Last Friday we had our special Buckle My Shoe Christmas Party and what a morning it was! Our little ones had been waiting and preparing for this event for weeks and as each day grew closer and closer, they became more excited!

When we first spoke about our annual Buckle My Shoe Christmas Party our little ones already had a clear idea of things that happen. “Santa will come”, one child said, whilst another child exclaimed, “we will sing Christmas songs!”. We began thinking about special songs we could sing for our Christmas performance and of course, “Jingle Bells” was a strong contender.

Action songs are always a hit, so we also choose “Red Red Coat” and “I’m a little star”. Each day our tamariki were excited to practice our songs and were curious to know if Santa was going to hear them singing.

We also spent time decorating our play space with Christmas decorations to make it merrier and brighter. This led to some of our tamariki having conversations about their Christmas traditions and decorations at home. One of our amazing teachers also wrote a special play about the meaning of Christmas and each child was invited to be part of it. As the play was rehearsed daily, we could see our children’s confidence growing as they felt valued and included in celebrating such a special event!

It was finally the day of our Christmas Party and some of our little ones came dressed in Christmas inspired outfits. Even our teachers got all decked out! All our wonderful families were invited to join in and each brought with them a special plate of food for a shared lunch. Buckle My Shoe gatherings are all about family, fun and of course food 😋 – and it was lovely to learn more about various cultures through the different types of food laid out on the table.

As our families took their special seats outside, our tamariki lined up - ready for their special performance. Starting off our concert with our welcome song “Tena Koe”, we soon transitioned from “Twinkle Twinkle” all the way to our final song “I’m a little star” – where our little ones circled around a special box Christmas tree that they had created! Getting all their props ready and on, “The Story of Christmas” play started. The story was about the gathering of animals and wise men in a barn, waiting for the birth of Jesus. We were so lucky to have one of our amazing mums play the part of Mary with her newborn and as they emerged from the side of the building, our audience were blown away with an angelic Mary carrying her baby. 😊

To conclude our concert, our tamariki requested we have a dance party to their favourite song, “Shotgun” by George Ezra.

Each child invited their family members to dance with them and there were smiles all around! With all the music and movement, we had to replenish our bodies with some delicious food and just as our tummies became satisfied, a special visitor made his way outside – SANTA!!!

Of course, Buckle My Shoe is filled with only good boys and girls, so Santa had presents for all to enjoy. 😊

We had such a wonderful Christmas Party and would like to thank all our amazing families for coming and celebrating with us! We wish everyone a beautiful Merry Christmas and an auspicious New Year! 🎉🎅🎄👪