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Learning about the moon

18 July 2017

We recently celebrated Matariki, where we sang the Matariki waiata with our tamariki, and learnt the names of the seven Matariki stars:

Waitī, Waitā, Waipunarangi,

Tupu-ā-nuku, Tupu-ā-rangi, Ururangi e

Koinei ngā tamariki o Matariki

(These are the children of Matariki)

Ngā whetū e pīataata i te rangi e

(The bright stars that shine in the sky)

Ngā whetū e pīataata i te rangi e

(The bright stars that shine in the sky)

All the talk, and singing about the stars lead the conversation to outer space, and the moon. We had a bit of fun recreating the phases of the moon using Oreo cookies.

As the moon rotates around the Earth, we see different fractions of the sunlit half, or hemisphere, of the Moon. These different fractions are known as the phases of the Moon, or lunar phases.

The Moon changes from a thin crescent to a full moon and back again to a crescent in one lunar month (29 days).

The Oreos helped us see all the different phases of the moon on a plate. As we were able to move them around and touch them, we were able to create a lunar month. Follow the phases in an anticlockwise direction (the opposite way from how the hands of a clock move).

Here are some of our favourite facts about the moon:

Only twelve people have ever set foot on the moon
There is no water, air or life on the moon
The moon is much smaller than the Earth – it could fit into Earth 4 times!

Is there anything more fantastic than seeing an infant, toddler or young child fully rocking to a beat with their own artistic movements, not a care in the world as they create, move and groove to music that sometimes only they can hear?! There are, of course many learning benefits for children when they engage in music and movement, these are just a few of them as well as some ways that you can bring music and movement to life for your child.

Young children are learning their place in the world every single day in multiple ways. The ideas that they form from observing the world around them will often show up when children are engaging in family and dramatic play, but what exactly is family and dramatic play and what are the benefits of your child engaging in it?

Kia Ora! This month has been full of exciting activities and cultural celebrations at our preschool! We celebrated Cook Islands Week and Tongan Language Week by learning about greetings, colors, numbers, and the days of the week from these cultures. The children enjoyed making Tongan “Otai” and learning some Cook Islands language from one of our dads. We also had a visit from the librarian who entertained the children with puppet stories and songs. A highlight was our parent evening where we discussed raising resilient children. Parents learned about language development and strategies for managing common behavior issues. The children had fun with our homemade Olympic Games, where they created and awarded their own medals. We also raised awareness about asthma with the Sailor Asthma Show, presented by Aimee Gaestro. The Kapa Haka group from St Mary’s School performed for us, and it was a fantastic experience. Be sure to check out the videos! Our oldest children visited St Mary’s School to see what primary school is like and what they can expect. It’s been a busy month, and we look forward to more enriching experiences for the children. Connections to Te Whāriki (ECE Curriculum) Learning Outcomes: Belonging: Connecting with people, places, and things in their world Contribution: Using skills and strategies to play and learn with others Communication: Enjoying and creating stories

Learning about the moon

Music and Movement

Family and Dramatic Play

A month full of Cultural Celebrations and Learning!