Teaching Ideas Archives - Modern Teaching Blog NZ

How to build the ultimate indoor play space in your kitchen corner

Kids in the kitchen! 🌽🍳 Bringing play-based learning to life Children learn best through play. It’s a vital part of early childhood that encourages children to learn, develop and grow whilst having fun. In The Early Years Learning Framework, play-based learning is a central focus, and emphasises the intentional role of educators in enriching

6 easy heartfelt, handmade Mother’s Day gifts Mums love and little ones love to make

Every mum is a gift. But on Mother’s Day, it’s their turn to receive some love in the shape of a special gift. Help your little learners say “I love you, Mum” with these super simple craft activities. Key tags in candy colours. Wooden flowers that always bloom. Sweet note holders that cradle special messages.

Celebrating Matariki in the Classroom

Haere Mai! Today we’re exploring arts & crafts inspired by Aotearoa New Zealand and the dynamic Māori culture. With some basic supplies, and a few simple steps, you’ll soon have a classroom full of creations inspired by the Land of the Long White Cloud. We’ve got crafts for Matariki, the famous cluster of stars heralding

Have A Crafty Easter With These 6 Egg-citing Craft Activities

Break out the bunny onesie, because Easter’s coming! It’s time for hat parades, egg hunts, chocolate bunnies and colourful craft egg-tivities! Here are 6 egg-cellent, egg-straordinary and egg-stra special craft activities to help little crafters create gifts, ornaments, cards and other seasonal cuteness. They’re easy, and they produce beautiful Easter treasures! Let’s hop right into

Deck The halls: 9 Christmas Craft Activities That Bring The Festive!

From wreaths to snow globes, it’s time to get Christmas crafty with these 9 elf-approved activities! While Santa is busy in the North Pole preparing for his big appearance, that’s the cue for all of us down here to plan our festive season arts and crafts. We’ve put our Santa thinking caps on and come

Ten Frightfully Good Activities For The Spooky Season

Penny Groen

Halloween is such a fun time of year for spooky crafts and activities, with plenty of opportunities to bring out children’s creativity and imagination. From dressing up in costumes and decorating the classroom or home to scavenger hunts, and arts and crafts, there’s something for everyone to have a wickedly good time! Read on for some

Alphabet Letters On Coloured Rice Hex Tray Sorting Activity

5 Educational Ways To Use Your Hex Tray In The Classroom

Heidi Overbye

As an early years teacher, I am always looking for resources that will help my students learn through hands-on experiences. When choosing materials for my classroom, I endeavor to find versatile resources that can be used for multiple purposes.

Using Electricity As An Art Medium

Olivia Siddaway

Visual art lessons have progressed over time, and art educators have pushed beyond the humble papier-mâché pig and into the realm of endless possibilities. A mixture of new mediums and technologies paired with classic favourites, a well-rounded art program can provide students with the necessary skills and tools, to not only become well-developed artists, but

Loose Parts: An Invitation To Play

Mel Ishkhanian

‘Open-ended’, ‘sustainable’, ‘creativity’ and ‘infinite possibilities’ are just some of the words that come to mind when we think about loose parts in play. Loose parts are becoming increasingly popular in early childhood settings and it’s not surprising to consider why. Here at Explore & Develop Narraweena, we have looked to the principles of Reggio

Sphero Shape Activity birds eye view featuring Sphero Bolt & SPRK robotics and 2 students on carpet.

Sphero Bolt And SPRK+ In The Classroom

Eleni Kyritsis

The way we engage our students and support their learning continues to evolve as we move further into the 21st century. There are now many technological tools, resources and applications that can enhance our students’ learning when used to redefine their learning experiences. The Sphero robot is one such tool that has positively enhanced students’