Kindy Daily

Water play makes kindy day shine

Raumati is always great at kindy, and in Central Otago they’ve been loving the warm weather that comes with the summer. Kidsfirst Cromwell tamariki Daisy, Natasha, and Flossy wanted to host a pool party, and kaiako brought out the sprinkler so everybody got a chance to have fun in the sun while keeping cool ⛱️☀️❤️

Kindy brings Te Tiriti to life

Waitangi Day is always a special one for our kindergartens as we explore its meaning and our country’s rich cultural history. This year, Kidsfirst Wales Street brought Te Tiriti to life with experiences, creativity and lots of learning about the art of waka carving. It was great to see so many whānau come along, too. Ka pai, Wales Street – what a way to mark this significant day ❤️

Visit from a motorsport champ

Fun, learning and excitement are a given at kindy, and there’s nothing more exciting for tamariki than the chance to sit in the driver’s seat of a special vehicle. Kidsfirst East Rolleston took it to the next level when champion midget race car driver, Jeremy Webb Motorsport, came to kindy. Everybody wanted to take turns in the driver’s seat, while Jeremy patiently answered all the important questions, including “where does the petrol go?” and “what does THIS button do?”. Our thanks to Jeremy and all the special people who make te ao kindy the magical place it is 🏁🏆

Celebrating with cultural crafts

Lion Dancing for Lunar New Year

As they have for many years now, Kidsfirst Hei Hei played host to vibrant and exciting lion dancing to celebrate the Lunar New Year, enthralling tamariki. Along with special creative projects for the Year of the Snake, tamariki have also been practising their Chinese calligraphy, and loved sharing the experience with whānau 🐍❤️

Recognising the Year of the Snake

Kidsfirst Hawthornden tamariki have been marking the Lunar New Year by making colourful snakes (it’s the Year of the Snake 🐍), along with lion dancing and reading stories. Kindy mum, Summer also joined in, sharing some traditional Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebrations 🥳❤️

Back to Kindy for 2025

Tamariki at all our kindergartens, including Kidsfirst Cromwell, were back yesterday – and it didn’t take long for the smiles to appear. Here’s to a full year of fun and learning at Kidsfirst. Nau mai hoki mai, welcome back 😊❤️

Mural gift from high school

It will be a colourful start to the new kindy year when tamariki at Kidsfirst Northcote return to their play in a few weeks time. Last year, kaiako received an offer from Papanui High School art students who wished to take on the project of painting a new mural to reflect the kindy’s bicultural commitment, and display their connection to Aotearoa. After months of planning and painting, the students and their teachers delivered the kindergarten’s new taonga, complete with performances of waiata and a karakia from tamariki to welcome their new painting. What a fabulous way to show he whānau kotahi tatou – we’re all one big family at Kidsfirst ❤️😊

A special tractor delivery

Things will be off to a roaring start this new year with a brand new pedal tractor at Kidsfirst West Rolleston. At the end of last year, the tractor was delivered by a kindy dad in a life-sized Deutz-Fahr tractor after the West Rolleston name was selected out of a prize draw. Tamariki excitedly watched the humungous tractor roll on in, and took turns having a go with their new kindy equipment. The kindy would like to share a huge thanks to Power Farming New Zealand and Kramp New Zealand for their generosity 🚜❤️

Spreading aroha this Kirihimete

During the last week of kindy, Kidsfirst Avonhead tamariki, kaiako and whānau visited their local rest home, Elms Court. Singing Christmas songs and giving out fresh bunches of flowers was such a great way to share whanaungatanga and aroha at this time of year – koia kei a koutou, Kidsfirst Avonhead, that’s some awesome mahi 🎄💐❤️