The visit of Toro Pikopiko Puppets formed part of our Whakamanawa Programme which Westlake Forest Hill Kindergarten embarked on at the beginning of this year. Over the course of the programme the children and the teachers have been learning about Māori culture, traditions, stories and legends. One of the children’s favourite story was “Te Ika a Maui”, “The Fish of Maui”. To support the learning experience for our tamariki we decided to invite Toro Pikopiko Puppets to bring Mighty Maui to life.

Mighty Maui is an exhilarating puppet show about Aotearoa’s very own superhero Maui Tikitiki-ā-Taranga including fishing up the North Island of New Zealand, slowing down the sun, shape shifting and bringing fire to humankind. The show is supported by vibrant storytelling, live music, hand drumming and traditional Maori instruments. At the beginning we were greeted by the sound of the putatara (conch shell trumpet) and immediately transported into a land of legends and myths.

This is an interactive show and our tamariki turned into puppeteers taking on various roles such as Maui’s brothers, dolphins and forest birds. They danced and sang along to original waiata while immersed in non-stop interactive action and drama.

The show was a true highlight and far more than we ever expected. We practiced our te reo Māori pronunciation, learnt a Numba Haka and had heaps of fun!