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What is Te Whāriki?

At Oma Rāpeti, we feel it's really valuable for whānau to understand the basics of our curriculum so they too, can recognise more of the amazing learning their tamariki undertake.  Te Whāriki is the national early childhood curriculum for Aotearoa New Zealand; the framework that every early childhood education provider in Aotearoa uses as a basis for their curriculum.  The curriculum has “the vision that children are competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in m...

Part 1 - Making sense of an ECE ERO report - Akanuku

We know as parents and whānau a centre's ERO result can be a great place to start to figure out exactly what is happening behind the scenes. We also know it can be really confusing to wrap your head around things, especially when there are changes. We've tried to break this down to the basics, without too much "teacher talk!"  If you want to find out more about ERO, jump on their website and if you want to view our ERO result, you can click here. We'll be discussing it more further down th...

Part 2 - Making sense of an ECE ERO report - Akarangi

Have you read the first part of this blog over here? Here we set out the previous way ERO worked, what it looks like for new owners and how an Akanuku review would work.  Part of quality education for tamariki consists of some basic health and safety/safety checking/premises. Therefore Te Ara Poutama starts initially with an Akanuku reivew. Akanuku focuses on the issues that ERO sees as being paramount to tamariki safety. This is based around the emotional safety of the children, the p...

Supporting Children’s Brain Development

I once taught a four-year-old who had joined our early childhood centre after moving to a new house. After a few weeks with us, this child made a confession. “I’m not supposed to tell you this,” they whispered, “but I have a tutor who comes to my house after childcare to teach me about letters and numbers.” This child’s parents were focussed on their child’s academic development and, having chosen to attend our play-based and child-led ECE centre, they were concerned that their fou...

What do I do with all of this art?

It's a typical Thursday, and you've come to collect your child from their centre. They greet you happily from the kai table where they're finishing off their afternoon tea, and you head inside to sign them out and get their bag. When you get to their bag, it's once again overflowing with paintings and drawings that they've been busy creating during the day. This is the fourth day this week that their bag has been this filled with art, and you're not sure what you're going to do with it...

Kōrerotia te reo!

Is it a surprise to you if I told you that New Zealand has two official languages and neither of them are English? English is presumed to be an official language by most people, however the official languages are te reo Māori and NZ Sign Language. English is a de facto official language. While I’d encourage you to go out and learn NZ sign language to be able to communicate with the deaf and hard of hearing community, this blog is about simple ways you can incorporate a little te reo Māori in...

Why an Open Day works for our infants

Since 2019 we have been moving towards an Open Day format for our Burrow (under 2) space. There are often questions around why we do this as opposed to an individual tour through the space, so we thought we'd review our practice and explain our reasons so that as parents and caregivers you have an understanding of why this works for our infants. ...

Finding Treasure - Outdoors, Together.

Summer is knocking on our door, and with that comes Christmas time.As parents, we’re likely to be spending considerably more time outdoors over the next few months, and many of us will have gift ideas floating around our minds. We can make the most of this outside time - and gift ideas - by embracing the magic of heuristic play. A natural, sustainable and affordable way of play and learning, with endless options for your tamariki. It’s a favourite here at Oma Rāpeti, especially with the you...

Risk taking through play for young children

How many of you have had a moment of terror when you have caught your young child climbing on top of the coffee table or trying to jump off their bed into the floor? I think it’s safe to say if you have a child you know this is a common occurrence and one that makes your stomach feel sick.  Children want to climb onto everything in the house, jump from heights and experiment putting themselves into different positions and places that make us scared as adults. Children are built with a nat...

Is a Centre or Homebased Childcare Right For My Child?

You might think because we run a cool little centre in Auckland Central that, in our opinion, provides the best possible care out there and therefore we would be bias towards children being in ECE centres. In actual fact, at the base of everything is our philosophy and we truly believe that each child should be seen as an individual... some children suit a centre environment and some suit homebased care. We’ve covered the basics in this article, so you can make the right choice for you and you...

Embrace the mess | The science behind messy play

Messy play. Korihori pōrehe. Two simple words that have the incredible capacity to make both parents and educators either recoil in horror, or jump for joy. Why do we intentionally let our littlies (and our homes/classrooms!) get covered in filth? Utter madness? Crazy ECE teachers? All in the name of fun? For the love of wet-wipes and soap? As much as we do love a bit of madness, messy play (also known as sensory play) can do wonders for your child’s brain development - so it�...

The Magic Of Rituals | Connection through the everyday.

