School holiday fun
Kāpiti Libraries love celebrating Matariki and what better way than a shared whānau feast!
Matariki is a time for whakanui (celebration) noho tahi (coming together) tohatoha (sharing) aroha (love and respect) and hākari (feasting).
Please grab one bag for your whānau to create a shared feast of frybread thanks to Whaea June Davies and her locally renowned recipe.
As you knead your dough take the time to reflect on recipes shared by your own whānau and friends. How the sharing of recipes and kai is a way to bring people together.
Mānawatia a Matariki!
This year as we celebrate Matariki alongside the rising of Puanga and its illumination of the year ahead, let this simple activity invite you into the rich significance of Matariki as we turn towards the year to come.
As some traditions tell us, from the union of Puanga and Rehua (the signals of Winter and Summer) comes Puawānanga, the native clematis plant. Puawānanga typically flowers in Spring – another reminder of its heritage. From these striking flowers, wind-born seeds develop. When ready, they are carried on the wind, by Tāwhiri, to new and hopefully fertile soils.
As you create your own personalised Puawānanga Whirly-gig, use the materials to delve into the principles of Matariki:
Matariki Hunga Nui
Use the stamps, pens and clippers to honour those who have been lost since the last rising of Matariki. Remembrance.
Matariki Ahunga Nui
Use this creative moment to celebrate the people you are with. Celebrating the present.
Matariki Manako Nui
Attach the string loops to your whirly-gig and watch the wind carry these seeds and ambitions into the future.
Mau Ake Nei –
Using pages from the past, we will be recrafting them into new shapes and giving them new purposes. Re-using this material, we will be crafting a simple box to help us protect and carry our sometimes-fragile dreams forward.
As you follow the treasure-box instructions, take time to think about what is most precious to you and what kind of support your dreams might need to flourish. What will your treasure-box hold?
What else is on?
Our libraries offer a variety of school holiday activities designed to be accessible and inclusive for all children. We aim to provide quiet spaces for children with sensory needs, as well as different options to join in the activities.