​The saying 'Kids make life the best kind of busy' is definitely a saying that lives deeply in our Future Fern Senior Room at KC Marne Road. Our three year old tamariki have been super busy with all types of interesting activities.  They have been working with nature and investigating all types of different bugs and creepy crawlies, some ...

Kids Count thrives on the belief that "Every child has the right to reach their full potential". Within our centre we have tamariki who have unique qualities that can be seen in their personalities, their features and abilities. One particular child is a little boy that lives life to the fullest. This little super hero named JR has Down Syndrome bu...

Our three year old tamariki from our Future Fern Senior Room at Kids Count Marne have been showing lots of interest in imaginative, building and construction play.  Some benefits to imaginative, building and construction play are: It improves fine motor manipulation and strength; It enhances spatial awareness; It encourages thinking and r...

I am excited to share an incredibly easy summer activity that packs a punch! .….Ice sensory play! I know this isn't an original idea, as many others have played with coloured ice.  However, it's always a hit with the kids in the Rising Stars room.  Kids like this for a reason, and it's always a part of our summer fun! Some benefits t...

Toilet Training Readiness Sometimes parents/whanau are unsure about when to start toilet teaching or "potty training." Not all children are ready at the same age, so it's important to watch your child for signs of readiness, such as stopping an activity for a few seconds or clutching his or her nappy. Instead of using age as a readiness indicator, ...

Kia ora Whanau, Hope the start of the new year is going well and you are all safe and happy. For this month we are focusing on construction, water and messy play along with safety in the water. Here are a few photos of our tamariki doing just that. There are also a photo of a few of our tamariki helping set up the beds for sleep time. 

Whaea Rae comes into our space for half an hour to do kapa haka with our tamariki every Wednesday.It is a time our children look forward to – they LOVE kapa haka!!!! Having kapa haka as a regular weekly event has shown us the benefits it has on all our tamariki and in particularly our Māori ākonga. It increases knowledge of our Māori language, cult...

This week we had a korero together about 'Te Tiriti o Waitangi'. We decided to start our new year off with a 'treaty' for our Hi-5 room. We all came up with rules that will keep us safe and happy in our environment. Just like when the Treaty of Waitangi was signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and some of the Maori chie...

Water play is hugely popular with the Rising Stars children and there is much more to water play than just splashing! Water play can have many important benefits for a child's development, in a number of different areas. The benefits of water play will also be very helpful to a child. Here are just some reasons why every child needs to play with wa...

On hot days, it's such a great way to cool off but there is much more to water play! Water Play provides hours of rich and valuable early childhood experiences to develop children's creativity and imagination. Lately the children in the Rising stars room have been enjoying exploring and experimenting with water. We acknowledge that the environment ...

Kia ora whanau Happy new year hope your Xmas and new year went well.Just a little bit about myself my name is Jills Lauder and I am the new head kaiako in the FFS room I am fully trained and registered I was born in Auckland and raised in GI. I then moved to West Auckland when I was 20 so I have lived in West Auckland for around 20 years. I am marr...

December has been a fabulous festive season for the tamariki and teachers too as together we have been celebrating through a variety of Christmas activities while also incorporating the theme of a Luau Christmas. Tamariki have been enjoying dressing up in Hawaiian outfits, being Maui and Moana while also reading a Moana book. Lots of creative maste...

Kia ora, Talofa lava, malo lelei, Namaste and greeting whanau, over the past month our days are getting hotter and outdoor exploration has been on our tamariki minds!Playing outside gives your child the chance to explore the natural environment and have adventures. They can play favourite games, test her physical limits, express themselves and stre...

Kia ora koutou from the Hi-5 Room We have been talking about healthy lunches.At mat times we have talked what is good for our bodies and what is not.In November we decided that we will make our sandwiches with healthy kai.Michelle brought eggs from her chickens at home.We had tomato, lettuce, cucumber, mashed eggs and tuna as a selection to choose ...

The Future Ferns Junior room tamariki continue to enjoy being physically active any opportunity they can. Tamariki have been engaging in many fun, new and interesting activities with and alongside each other. Lots of laughter and positive social interactions have been shared. Here are a couple of web sites to explore fun experiences together at hom...

Wow! it was such a wonderful journey working for Kids Count for last five years. I am very grateful to all the whᾱnau, teachers and children for their ongoing support at Kids Count and making my teaching smoother. It is not easy to leave Kids Count family but I have to. I had so much learning and fun in my last five years with Kids Count family and...

Today 10 of our Hi-5 tamariki went to our sister centre in Pukekohe for a visit. The tamariki were very excited, as we had never been there before. They were singing the whole way in the van and happily chatted amongst each other. When we arrived, they immediately went off to explore the playground and afterwards we had a lesson on how to make a "p...

Playing outside gives your child the chance to explore the natural environment and have adventures. They can play favourite games, test her physical limits, express themselves and strengthen self-confidence. When your child is outside, they probably have more space and freedom for big movements, like running, jumping, kicking and throwing. Physical...

Whaea Deepika decided to put a new rewards system in place. She started making some stars for the tamariki and drew a chart on the whiteboard in the Hi-5 Room. The tamariki are being encouraged to collect stars for a variety of social skills and if they get 5 stars in the week, they get a special reward on Friday. We also have some smaller rewards ...

Yesterday we had our first Halloween party at Kids Count Marne road and it was a huge success with many children dressing up for the occasion, and having a great time discovering and exploring at our Halloween party. Children throughout the ages have enjoyed dressing up in costumes and engaging in dramatic roleplaying. Whether your child is superma...