This activity is all about better understanding Matariki - understanding our unique and special culture and the culture of others, only impacts all our wellbeing positively.
Sharing kai is a big part of Matariki. Here tamariki create a placemat to use for shared kai during Matariki with whānau.
Give tamariki the opportunity to make a moemoeā (wish) upon the Matariki whetū Hiwa-i-te-rangi, but also learn about how to make a good moemoeā (wish) come true!
A fun and whānau focussed way to learn about Matariki and each of the 9 whetū.
Te Whare Tapa Whā provides an excellent way for tamariki to kōrero and understand school values and the positive difference they make.
Introduce Te Whare Tapa Whā to your tamariki with this HUGE collaborative mosaic wall display!
Many schools, kura and classrooms have special manu and rākau they associate with. We've created these to add to your classroom and learn from.
Helping tamariki discover how music affects their mood.
Bring Whare Tapa Whā to life with these super easy print-outs - makes either a mean wall display, or gift for whānau to carry on this important mahi.
A fun way to help activate Te Whare Tapa Whā at this tricky time of the school year.
DoC recordings of native birdsong all prepped for mindfulness, imaginative writing, tummy breathing time - you choose.
Teaching tamariki the neuroscience behind worrying helps them make sense of the way it feels, so they can better work through it.
Use the Whare Tapa Whā hauora model to check in with your collective tamariki wellbeing.
An interactive game that explores all the things we have in common, rather than focusing on our differences.
A relaxing colouring activity to promote relaxation and calm.
A calming game that paves the way for tummy breathing.
A game for identifying, naming and sharing emotions.
An activity for thinking about and adjusting our energy levels.
A group exercise for showing and guessing different emotions.
A quick game that promotes cooperation, patience and trust.
An energising game that’s all about working as a team.
Teaching mindful breathing for focus and calm.
A breathing ‘experiment’ that extends tummy breathing.
A fun, energising, memory-based game
A creative writing activity for celebrating the senses.
A calming, mindfulness activity that boosts body awareness
An energising game of compliment giving and receiving.
A crafty activity that will give tamariki a calming keepsake.
This activity takes inspiration from the ordinary, yet extraordinary things in our natural world, as a mindfulness technique.
A practical mindfulness activity using our senses.
Make fun, feel-good posters for your classroom.
A fun literacy (and emotional literacy) activity that can last the whole week!
Helping tamariki understand and manage their worries.
Two games that helps students discover their inner pause button.
Welcome some fresh air and some sky magic by making a manu tukutku!
Our favourite ideas for teaching and encouraging gratitude.
Expressing gratitude and giving back through special surprises.
An old classic that helps tamariki find similarities and get moving.
Boost children’s awareness of the world around them.
A calming activity that boosts students’ awareness of the world around them.
A week of sensory fun and exploration.
Extending the connection between music and emotions.
Celebrating our strengths and being unique.
Fostering a growth mindset and celebrating akoranga (learning).
When we're tired and tamariki are tired, tiny, quiet activities give us the time we all need to 'refresh'. Here's some go-to's from our weekly e-newsletter.
Sensory kete promote self-regulation and calm.
This activity encourages tamariki to think about their wellbeing, all the ways they can boost it and some of the great stuff they're already doing.
A tool that supports tamariki to feel settled and calm.
Absorbing, simple activities that help students relax and find flow.
Kōrero with a loved-one and create a poster about them.
Celebrating our identity, whānau and where we come from.
Our favourite ideas for boosting kindness at school and beyond.
Tuputupu is a fun, activity-based workbook created as part of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori which uses te Reo and Whare Tapa Whā as a foundation for tamariki to understand and care for their hauora.
A fun way to foster kindness, gratitude and the joy of giving.
A habits activity to help Year 7 and 8 tamariki build empathy and learn new friendship skills
A trust game without any risk! This activity is designed to help tamariki work together on a shared goal
These energising warm-ups encourage team work and communication.
This fantastic story for tamariki in years 5-8, explores independence, how we see ourselves and finding the courage to "ask for help with the hard bits".
Create an interactive classroom rollercoaster, and support tamariki to develop their emotional literacy and regulation
A resiliency-based set of activities based on reading, or listening to the book Rising Tide (He Tai Pari) – in English and/or te reo Māori.
