At Pohutukawa Kindergarten we believe that only when children feel comfortable and secure are they able to participate and learn. The environment is set up so that activities are available in all aspects of play and children have the opportunity to decide where, and with what, they will play. As children grow and their social skills develop there are plenty of opportunities for group activities, shared planning and decision making.
Mid-morning children will gather on the mat for stories and songs, movement and dancing. There are opportunities to participate by joining in with puppets, story telling or sharing news from home. This allows children to feel they have a place at Pohutukawa Kindergarten, that they are valued as an individual, and that their contribution is important.
Children are then supervised as they wash their hands and have their snack. This provides opportunities for children to develop self -care skills and independence.
A return to free play then follows. There are always plenty of activities available both inside and out, including all the curriculum areas; dress-ups, books, music, art, science, blocks, sand, water, gross-motor movement (jumping, running, climbing), construction, play-dough and puzzles. Our environment is designed to allow Pohutukawa Kindergarten educarers to work alongside children, supporting them in their play choices, modeling on the skills they see demonstrated, and assisting them in more structured activities within the safe and secure play areas. It is the aim of the educarers to stimulate and capture your child’s mind and work on emerging interests during the time at kindergarten.
Sessions finish with a mat-time, which allows children and educarers to end their play time together before returning to parents/ caregivers.
