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Adventuring together

We took our BestStart Lynmore pēpi babies on an adventure to Warwick Road Reserve. Below is a video of our trip.

We rode in strollers and wagons and watched the world go by. We took the long way around, and were able to see the roto | lake Rotorua and maunga | mountain Ngongotahā as we walked along Owhatiura Drive. We also observed the new pedestrian crossings being created and the houses being built  in the retirement village. We noticed that there were lots of garbage bins out on the curb and felt very excited when we saw a garbage truck just before we reached the reserve. The team in the truck gave us a big smile and wave as they went about their work.

Once we arrived at the reserve, there were so many options of things to do! We could slide, play in the little house, go on the seesaw, climb, collect leaves and acorns, have a swing and so much more!

When we were ready to go back to the centre, we climbed back into the wagons and strollers and observed many of our neighbours as they worked in the garden or went for a bike ride or walk past us. Smiles and waves were a little less energetic than earlier, but they were just as warm. Finally, we arrived back at BestStart Lynmore with lots of stories to tell and photos to share... after kai and a sleep!

During this experience, our pēpi explored new parts of the local community and continued to develop a sense of belonging | mana whenua to the Lynmore/Ōwhata area, their turangawaewae (place to stand/belong).  The children showed a sense of awe and appreciation for the beautiful environment that they found themselves in, a first step becoming kaitiaki | guardians of the land. They showed manaaki | care and aroha |love to those around them by sharing their space, the resources and inviting others to join in their play.

Ngā mihi nui | thank you very much to the wonderful team that made this possible: Alicia, Leah, Blair, Liam and Sarah.  Family and community | whānau tangata support is essential to everything that we do, so we could not express out gratitude enough for giving up your morning to come adventuring with 7 babies!

During this experience, the children were working towards the exploration | mana aotūroa and contribtion | mana tangata strands of Te Whāriki.