
Making huts – Ngā mahau Activity
Give your tamariki space to make huts around the house using whatever materials available.
Why do it?
Making huts is a great opportunity for tamariki to:
- enjoy creating little enclosed play spaces both indoors and out
- have fun and extend their play
- practise cooperation
- pretend and problem-solve
- practise using prepositions — words like in, out, on, under, over, behind, in front of, through and next to.
How to do it
- Indoor huts can be made using tables, chairs, couches, cushions, boxes, sheets and blankets.
- Outdoor huts can be made using planks, tree branches, logs, crates, poles, sticks and old curtains.
- Ask tamariki for their ideas about what else they might use.
- Always check any materials for possible dangers, especially when building huts outside.
- Help them to gather materials to use, and be around to help or get more construction materials if needed.
- Old sheets or curtains can make roofs and provide shaded areas.
- Extend the pretend play by ‘inviting’ toys in to eat or sleep.
- A hut could be any type of waka, a ship, a rocket, a tanker or any type of whare, a hospital, a school or a fire station.
- Share books about building huts — for example, Sally’s Secret by Shirley Hughes
Using more reo Māori
Building huts |
Te hanga mahau |
Table |
Tēpu |
Chair |
Tūru |
Couch |
Hōpa |
Cushion |
Kuihana |
Blanket |
Paraikete |
Curtain |
Ārai |
Sheet |
Hīti |
Pole |
Pou |
Flag |
Haki |
Sack |
Pēke |
Plank |
Papa |
Branch |
Kaupeka |
Fort |
Pā |
Ship |
Kaipuke |
Pirate ship |
Kaipuke tiora |
Space ship |
Waka ātea |
In |
Kei roto |
Out |
Kei waho |
Under |
Kei raro |
On |
Kei runga |
Behind |
Kei muri |
In front |
Kei mua |
Through |
Ma roto |
Put the plank on the big box |
Waihotia te papa ki runga i te pouaka nui |
Under the tree |
Kei raro i te rākau |
The blanket is on the branch |
Kei runga i te kaupeka te paraikete |