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An Omokoroa Matariki
June marks the start of Matariki celebrations across New Zealand and here at Omokoroa Beststart, we have been doing various actvities around this. In the Kotare ruma this week, we have started to grow some vegetables by planting seeds.
Māori used Matariki as a signal for when to plant their crops after the long winter. If the stars were clear and bright, it was a sign that a favourable and productive season lay ahead, and planting would begin in September. If the stars appeared hazy and closely bunched together, a cold winter was in store and planting was put off until October. Nowadays, Matariki is still seen as an important time to celebrate the earth, and show respect for the land on which we live.
Children are engaged in science whenever they are learning about the world around them. This sort of play allows children to develop a perception of themselves as ‘explorers’ – competent, confident learners who ask questions and make discoveries. Science and nature play supports learning across all strands of Te Whāriki. In particular, it supports the Exploration strand, where children learn strategies for active exploration, thinking and reasoning and develop working theories for making sense of the natural, social, physical and material worlds