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Celebrating our lovely Mums!
Mother’s Day is all about celebrating one of the most important people in our lives – our mums! This year, the Tui Tamariki have made the celebration extra special by creating wonderful presents for their mothers. One of these amazing crafts was the Mother’s Day Heart. We aimed to link this art activity to our Localised Curriculum, highlighting the Opanuku stream and Manawa-Heart. As stated in our BestStart Curriculum Story, we find strength in the resources Opanuku Stream has to offer.
This inspiration led us to use natural resources such as clay for creating the Mother’s Day Hearts. Working with clay helped improve the children’s fine-motor skills as they kneaded, flattened, and cut out hearts using a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Additionally, we collected leaves, flowers, and stems to decorate the hearts. We chose the heart shape for this activity because the Manawa-Heart symbolises mothers’ unconditional love. This aligns with one of our core values, “Nurturing our learners with aroha as our guide.” The Manawa-Heart icon at BestStart Montel Avenue, which can be found at the entrance, represents our commitment to placing the “child at the heart of the matter” as a centre.
It reminds us, as Kaiako and as a centre, of the importance of our roles and the impact we have on our learners and their whānau each day. We also ensure that our art activity is deeply rooted in the principles of Te Whāriki, providing a holistic and enriching experience for the children. Belonging | Mana Whenua: Using local resources and symbols like the Manawa-Heart connects children to our local community and environment, fostering a sense of belonging. This aligns with the strand of Mana Whenua, which emphasizes the importance of children’s connection between people, places, and things in their world. Communication | Mana Reo: The process of discussing their creations, expressing their love, and understanding the symbolic meaning of the Manawa-Heart enhances children’s communication skills.
This aligns with the Mana Reo strand, which focuses on developing children’s ability to communicate and express their feelings and ideas using a wide range of materials. Exploration | Mana Aotūroa: Engaging with natural materials and exploring their properties encourages children’s curiosity and creativity. This is in line with the Mana Aotūroa strand, where the emphasis is on children’s exploration and learning through play, invention, and experimentation.