Play
Play is central to the learning and wellbeing of the young child. In our centre, you will see children building houses, buses, planes, cranes, they go camping and recreate festivals – anything their imagination can conjure up. Children are given free range to create from the resources available, all made from natural materials that have an open-ended quality to them, therefore whatever the child imagines, they can create from the resources available. It is a true marvel to observe what the children can create from such simple resources.
Through this play, not only are the children developing their creative thinking, they are also moving and developing their physical body, they become co-ordinated and dextrous in their movement. They also develop their social skills, as much of this play requires a playmate or two. There is much to negotiate, plan and decide as ideas are shared and played out.
As a bonus, our teachers are skilled story tellers, and bring stories alive through beautiful puppet shows. Children take this into their play and become skilled story tellers in their own right.
A screen-free environment
While we understand that technology such as computers and smartphones, etc. are important in our world today, we see this as belonging to a different developmental age and not for early childhood. Children learn in time and over time. The impact that screen time has on children is only just being understood, however, in Waldorf/Steiner Kindergartens, we have always seen early childhood as a time to play, to be free and discover the wonders of the world in which we live. This can only occur through real engagement, not through a screen.
In a nutshell, at Miro House, we have worked hard to bring together a team focused on honouring, celebrating and caring for children, childhood, and whanau. We advocate for childhood, allowing children to be engaged in what rightly belongs to childhood: free play, imagination, developing socially and physically, all in a natural, technology-free, screen-free, child-centred environment.
To find out more, visit the Miro House Kindergarten website and Facebook page.
