Water play outdoors – Tākaro wai ki te taiao

Playing with and in water is a great way for tamariki to:

• participate safely in an activity that can be enjoyed in a variety of places by a range of whānau members of different ages
• enjoy being outside with whānau at the beach, river or lake, which is sure to be a rich sensory experience that they will remember vividly
• participate in and learn about traditional practices with whānau
• strengthen language by expanding vocabulary, asking and answering questions, and sharing and discussing ideas
• build their physical fitness and strength at the same time as their skills and confidence.

• Ensure tamariki are always safe when playing near or with water, through careful supervision.
• Involve tamariki in the whānau tikanga Play tikanga Correct procedure, custom, protocol Māori | Noun for the moana Play moana Sea, ocean, large lake Māori | Noun , awa Play awa River, stream, creek Māori | Noun and ngahere Play ngahere Bush, forest Māori | Noun , especially where safety is concerned.
• Talk about what tamariki show an interest in and what you are both doing together.
• Explore rock pools and talk about the different children of Tangaroa Play Tangaroa Atua (god) of the sea and fish Māori | Personal name who live there.
• Paddle in the shallow waters at the beach, chasing the waves in and running away from them as they return again.
• Build sand banks to create small pools or to direct the flow of the water. Float or race sticks or seaweed along your water track.
• Show tamariki how to skim stones across the surface of the water.
• Help tamariki develop their rich language by using open-ended questions that start with ‘what’, ‘who’, ‘where’, ‘why’ and ‘how’.