Gems Childcare Celebrating Matariki With a Night Farm School Evening

Gems celebrated a Magical Matariki Farm School with stars, dreams and unicorns last month. Always a highlight of the Gems Farm School Calendar, Night Farm School has evolved to incorporate Matariki celebrations. Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades. It rises in mid-winter and for many Māori, it heralds the start of a new year.

Twilight at the farm saw intrepid four year olds and their parents wrapped up warm against the winter chill and armed with torches meeting together for a mug of hearty kumara and pumpkin soup. Prepared by the children earlier that day this soup fortified everyone for an evening of explorations.

Teachers led whanau in a karakia to commence proceedings before leading them on a trail of night time discovery around the Farm. Children and their parents were then invited to share a goal or dream on their own Matariki Star and display on the wall of wishes for the coming new year.

As everyone departed at the end of the evening heading for toasty warm beds the magic of the night still resonated. It resonates not just in the wide eyed wonderment of children seeing things they had only dreamt of. The true magic resonates within Gems, gathering with friends and family, sharing adventures and discoveries, sharing kai, sharing laughter and making memories. Now that’s the real magic of Matariki.

For more information on early childhood education teachers, early childhood education and preschool please go to http://www.gems.net.nz .