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Ngā Atua - Tane Mahuta
At BestStart Willowpark Road, as part of our local curriculum planning each month we focus on one of the Maori Atua. During May, the Atua we have been focusing on is Tane Mahuta. In Māori mythology, Tāne (also called Tāne-mahuta, Tāne-nui-a-Rangi, and several other names) is the god of forests and of birds and insects. We associate Tane with the characteristic of being brave (māia) as it was Tane that was brave enough to separate his parents Ranginui and Papatūānuku. So when we see ngā tamariki trying new things or having a go at something we have been saying "Ko Tane Mahuta Koe?" (You're (being) like Tane Mahuta) and "Kei te māia koe" (You're being brave).
In the Pūkeko room, we have been enjoying a range of activities and experiences relating to birds, insects, and trees where we have been learning about manakitanga as our learning enhances our mana and identity. We learn about ako as we work together in an inclusive learning environment and as we become leaders in our own learning. We also learn about whakawhanaungatanga as we celebrate and value cultural identities within our centre community.
Some of the activities and experiences have included things such as painting with colours of trees and different birds - pūkeko and kea. We have done collages with leaves and feathers, and we have been singing songs such as "The Kiwi Bird", "Incy Wincy Spider" and "The Butterfly song" as well as reading/listening to the story "He Miharo Manu". We have also been playing with the little and the big insects and using leaves and feathers for sensory play.