed mixing and baking in the kitchen, linking familiar rountines and situations they are part of in the home and the centre.

What a fun and busy morning we had today. I wonder what we will do tomorrow?

Washing Day!

This morning Amanda noticed that the dolls were dirty so she suggested to the children that it might be time to wash them and their clothes, if the children wanted to help. Well it was like a bee to honey! The children all joined in and helped wash their 'baby' and the clothes and even hang them on the line! Then they dried their babies.

It was great to see them being involved with this activity. These sorts of activities are important as they allow the children to role play situations in the home and make those important links between the home and the wider world.

Jokarvin plays hide and seek!

This morning, as we went about our usual daily routine, Jokarvin hid in the oven. "Right everyone, lets go outside!" I said. Amanda told me we couldn't go because not everyone had come out of the non-mobile area. She had noticed Jokarvin go in the oven. So we played along!

"Lets go out now!" we all said and pretended to leave the area.

"Where's Jokarvin?" we asked out loud.

Then we heard "Jovarkin hiding!" Amanda and I laughed, especially when we saw Jokarvin's eyes peeping through the little hole on the side of the oven.

We carried on playing the game, "Where is Jokarvin? I can't find him!!!" Then Jokarvin popped out of the oven!

Jokarvin is taking responsibility for his own learning by planning his own activities and finding his own resources and equipment. He is having fun with others and inviting us into is play, awesome!!!