Sometimes the most meaningful learning journeys begin simply by listening to what our tamariki need.
At Pipiwai Kindy, we wanted to find a way to support our children to better understand their emotions, recognise how they were feeling and begin developing strategies to work through those big feelings. That is where *The Colour Monster* came in.
What began with a story and conversations about different emotions quickly captured the interest of our tamariki. Colours gave our children a simple and visual way to communicate feelings that aren't always easy to put into words. Soon, we began hearing things like, “I’m feeling red,” or noticing children recognising emotions in their friends.
Our kaiako began using the same language throughout the day, supporting tamariki to pause, identify what they might be feeling and discover what could help them return to calm.
From there, *The Colour Monster* started appearing everywhere! In our mat times, learning experiences, environment, conversations and intentional teaching, it became a shared language across our Pipiwai Kindy.
Most importantly, this journey hasn't been about teaching children that some emotions are “good” and others are “bad”. It is about helping them understand that all emotions are okay and giving them tools to recognise, communicate and work through them.
What started with one colourful little monster has grown into something pretty special here at Pipiwai Kindy, and this was only the beginning...