Every second Tuesday of the month, Palmerston Playcentre children and whānau walk to the library for the Storytime and Music session. It is a 15 minute walk through the small town to the library, and a nice time to notice the people, places, and things in their wider community, and to share a chat along the way.
At the library Fiona, the Youth Services Librarian, welcomes the children by name, and engages them in music and dance with shakers, before reading a story. Today she chose quirky animal stories to share. The children enjoyed “The Odd Egg” by Emily Gravett, and the adults were engaged in “What Pet Should I Get” by Dr Suess, and left hanging by the open end! Some children engaged closely with Fiona, while some snuggled up with mum to listen to the stories. Songs and dance in between stories helped the tamariki to focus and listen, and Anika Moa’s “Tahi Rua Toru Wha”, getting faster and faster and faster, was a crowd favourite!
On the walk home we stopped to climb the moa and the rocks on the corner.
There is so much learning here: exploring and noticing the local neighbourhood, including developing great road safety knowledge! Becoming familiar with books, stories, songs and music, and their ability to amuse, delight, inform and excite – and that these learning experiences can be shared and enjoyed by whānau too, enriching the parent’s knowledge and understanding of their child.
Thankyou to Sharon, Centre Facilitator, and Fiona, Youth Services Librarian, for making these trips a regular part of Palmerston Playcentre’s learning journey.