A video-making activity for senior tamariki to learn about managing big emotions, and teach others to too.
A fun activity to help tamariki overcome inhibitions and get to know each other better
We’ve created this activity to encourage tamariki to think about Pink Shirt Day beyond the colour pink.
Previously called Got Your Back, this activity helps Year 7 and 8 tamariki reflect on the people who are there for them, and the different roles they can play.
A simple and imaginative trust game (without too much risk!), this activity helps tamariki work together
This activity helps tamariki learn to manage emotions using a playground slide as a visualisation tool.
A funny game for helping tamariki understand and feel good about their strengths
A quiz to help senior students find their strengths and make a set of strengths cards.
This is a great calm down activity and so simple to play
Activities to help senior students start using and developing their strengths.
Practice listening, asking questions, having conversations and building empathy.
An acting exercise that helps tamariki learn to manage tricky situations and big emotions.
A partner activity promoting teamwork and a bit of active problem solving.
Traditional Māori breathing and mindfulness sequences.
This activity uses colours to help tamariki name emotions. Being able to recognise and name emotions is the biggest step towards successfully regulating them.
A fun and memorable lesson about diversity, acceptance and being our true selves
Demonstrating how our actions impact others.
A tamariki-led approach to creating a culture of kindness in your school.
A co-design approach to creating a culture of kindness in your classroom and school.
A traditional, fun and energetic challenge for tamariki.
A familiar and fun game that tamariki LOVE!
This fun game will get your greetings in te reo down pat!
With Te Ara Pū you can keep learning te reo sounds to help make kōrero easy.
A great aiga (family) connecting and learning activity highlighting the importance of our names.
An activity that’s fun and engaging for all students and has a unique Pacific focus – first create your fale (house), then create your classroom’s village!
An energising game to incorporate and extend te reo Māori
Create a shaker (maybe out of paūa) whose sound will lead you to your friends. This is a great 'taking notice' game.
From our friends at the Department of Conservation, this activity combines physical activity, mindfulness and being outside. All of best wellbeing bits that tamariki love!
An opportunity for tamariki to acknowledge and explore their amazing whenua (land) and heritage.
From our friends at the Department of Conservation, this activity combines taking notice of what's around us and immersing ourselves in the moment . Deep, calming sigh....!
Making memory posters to encourage connections to tamariki whānau and whakapapa with this simple interviewing activity.
A book review worksheet for exploring books with positive diversity, emotion or wellbeing- based themes.
When it's a first day back after a break, this activity provides and opportunity to kōrero about this and express how they're doing.
From our friends at the Department of Conservation - we love that this idea is so accessible to everyone while in home-learning, and the combination of reading (learning) and being outdoors will help tamariki feel great!
We all know books have super powers. Here’s an activity that will use them to help tamariki develop emotional literacy, tune in to how others are feeling and know how to react to different emotions.
From our friends at the Department of Conservation. While lots of our tamariki love being outside, sometimes having something to hunt for can add a layer of excitement and increase the exercise!
A chance to recreate Pacific stories and beliefs using any performance art you choose.
Help tamariki find the ways that best suit them to support their hauora and wellbeing.
From our friends at the Department of Conservation - this is a really simple mindfulness activity, only needing a quiet space to look and listen.
Sometimes we fall into habits, and sometimes we have to spend some time creating them. Here's how...
He ngohe hei whakaaro, hei āta whakariterite hoki i ngā taumata ngao.
He ngohe whakahihiko ki te tuku me te riro i te mihi.
Koinei ō mātou tino ariā ki te whakaako, ki te akiaki hoki i te whakawhetai.
He ngohe pāreka tēnei kia puta mai ai te tuakiri tūturu o te tamaiti, kia tuia pai te taura tangata hoki ki waenga i a rātou.
He ngohe pai tēnei ki te whakatau te mauri, ā, he mea māmā hoki te tākaro
Te whakaako ki te whakangā kia aro ai, kia whakatau ai.
He ngohe whakangā nō te ao Māori.
He ngohe poto e whakatairanga ana i te mahi ngātahi, i te manawanui me te whakapono.
This is a handy printable guide you might send home with tamariki for whānau in the lead up to Pink Shirt Day and to support kindness and friendship.
Introduce the Fonofale health model to your tamariki with this HUGE collaborative mosaic wall display!
