The Year of the Dragon, has been celebrated with joy and enthusiasm at Colwill Kindergarten. The celebrations began with everyone invited to wear bright clothes especially the colour red. Watching a video of dragon dance inspired everyone to make masks and painting a dragon became a communal project.

Though storytelling at mat time, tamariki learnt that there was a dragon that used to frighten villagers in China. Our children had fun role-playing and using musical instruments to frighten Nian away, saving the villagers. Then we made spinning rattling drums at the glue gun station, using bright colours and making loud noises to keep Nian away from our kindergarten.

Food brings cultures together, and this could not be more true with the children grating, cutting and peeling vegetables to make spring rolls. The celebrations were such a success and the learning that the tamariki gained made us all proud to be called the true diverse citizens of Aotearoa.