Playcentre articles and research on child's play

The Outdoor Classroom Provocations & Beautiful Materials Take a moment and picture this … Jake and Ian rush down the sidewalk racing yellow trucks. Elise relaxingly swings in the shady hammock. Emyrsen and Cassie talk beneath a tree, begin to laugh, and run off. Sloane uses all her might to roll a tire up the […]

The Treaty of Waitangi is an inherent part of our practice where Tikanga and te reo are woven into the fabric of our day...here are our karakia to open and close the day.

Do you love exploring nature with children? We are a family of nature lovers. Each one of us would prefer to be outside than indoors. We hike all the time. As we hike, we talk and explore and learn. And, sometimes, we come home and do an activity or read a book that is somehow related to the day's discoveries. But... we don't do an Official Nature Study. I've always wanted to, mind you. I love nature! I want my kids to grow to love and understand the plants, animals, and insects that are in…

The Treaty of Waitangi is an inherent part of our practice where Tikanga and te reo are woven into the fabric of our day...here are our kara...

Block play is such an important part of the early childhood classroom. It provides potent opportunities for creativity, imagination, problem solving, and foundational mathematical understandings. It is something that actually has a developmental sequence to it - like writing or drawing. I love to watch the expansion of block play in the kindergarten. It becomes such a world in itself! I find it fascinating that the way children use the blocks can actually tell me something about their…

Te Roopū whanau minutes 12 March - 2015 Whanau arrived between 5.35 and 6.10 Rosie started with karakia - then we had a kai Whanau members present Whaea Georgie Ebs Rosie Whaea meta Ropes Vanessa Tarn Jahnke Sha Tuti and Tanya Katene Bevan Jo Haley Nic Apologies Shiree Bedford (Seamstress) Jayden’s Mum (Helen) Marisha 6:00 start karakia by Ropes Minutes read by Nic Election of Officers Chairperson Secretary Treasurer Committee Members ( All those present) General Business Chairperson…

Te Roopū whanau minutes 12 March - 2015 Whanau arrived between 5.35 and 6.10 Rosie started with karakia - then we had a kai Whanau members present Whaea Georgie Ebs Rosie Whaea meta Ropes Vanessa Tarn Jahnke Sha Tuti and Tanya Katene Bevan Jo Haley Nic Apologies Shiree Bedford (Seamstress) Jayden’s Mum (Helen) Marisha 6:00 start karakia by Ropes Minutes read by Nic Election of Officers Chairperson Secretary Treasurer Committee Members ( All those present) General Business Chairperson…

Everyday just before eating our lunch a child shares a Food Karakia – a Maori prayer. The child shares each line and the rest of the class repeat it. After we’ve finished the Karakia we…

Forest schools from Infinite Playgrounds take learning outside, creating an educational setting that is at one with nature. Find out more today!

Unschooling and How it can Look in the Real World, Letting go of the "Norm" and trusting your kids interests to guide you on a homeschool journey.

Free, unstructured playtime gives kids a chance to discover their interests and tap into their creativity. It’s a crucial element for building resilience in children, an attribute they’ll need in order to become happy, productive adults. That’s Kenneth Ginsburg’s thesis and the core of his book Building Resilience in Children and Teens. Ginsburg, a pediatrician

It's about letting children 'go' to do what they need to do, to learn and to grow. Your child is following their own deep play patterns coded into their body and developing brain, whether they are...

All of our well-meaning attempts to fill up our children’s summer with enriching activities may actually be harming them. Here is why we need to back off a little and let them just be kids.

A new study says you need to put away the video games and let your kids play with blocks.