From mindfulness to bubble baths, Christmas to birthdays, bedtime to bathtime, many of us use rituals in our lives. Even as adults, we’re often using rituals without even realising. Rituals create special moments and lasting memories, and are a wonderful way to really tune in and connect with your child....

Starting School

Written by Claire, one of our wonderful team members who has completed her Masters in Education (ECE) through Auckland University. Transitioning to school is one of the topics Claire is passionate and knowledgable about. ...

Upcycling | Turning loose parts into exciting new resources

Our guide for parents on how to turn everyday objects around the home into educational ECE resources....

Sustainable Parenting

At Oma Rāpeti we know how important it is to put the environment front and centre of our practices and teachings. We’re also mothers and parents. Busy ones at that.As parents, there’s always a tug at our hearts when we go for convenience over sustainability. We’re busy with work, children and life. But what about when everyone is tired, hungry and crying? Do we go for the easiest option possible, like the tempting plastic-wrapped snack? The disposable diaper? To be honest sometimes we do,...

What you should ask when looking for an ECE centre

The below blog has been created by our director Nikki after showing many families through Oma Rāpeti and searching for her own child prior to owning a centre. These are some of the common questions she comes across and some pointers with what to look for. ...

What's the difference?

On your search for quality early childhood education, you’ve probably come across some (or all) of these terms. They’re a bit of a mouthful when you put them all together like that too!So what are the real differences between a Kindergarten and an ECE Centre? What does HomeBased Care offer, and is a Daycare the same as a kindy? Will my child get the same level of care, attention and learning opportunities at all of them? Let's break these terms down for you, and let you know why each version...

How to help your child with their toilet learning

As a teacher, one of the most common things I get asked about is something along the lines of “how come my child isn’t toilet trained yet?” To start with, at Oma Rāpeti we use the term "toilet learning" as opposed to "toilet training". This respectful term reflects the great deal of learning that takes place as a child learns about their body, and how to pay attention to its cues. It also helps remind us adults that this is a process and our children will get there in their own individual...

How to find the best ECE centre in Auckland

It can be daunting, and somewhat scary, trying to find a lovely early childhood centre for your child. This can be especially so in a city like Auckland – there are simply so many ECE options to choose from and a lot of them are truly lovely! They may be close to your home or work, have a philosophy you like, or have been recommended to you by friends or family.But how do you find the best one for you? Quality of early childhood centres can vary a lot, and there are certain points we think eve...

Understanding The Role Philosophy Plays in ECE

When it comes time to choose an ECE service, we believe it’s vitally important to understand the philosophy of the centre - so important that we think it should be one of the very first things you look at!It can be something many parents overlook, but the number of ECE centres around are almost endless (especially in a highly populated city like Auckland). How do you know which centre is the right centre for you? How do you choose a place to send your tamariki that feels right, has beautiful t...

The Best Childrens Books

Here at Oma Rāpeti we adore reading. There is so much imagination and escape to be found within the pages of books. By reading to your children you are helping them learn and giving them the future gift of being a book worm. We pulled together some of our absolute favourites. Some of them are meaningful with a great message, some play with words and rhyming and some are just plain hilarious! ...

How to make paper

Paper making is a fun and satisfying activity that we often do in our Meadow space with our children over two years. It makes a perfectly sustainable, environmentally friendly sensory play option. ...

Mexican Pinto Beans

It is sometimes hard to find recipes for delicious and healthy meals for toddlers and children. One of the meals here on our rotating menu that our children love is Mexican Pinto Beans. We serve it on millet with carrot sticks and grated cheese on the side. The beans themselves can be served however you want - for example on nacho chips, tortillas, or rice. Sometimes we top with coriander and herbs from the garden or in a home setting you may like to add chilli. This recipe is fairly forgiving -...

How to Set Boundaries for Children, and Why You Should

Setting boundaries for children gives them the knowledge and security of your expectations within their day. This means they (for the most part) can predict what is coming next. Children often thrive within predictable, solid boundaries. You may find it difficult at first, but boundaries can make your life easier....

How do I get my child to eat?

A commonly considered question when sitting at your family dinner table has always been: "how do I get my children to eat the right foods?". This question has plagued parents worldwide, and concerns about eating habits and nutrition are rife in online forums and parental support groups.  Well, here’s the answer: you don't “get” your child to eat! Let’s reframe this concept. Here are your responsibilities as a parent: To set meal timesTo choose what is offered, and To choose wh...