In our preschool room last year, we introduced Kea Club, a new initiative designed to support our four-year-old tamariki as they prepare for their transition to primary school.
Each day, we set aside half an hour for Kea Club, a focused Set for School programme that builds confidence, social skills, and independence through fun, play-based learning. A key focus is creating rich opportunities for tamariki to support one another, share ideas, and develop social and emotional competence.
These experiences provide valuable practice in turn-taking, problem-solving, and working collaboratively—essential skills for starting school. Our children quickly became enthusiastic participants, enjoying helping kaiako set up resources and often initiating discussions about the day’s activities.
STEM experiences proved especially popular. Through building, designing, and experimenting, tamariki strengthened early literacy and mathematics skills, pre-writing abilities, scientific thinking, and a love of discovery.
One of the most noticeable outcomes has been the growth in independence. Tamariki have become more confident in organising themselves, making decisions, completing tasks, and taking responsibility for their learning. They also take pride in supporting their peers, celebrating achievements, and navigating challenges together.
We look forward to continuing and evolving this learning journey with our preschool tamariki this year.