Tiaki mai i aha, maku ana koe e Tiaki
If you look after me, then I will look after you…

During Seaweek at Ōtāhuhu Kindergarten we reflected with our tamariki on our mahi from last year.

Our knowledge and purpose to awhi Seaweek was through re-visiting our myths and legends books like ‘Sina and the Eel’, ‘Te Ika o Maui’, ‘Grandpa, Grandpa’ and more.  These are legends and stories that our diverse tamariki can relate to.

We had some robust korero with tamariki about how to care for Tangaroa and spoke about sea pollution, and the various sea animals and sea life in the ocean.

Through art, waiata and memory games tamariki sang songs, learnt the names of different sea creatures and created a wall display to show what they know about looking after Tangaroa.

Staff even brought in some kaimoana like Ika (fish), kutai (mussels) pāpaka (crab) prawns to show tamariki the yummy kai we can get from the sea.

We also touched on rāhui (to prohibit, restriction) and different traditions and cultural perspectives of how we use and respect Tangaroa.

Our Kindergarten tamariki and whānau will endeavour to be Kaitiaki of Tangaroa and all it’s sea life creatures.

“Ko te wai te ora o ngā mea katoa”
Water is the life giver of all things….