http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.beachcomberelc.co.nz en-us Fri, 24 Apr 2026 16:20:25 +1200 Rocketspark http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/post/149072/monkey-bars/ Our tamariki have shown a huge interest in gross motor play, with monkey bars being a huge focus.  One of the many skills shown have been not only practising climbing across the bars, but also hanging upside-down, hanging from a bar for longer periods of time and helping others swing across by holding their legs.  Our children have shown a huge amount of confidence, determination and perseverance, problem solving and teamwork. We have been so proud of the aroha, mana, whanaunatanga and... Wed, 12 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +1300 http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/#post149072 http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/post/149073/living-eggs-2024/ We have been so lucky over the last few weeks to have pépi heihei (chicks) at kindergarten.  Ten eggs arrived in an egg box and were transferred to the incubator to keep them warm.  The ten eggs stayed safe and warm until the chicks hatched from their eggs over the next few days. Our tamariki seemed so intrigued watching the eggs and waiting for them to hatch.  This year almost all of the eggs hatched at night time and we got a big surprise to see the chicks the following mo... Wed, 18 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/#post149073 http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/post/149141/celebrating-our-dads/ Every year we celebrate our Beachcomber Dad’s with a special Father’s Day evening.  Children and their Dad’s shared some yummy takeaways for dinner in the workshop where we had set up a special restaurant.  Each table was decorated with ‘Dad Rocks’ which some children had created earlier in the week.We had lots of special activities and different spaces set up to explore and share this special event with our dads. There was face painting, threading, play dough monster creatio... Wed, 28 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/#post149141 http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/post/149146/beachcomber-olympics/ We have enjoyed celebrating the 2024 Paris Olympic Games through art experiences, group time activities and various sport setups outside. Our tamariki have been very busy and put a lot of effort into creating their own Olympic flags, flames and medals. They have also had the opportunity to participate in a variety of sports including shot put, gymnastics, volleyball, table tennis, long jump, diving, hurdles, badminton, rowing, rugby, soccer and weightlifting.The Olympic Games have provided a gre... Mon, 12 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/#post149146 http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/post/149147/messy-play/ Many of our children at Beachcomber love messy play.Messy play encourages creativity, sensory exploration, and fine motor skills. Engaging in activities like playing with mud, sand, or paint allows children to experiment, make decisions, and solve problems. This type of play also supports cognitive growth by stimulating their curiosity and imagination. Messy play provides a tactile learning experience, helping children understand different textures and consistencies. ... Mon, 29 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/#post149147 http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/post/149148/give-a-kid-a-blanket/ Each year we ask our Beachcomber whanau to donate warm clothing and bedding for those in need.We choose to support Give a Kid a Blanket who’s mission is to relieve the effects of poverty and offer practical help to those in need.Thank you to our wonderful families for your support.... Fri, 05 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/#post149148 http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/post/149149/celebrating-matariki/ Every year we enjoy celebrating Matariki, the Māori New Year at Beachcomber.Our fantastic mandarin tree once again gave us a plentiful harvest of delicious fruit and we enjoyed making butter by shaking cream in a jar.We have been revisiting our favourite, and learning new, Matariki songs and stories.Our annual Matariki breakfast is always a enjoyable morning for our tamariki and their whanau.... Thu, 04 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/#post149149 http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/post/149151/new-zealand-sign-language/ At Beachcomber we are excited to learn New Zealand Sign Language.  It is an official and unique language of New Zealand and is the language of New Zealand’s deaf community.  NZSL uses the hands, the body and facial expressions to express meaning. It helps us communicate with everyone, including friends who are deaf or hard of hearing.  It helps our brain development, boosts memory, attention, and creativity.It also teaches us social skills, such as empathy, patience, and un... Sat, 01 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/#post149151 http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/post/149152/samoan-language-week/ Talofa!  We are always keen to learn something new at Beachcomber and have been enjoying celebrating Samoan language.  We have made our own tapa cloth; and learnt new songs, dance and vocabulary.  Learning about different cultures helps children understand and appreciate diversity. It fosters a sense of acceptance and belonging for all.... Tue, 28 May 2024 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/#post149152 http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/post/149153/mothers-day-evening/ Our tamariki had a fantastic evening celebrating their Mum’s and Grandmothers at our special Mother’s Day evening.  We shared some yummy kai for dinner in the workshop where we had set up a special restaurant.  Each table was decorated with flowers which some children had arranged earlier in the week.We had lots of special activities and different spaces set up to explore. There was face painting, bead bracelet making, our light box with beautiful natural resources, sparkly ocean p... Wed, 08 May 2024 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.beachcomberelc.co.nz/blog/#post149153