Age groups
When choosing equipment for children, consider the 3 broad age groups described in Te Whāriki:
Infants – birth to 18 months.
Toddlers – 1 to 3 years.
Young children – from 2 years 6 months to school entry age.
Principles
Make sure the principles and strands of Te Whāriki are at the centre of your planning decisions to provide an enriched environment for children.
Empowerment | Whakamana
The early childhood curriculum empowers the child to learn and grow.
Holistic development | Kotahitanga
The early childhood curriculum reflects the holistic way children learn and grow.
Family and community | Whānau tangata
The wider world of family and community is an integral part of the early childhood curriculum.
Relationships | Ngā hononga
Children learn through responsive and reciprocal relationships with people, places and things.
Strands
Wellbeing | Mana atua
The health and wellbeing of the child are protected and nurtured.
Belonging | Mana whenua
Children and their families feel a sense of belonging. Equipment and resources should:
reflect tikanga Māori and language.
reflect the cultures in the local community.
Contribution | Mana tangata
Opportunities for learning are equitable, and each child's contribution is valued.
Resources should reflect differing attitudes and feelings that will help children to accept other people who are different from themselves.
Equipment should encourage children to solve conflicts in a peaceful way. This will develop positive and constructive attitudes to competition.
Communication | Mana reo
The languages and symbols of children's own and other cultures are promoted and protected.
There are a range of resources and things you can do that support and promote communication, including:
books, language, talking, storytelling, puppets, listening and Māori resources
written language – te reo Māori as numbers, waiata | songs
equipment and resources to support creative expression in areas such as art, music, dance, construction
greeting each person in their language
visual resources
music and instruments from other countries
fantasy play – dress-up clothes, eating utensils
puzzles and books
resources from support agencies for families to access
opportunities for emerging literacy
equipment, furniture and layout to support conversations, for example cushions, sofas, mat or carpet.
Exploration | Mana aotūroa
The child learns through active exploration of the environment.
Equipment and resources that could be available to children include:
books and storytelling props
puzzles and manipulative equipment
blocks
materials that foster creativity
dough and clay
dramatic play resources
sand
water
papatūānuku materials such as stones, bark, shells
science resources like magnifying glasses, magnets, microscope or experiment books
carpentry equipment and resources that promote physically active play resources, for example, cardboard, blankets or wood for large constructions such as huts or boats
paper, pens, rulers
information and communication technology (ICT) equipment.
Mōhiohio anō