September 2026 | Kōrero from Curious Minds

Kia ora e te whānau,

What a month it has been across our Curious Minds centres! From spring planting and Onesie Day for Wellington Free Ambulance to Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, mooncakes, haka and Roald Dahl Day, our tamariki have been busy learning, celebrating and getting their hands well and truly muddy.

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Island Bay

What a fantastic month it has been here at Curious Minds Island Bay, packed with sensory play, nature, and some seriously exciting community moments. We started by diving into the spring spirit, with our tamariki getting their hands dirty planting some yummy vegetables to enjoy later in the year. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to connect with nature and see where their food comes from.

In the classroom, we've seen a real surge of creativity and scientific curiosity. Play dough remains a crowd favourite, offering a fun way to explore textures and build hand strength. We also experimented with gloop! Beyond the mess (and the "gloop" sounds!), this activity encouraged scientific inquiry and sensory processing while helping children regulate their emotions. It's amazing to see how much learning happens through simple, tactile experiences. We were proud to celebrate Paraire, Te Reo Auaha, shining a light on the artists, musicians, storytellers, and creatives who help te reo Māori thrive through expression and imagination. It was inspiring to see the tamariki engaging with these creative traditions. And our Pūkeko room had a wonderful outing to watch the Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori parade through the city.

One of the highlights of the month was when some of our Pūkeko tamariki went on a hikoi to Wakefield Park. They got to see the Hurricanes championship trophy up close and even met Brad Shields, a truly memorable experience for the kids!

Finally, a huge thank you to all the whānau who joined us for Onesie Day. Your support helped raise vital funds to keep Wellington Free Ambulance free across our community. Ngā mihi nui to everyone who participated!

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Miramar

Kia ora katoa! September has been such a lovely month here at Curious Minds Miramar, filled with celebrations, big brain work, and community spirit. We had a wonderful time marking Mooncake Festival Day, with the tamariki getting creative by colouring in their own mooncakes. A massive thank you to Yian's lovely family for making us some delicious traditional mooncakes to share, it was such a treat for the kids to taste them alongside their artwork.

We've also noticed a real buzz around puzzles lately. Rose and Betty put in so much hard work on an animal-themed puzzle this morning, showing great focus and teamwork. Ka pai ngā hoa! Your persistence really paid off.

We had an absolute blast on Onesie Day. It was a fun way to raise vital funds that keep Wellington Free Ambulance free across our community, ensuring everyone gets the help they need when it matters most. Everyone looked great in their cute outfits!

Finally, we celebrated a wonderful Father's Day, giving thanks for all the wonderful Dads, stepdads, and grandads of our tamariki. Thank you for being such an important part of your children's lives and our wider learning community.

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Johnsonville

September has been a whirlwind of cultural celebration and community generosity here at Curious Minds Johnsonville. We've had an incredible time preparing and doing our haka learning session on the 17th. It was fantastic to see the tamariki embracing the spirit of the occasion, proudly wearing their whero, mā, and pango both on the day and again on Friday. These moments are so important for connecting our children with their heritage and building a sense of pride and belonging.

But perhaps the biggest highlight of the month was our Wellington Free Ambulance Onesie Day Appeal. A massive, heartfelt thank you to every single whānau who donated. Your generosity didn't just make a difference; it made a record-breaking one! With the incredible help of The Company Silk, who doubled all donations, we raised an amazing $795.64! What an awesome effort for such a vital service that keeps our community safe and supported.

It's days like these that remind us how strong and caring our little corner of Johnsonville really is. Thank you for being such an integral part of our journey this month.

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Queenstown

September has been a month of big feelings and little victories here at Curious Minds Queenstown. We've seen so much growth through messy play, where the tamariki engaged their senses to build muscle control and tackle open-ended problem-solving. It's in these moments that we witness real perseverance, coordination, and determination, proof that learning is often best done with muddy hands!

Earlier in the month, our children created thoughtful gifts for all the amazing fathers in their lives. Watching them pour so much love into those handmade presents was truly special, and we hope the papas felt just how appreciated they are.

We also had a wonderful Roald Dahl Day on Tuesday, filled with great costumes and plenty of imaginative fun. Roald Dahl is a master of using imagination, from his quirky characters to heartwarming stories that teach us, in roundabout ways, how to be great humans. To keep that spirit going, we set up some "provocations", deliberate arrangements of materials designed to spark curiosity and inspire independent exploration without a fixed outcome. The tamariki dove right in, proving once again that when you give them space to wonder, they soar.

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Ngā Mihi Nui from The Curious Minds Team!

‍Stay Connected: Island Bay, Johnsonville, Miramar, Queenstown