LATEST STORIES
Developing our natural learning environment
BestStart Wolverton Street Whānau have been focused on developing our natural environments to ensure our Tamariki have regular opportunities to explore the natural world, learning about where food comes from, life cycles and sustainability within our environment.
With the help of some very curious and enthusiastic gardeners our Karekare Preschool Tamariki have established some wonderful fruit and vegetable gardens and worm farms!
Our Tamariki developed new knowledge and working theories around caring for their gardens and watching the life cycles from their plants growing from a small seed to a flourishing tree, providing us kai to send home to our Whānau.
Tamariki took on roles and responsibilities to ensure their gardens were given plenty of aroha and careful skill to water, prune and harvest their kai. Opportunities naturally arose for Tamariki and Kaiako to research the care needed for both their plants and worms. Many of our Tamariki shared their new knowledge and keen interests at home with Whānau.
Tamariki are extremely passionate and curious of their gardens and the life cycles that surrounds these, they find great joy in seeking out the red, ripe strawberries, huge cucumbers, onions and roaring silver beet. They have discovered some fruits have been pecked by birds and insects, so they send these into the worm farm. There has been some wonderful learning around the role of the worms, some Tamariki show courage as they hold the wiggly worms to take a closer look.
Our Tamariki are extending their strong interest in gardening and are starting to develop their own ideas and values of becoming a Kaitiaki (Guardian/Protector) of Papatūānuku (the land). We are so proud of our Tamariki's participation and leadership around their gardens, we will continue to foster this interest in gardening and becoming strong Kaitiaki of Papatūānuku.