Make your own Whare Tapa Whā

This activity is all based on Sir Mason Durie's Whare Tapa Whā model and keeping this actionable. It's a great follow on from Sparklers Tuputupu activity.

We've created two ways for tamariki to make their own Whare Tapa Whā - by using a printable template or a cereal box...

What you need:

  • Either a printout of the template or an empty cereal / Weetbix box
  • Glue or sellotape
  • Scissors
  • Felts, crayons or colouring pencils
  • A ruler (for the cereal box version)
  • Paper, cardboard or craft supplies such as iceblock sticks

Paper template:

If you have access to a printer you could make this quickly and easily by printing our Whare Tapa Whā template directly onto either A4 or A3 cardboard.

1-Sparklers-Build-your-whare-tapa-wha-worksheet.pdf

Cereal box:

You'll need a pen or pencil, cereal box, scissors, tape and a ruler.
Break the cereal box apart at the bottom, trying not to rip the cardboard too much, and split the box up the side at the join. Lay it out flat.
Mark 10cm and 15cm points up all the side folds (vertically) – this is to create the roof part.
Find the centre of each larger (middle) panel. .Then use your ruler to draw from this centre point at the 15cm mark, down to the 10cm mark, on each side of the centre point, to make your roof 'gable' as shown. Do this on both larger panels.
Cut down the fold lines and along your roof lines to create your whare shape, like the picture.
Draw in the front detail of your whare (door, windows) and. write in each taha and whenua - like the picture. Also measure from the top point to the bottom point of the roof - on this photo it’s the edge above where it says Taha Hinengaro - it should be around 12cm. Mark this measurement on the sides of the box (on each flap) measuring from the 10cm mark already there. This will mean you’ll have enough cardboard to create the sides and roof.
Create a fold in each side panel of the whare, as shown.
Fold back the bottom parts of the box, reversing it so that the plain cardboard shows, and tape this up.
Tape up one side of the whare so it looks like this.
The easiest way to create the closing tab is by measuring 1.5cm on each side and creating a line, or dotted line. Then an adult may need to help with this tricky cut through the middle of the cardboard..
Then also measure 1.5cm from each edge of the other side to create the flap. This inserts into the cut and creates the peak of your roof. Tape up one side of the roof and leave the other to open and shut.
Taaaaa daaaaa! Your very own Whare Tapa Whā.
Using any remaining cardboard, create and colour code 5 types of hauora pou 'sticks' - Taha hinengaro, Taha tinana, Taha wairau, Taha whānau or whenua. Each stick highlights an idea that enhance any of these pou.
Add these to your Whare Tapa Whā and draw these out to do and practice to strengthen your wellbeing. Add new activities that you find appealing and help you feel ka pai over time. Alternatively you may like to write these on the outside of their whare, or just your faves!

Fill your Whare Tapa Whā

Cut out strips of paper, cardboard or use craft supplies such as iceblock sticks and ask tamariki to write examples of what they can do for each pou.

Tamariki can colour-code ideas for each pou so, for example, they make each Taha Whānau strip or stick blue.

Fill Whare Tapa Whā with all the ideas!

When tamariki feel bored, or need a boost, they can pull out an idea from their whare! And they can add new ideas to it all the time!

stickers.JPG

Next steps

Once you've created your whare by either using the template, or the cereal box model, a great way to introduce some ideas tamariki could try, and which enhance their overall wellbeing is by using our Whare Tapa Whā growth mindset slides or Seesaw activities:

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Ngā mihi Sir Mason Durie for all your mahi and Te Whare Tapa Whā model.