Nestled amongst some tiny streets of light industry and apartments, feeding off main arterial routes of central Auckland, is a small taonga of an all-day child care centre called The Learning Space. Our space has evolved to become the children's home away from home, with only 23 children, mixed ages all together like a family, with the six teachers, and one chef, known as the 'Aunties'. Our 'house' has a dining room where we all eat together, a sunroom, living room, bedroom and an inviting, yet small, decked garden space with a sand pit to explore in. Aware that the physical limits of our space do not provide for all the needs our growing children have, we set off regularly on ngā hīkoi to Te Uru Karaka, also known as Basque Park. This is our extended garden; a large valley-like green park of grass, trees, volcanic rock circles and a ground level water fountain, that borders along the street we are on. So close, so fortunate – Kei whakawhetai matou. We have established annual parent/caregiver permission, alongside regularly reviewed and updated risk management plans, allowing us to spontaneously engage in these excursions. This spontaneity is pivotal to our responsive curricula and affords us flexibility in numbers of walkers, times of day, and intention; a park trip can be initiated by a child or an Aunty and can be actioned straight away. This ease of planning has seen the trips become very much an integral part of who we are as a centre whānau and how we respond to individual and/or group needs. A hīkoi can bring a refreshing change of perspective, a healthy dose of nature and layers of opportunities to grow our social and emotional competencies. While the play that unfolds at Te Uru Karaka is well worth documenting, it is the hīkoi to get there and the preparations for that hīkoi, which I would like to delve deeper into, and share with you. I have observed, over many years, that these two experiences – the preparation and the hīkoi itself –have evolved to become beautiful examples of what happens when we really listen, and how our centre culture and pedagogical practices, our 'whys' and 'hows' of our intentional practice, can be evidenced through examining the process. We, the children and Aunties, have listened to each other, to the tension and chaos that exists around getting ready, to the invitations for a slower pace, the unhurried nature of the children on the hīkoi as their senses are alive to the experience, and to patterns of children who are choosing not to come. We have recognised through centre reviews and evaluation of our observations, as well as incidental conversations, that there is value in the 'getting ready' and in the journey there, that we can explore further. Through this process of reflection, we became mindful that a ritual was organically Our hīkoi ritual By Bronwyn Gooder Tangata ako ana i te kaēnga, te tūranga ki te marae, tau ana. A person nurtured in the community, contributes strongly to society. December 2023 { 28 }
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