For many of our Onehunga Kindergarten tamariki, 2025 was the first time they were involved in the Daltons Sunflowers in Kindergartens Project.

The project begun with each tamariki planting a seed, watering it daily and watching intently for any changes. As they started to see the seedlings grow, their excitement grew even more, along with conversations about whose sunflower was going to grow the biggest.  The tamariki enjoyed making observations, sharing the progress with their friends and family and being involved in taking care of the flowers.

As part of our journey, we explored a variety of creative experiences to complement the learning. The tamariki constructed their own sunflowers using sellotape and staplers, drawing on their curiosity and working theories as they compared their creations with the sunflowers in our garden.

They also grew confidence and creativity sewing sunflowers, extending their skills as part of our ongoing sewing journey.

These experiences support the goals of Te Whāriki, by encouraging children to explore, contribute, and express themselves through meaningful, hands-on learning as they develop working theories for making sense of the natural world and how to care for it.