August 2026 | Kōrero from Curious Minds

Kia ora e te whānau,

This last month has been so wonderful, between pajama day, tasting tart lemons, learning about the Republic of Congo, and having sensory play with oobleck, we have been all go here at Curious Minds Early Learning.

‍

Island Bay

It has certainly been a busy few weeks at Curious Minds Island Bay, with lots happening both in our learning spaces and behind the scenes as the centre continues to come back together following the floods. We want to say a massive thank you to all of our families and teachers for the patience, flexibility and support you have shown throughout the repair process. It has been exciting to see the progress being made, including having our new carpet down and new resources, and we can't wait to have all the work completed. We recently celebrated New Zealand Children's Book Week, with lots of time spent discovering new pukapuka, revisiting old favourites and sharing stories together. We finished the week with a favourite character dress-up day, which brought some fantastic costumes and plenty of excitement to the centre. Experiences like these are a great way to build a love of books and storytelling while encouraging language, imagination and creativity.

Imaginative play has also been a big part of our days. Whether tamariki are creating their own games, taking on different roles or transforming everyday objects into something completely new, pretend play gives them the freedom to explore ideas and make sense of the world around them. Our loose-parts resources have been another favourite, with children finding endless ways to build, sort, count, arrange and create. We love that something so simple can lead to so many different learning opportunities, while also developing problem-solving, early maths concepts and fine motor skills.

For our youngest tamariki, we continue to focus on providing a calm, nurturing and engaging environment where they can form strong relationships with their teachers and feel a real sense of belonging. We welcome pēpi from six months old and understand what a big transition starting childcare can be for both babies and their families, particularly when returning to work. Our aim is to make that transition as comfortable as possible, giving families confidence that their little ones are being well cared for while enjoying plenty of opportunities to play, explore and develop at their own pace.

‍

‍

Miramar

There has been plenty of fun, discovery and new experiences at Curious Minds Miramar recently. As part of our World Cruise, the tamariki took a special journey to the Republic of Congo, learning more about its culture, food, wildlife and music. A huge thank you to Marlene's dad, Tony, for joining us and sharing his knowledge and culture with the children. Having our whānau involved in these experiences makes them even more meaningful, and there was certainly no shortage of enthusiasm when it came time for some dancing!

Our learning has also included plenty of opportunities to explore through the senses. Lemon Juice Day had the tamariki investigating lemons through water play, baking and, for those keen to give it a go, tasting a teaspoon of tart lemon juice! We also enjoyed a very popular Toasted Marshmallow Day, which was a simple but delicious way to come together and share a sweet experience. It has been a great month to see the curiosity, conversations and connections that these experiences have sparked across the centre. We are looking forward to the spring sunshine and all it has to offer.

‍

‍

Johnsonville

It has been a colourful and culturally rich few weeks at Curious Minds Johnsonville, with our tamariki enjoying opportunities to celebrate traditions from around the world as well as some special centre fun. Our Nursery explored the Indian festival of Raksha Bandhan through art, music and movement, learning about the importance of family, love and caring for one another. The children created their own colourful interpretations of Rakhi and had plenty of fun dancing together to traditional music. We have also been discovering more about Brazilian culture as we celebrated Brazilian Independence Day, filling the centre with green, blue and yellow and creating opportunities for tamariki to learn about another part of the world. Alongside these cultural celebrations, Pyjama Day brought lots of excitement, with everyone getting cosy in their favourite PJs and sharing much-loved soft toys and bedtime stories. These special days are a wonderful way to bring our centre community together while encouraging curiosity, belonging and an appreciation of the different cultures and traditions that make up our community.

We are just all so excited for spring and all the blossoms to come out, the magnolias are in bloom already! The tamariki are so excited to get their hands in the garden again. From our centre to you, thanks for making this month special!

‍

‍

Queenstown

There has been lots of wonderful learning happening at Curious Minds recently, with our tamariki making the most of opportunities to explore, create and challenge themselves. We have seen growing confidence as children test their physical abilities, try new things and discover just how capable they are. Fine motor experiences have been helping strengthen the small muscles needed for everyday independence, from dressing and fastening buttons to opening lunchboxes and using utensils. Indoors, hands-on experiences have encouraged plenty of curiosity and experimentation, from messy sensory play (with oobleck) and mixing different materials to activities that develop coordination, concentration and those important skills that support growing independence. Books and stories continue to be a valued part of our days, sparking conversations, new ideas and imagination.

We have also loved seeing the children take responsibility for their environment, with our Pūkeko tamariki doing a fantastic job caring for the plants in the foyer. House plants are a great way of teaching responsibility without too much risk. Of course, there has been plenty of fun and creativity along the way too, including some very inventive interpretations of what can be used as a golf club! It is always great to see how much learning naturally happens when tamariki are given the time, space and encouragement to follow their interests and curiosity.

‍

Ngā Mihi Nui from The Curious Minds Team!

‍Stay Connected: Island Bay, Johnsonville, Miramar, Queenstown