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Let me discover it for myself
The winter months of June, July and early August have seen our kaiako focusing on igniting the embers or sparks of interest in the minds of ngā tamariki. Through thoughtful planning, we are providing rich and purposeful opportunities for our tamariki to explore and investigate how things work, to share their theories and ideas, make valuable discoveries and meaningful connections. An environment that encourages our tamariki to challenge themselves, be courageous and try out new things.
Discovery play at Shelly Bay Road offers ngā tamariki endless learning possibilities and occasions to explore the world around them, including the people, places and things within it. Here, our kaiako are attentive to the individual’s learning needs, and are thoughtful of how they organise the environment for learning. Reflecting on how they might present experiences and invigorate spaces to support children’s interests and play. This, in turn, encourages ngā tamariki to make choices, engage, explore, discover and experience what’s on offer at their own pace. They can revisit and extend on their learning, continue to develop their own interests and working theories. There’s nothing more exciting for our kaiako than being invited into play that is lead by the child’s imagination, inventiveness or theories. The team are reflective about ensuring that there is time, space, materials and resources to facilitate the spontaneous discovery, investigations, development of working theories and ideas or our tamariki. Through discovery play, our tamariki are becoming more aware of their own strengths and capabilities, uncovering who they are, what they are capable of and the important role they play in their centre whānau and wider community.
Learning through discovery is an holistic approach to play, which actively involves all the senses, invigorates the physical and cognitive muscles, stimulating movement of the body and the inquiring brain. From the playground On a frosty morning or the trickling hose in the water trough outdoors, to the paint cover hands or the dolls being fed in the whānau space, this type of discovery play ignites possibility, sparks thinking and grows wondrous theories, while at the same time, enables expression of emotions and feelings too.
Learn more about what learning looks like at our centre: https://centres.best-start.org/16-areas-of-play-home