Here at Play to Learn ngaa tamariki love to explore our natural environment and our Papatuuaanuku. Our tamariki help to look after our vegetable and flower garden through weeding. They also ensure not to pull the vegetables or the flowers from the garden. Since there have been weeds growing in our garden, we decided to teach our tamariki about why weeding is important to our gardens. They have been learning about what a weed is and why it should be removed. They have also learned that a weed … [Read more...]
The benefits of beginning education for sustainability (EfS) in early childhood education are becoming widely known. There is a growing concern in the western world that children’s access to the outside world is decreasing and children are becoming disconnected from nature and thus not gaining in the foundational ethic of care toward the environment.
~ Croft Anita, NZ Tertiary College - Leading the change toward education for sustainability in early childhood education. Peer-reviewed paper: Vol 5, No 1 - May 2017
Here at Play to Learn we believe in supporting ngaa tamariki connections to the natural and living world through connecting to Papatuuaanuku and her tamariki. Each month we will be highlighting activities that the teachers and children will be involved in with implementing sustainable practices. We are looking to raise awareness via Play to Learn by making our own small contribution to sustainability in Aotearoa.
Follow us on our monthly updates and see what we are up to !
Learn about what water does to the plants
Here at Play to Learn ngaa tamariki love to explore our natural environment, and our Papatuuaanuku. There are some new vegetables and flowers which have been planted in our gardens and ngaa tamariki take care of these by watering their gardens. They also ensure not to harm any bugs and insects in their gardens too. By watering the plants, they learn about what water does to the plants and how it helps them to grow. They learn that when provided with too little water, plants are unable to develop … [Read more...]
Sustainability education
Here at Play to Learn we strive to positively educate tamariki about the importance of sustainability for our environment, and the longevity of active sustainability within our world. When we actively and intentionally care for our Papatuuaanuku with aroha, she feels safe and cared for and in return, she blesses us with aroha and nutritional kai. Ngaa tamariki loved harvesting their cabbages, spring onions, and herbs from our sustainable gardens in preparation for cooking our Chinese New Year … [Read more...]
Children learn connecting to natural world
At Play to Learn ngaa tamariki love delving deep and connecting to their natural world, our Papatuuaanuku, and our atua. Through experiences such as gardening, tamariki develop authentic connections that enrich and nourish their own kaakano, as well as learning how to being kaitiaki of their land and their surrounding environment. With the wonderful growth from our gardens, we are able to not only nourish ourselves but our worms too. With a solid knowledge basis, ngaa tamariki are able to select … [Read more...]
Recycling
Ngaa tamariki have been learning about the recycling system of our city Hamilton. They have been making links to their wider world through recognising the bins and crates that we use. In July of this year, we will be starting a new recycling system here in Hamilton. Ngaa tamariki have had a head start and have learned what bin is for recycling, what bin is for rubbish, what bin is for food scraps and what the crate will be used for now. Our tamariki already are aware of the effects food … [Read more...]