Exploring Maori Symbols

Over the last week, we have been celebrating and acknowledging Matariki – the Maori New Year. Part of this is learning about the Matariki stars, engaging in different cultural activities and exploring songs in Te Reo.

Maori symbols are very special and so we decided to explore these with our little ones. Our tamariki love being hands-on and enjoy playdough as a creative medium - so we set up a playdough provocation to learn about these even further. 😊

Our little ones were invited to use the playdough to recreate the shapes and lines of the symbols they could see. This experience involved concentration and as our tamariki rolled and manipulated the playdough, they were strengthening their muscles  - which helps with the development of pincer grip and fine motor skills. To support their exploration, we wrote the names of the symbols in both English and Maori on the sheets, as well as role modelled how to say them.

We also spoke about the shapes and the meaning of the symbols - to gain a deeper understanding of each symbol. We then went on to use the iPad to research even more symbols. It was very interesting to observe the different techniques and strategies our little ones applied and chose to pursue.

Some of them began rolling the playdough in pieces and then carefully shaped it upon the picture, while others broke away little bits of playdough and pressed these directly on the picture, to cover the symbol. Whichever method they chose, it was all part of the bigger picture – becoming familiar with Maori symbols and their configuration.

After some time, our tamariki began creating their own symbols and shapes – and of course, the most important symbols to our little ones are the letters in their names. With great attention to detail, many of our older tamariki began rolling out, pinching and configuring the different letters in their name – proud to show this off once completed. Some children even took this a step further and began creating pictures and self-portraits out of playdough.

Te Whariki states that it is important that "children experience an environment where they experience the stories and symbols of their own and other cultures". It is also important for our little ones to create their own symbols and meanings through the use of manipulative materials and the creative arts. At Buckle My Shoe, we believe each child’s identity is unique and therefore we spend time celebrating different cultural events and learning about the diversity that is all around us.

This provocation got us thinking more about cultural symbols and it brought about conversations on different symbols that may be special in different cultures. As part of our Matariki celebrations, we would like to also learn more about all the cultures in the centre and invite our whanau to share their knowledge of cultural symbols that are special to them. 😊