Connecting with Waitā
These short activities and ideas create the perfect environment for some Waitā learning while connecting with our emotions and te taiao
Firstly, the science...
Recognising Matariki as our new year contributes to the revitalisation of te Ao Māori, fostering a strong sense of cultural identity and pride, which in turn supports our oranga (wellbeing). There are also many other hauora benefits which include connecting to and appreciating te taiao, and engagement within our communities. Matariki also supports our sense of meaning, purpose, and hope.
Our ideas...
Moana mindfullness
Try our Moana mindful breathing and body scan. This activity gives tamariki the chance to connect Waitā with their emotions and mindfulness, without heading to the beach. Te pai kē!
Being kaitiakitanga
Be kaitiaki with a beach clean up - plan a trip to a local beach and clean up while you’re there, you could even reach out to a local surf club and see if there is anything you can collaborate on. Our activity, Kaitiaki champions is perfect to support this
One of our favourite pukapuka
Read (and explore) At the Beach by Ned Barraud and Gillian Candler, or Tohorā by Ned Barraud is lovely too.
Some fun from DoC
The Papa Atawhai, Department of Conservation have some fantastic resources. We love their podcast Sounds of Science. ou might like to suss these out - episode 1, Marine Mammals or episode 17, Shark Talk might really interest your tamariki. They’re about 30 to 40 minutes long, you might play them while doing some marine art. And Protecting Our Marine World is fantastic too!
Underwater adventures
We also love some of the underwater adventures you can go on with Young Ocean Explorers. They have interviews, quizzes, art tutorials and amazing underwater footage, what’s not to love!
And to add to this...
Check out our other Matariki activities and ideas to support you and your tamaiki learning
