top of page

Te Whare Tapa Whā a day at a time…

Open a window each day over the month to reveal a fun (and simple) wellbeing activity which aligns with one or more of te Whare Tapa Whā pou. 

Te Whare Tapa Whā a day at a time…

Firstly, the science...

The science of wellbeing behind an advent ‘type’ calendar lies in its ability to create a sense of anticipation, happiness, and mindfulness, while in this case, also supporting wellbeing by actively doing things that support any of the 4 pou of our hauora.


Why this activity?

It’s the time when we get excited about the holidays knowing it’s a time to rest and recharge.. (though we wouldn’t advocate you wait til the school holidays as the only time to do this!.. We so encourage this for throughout the term time too! ). This activity means we can spend some time conjuring up some of the things we’re looking forward to, as well as creating a go-to when we’re stuck for things to do, or want to schedule in some wellbeing boosting activities proactively.


You'll need

To print our Te Whare Tapa Whā One Day at a Time worksheets - either our week-long worksheet for 5 fun-filled days or our month-long version for 23 days of hauora missions.



What to do

Print off the 2 Te Whare Tapa Whā One Day at a Time worksheets onto A3 paper. Ask some of your tamariki to help put your whare together. 

They can colour the whare, cut 3 edges of each window (so that they open!), and carefully attach the whare on top of the activities page. We'd recommend gluing the whare on top of the activities with the windows open, then closing these up once the glue has completely dried. A small piece of blue tack will hold the windows shut again, if needed. 

 

Each day - find a time that keeps your routine in place, peel back one of the windows to reveal your tiny hauora mission! Think through together which of te Whare Tapa pou the activity supports

  • Taha wairua (spiritual health) - mindfulness, noticing, being present

  • Taha whānau - connecting with each other 

  • Taha tinana (physical health) - moving, 'active' activities

  • Taha hinengaro (mental health) - emotional literacy, doing things we enjoy...

Reward yourselves at the end of your advent calendar for committing to your hauora and your tamariki hauora! 


Whānau engagement

You might want to record these being opened and send them home via Seesaw or other online platforms. This will act as reminders and include whānau!

Or, print the sheets onto A4 and tamariki could take home for whānau participation too!


And to add to this...

If you'd like another fun activity all about looking out for our wellbeing using Te Whare Tapa Whā try our Big and positive emotions with Te Whare Tapa Whā or try our Hauora explorers which uses the Five Ways to Wellbeing.


Curriculum links

Health and PE Curriculum 

  • Personal Health and physical development: A1 - Personal growth and development 

  • Personal Health and physical development: A2 - Regular physical activity

  • Movement concepts and motor skills: B1 - Movement skills

  • Relationships with other people: C1 - Relationships

  • Relationships with other people: C2 - Identity, sensitivity, and respect 

  • Relationships with other people: C3 - Interpersonal skills

bottom of page