This sort of play encourages children to develop their curiosity, ask questions, investigate their environment and learn about ways to find answers.

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Puzzles

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BestStart's 16 Areas of Play 

Links to the School Curriculum 

Welcome to BestStart's 16 Areas of play video series which focuses on how teachers can use play to prepare children to be set for school. 

These video are focused on children from age 4, up until they leave their early learning centre to begin primary school.

BestStart's Set for School programme ensures that families know what to expect for their children's transition to the next phase of their learning journey.

Through a play-based curriculum, our programme seamlessly integrates learning that aligns to the NZ school curriculum, including literacy, maths, and science.

Our BestStart environments are thoughtfully arranged to foster greater independence and support children in developing essential self-help and socio-emotional skills needed for school readiness.

Science and Nature

Clay and playdough offers learning in many areas relating to the school curriculum.

Children explore creativity, technology and social studies through hands-on activities using clay and playdough.

Through these activities, children develop creative thinking skills, language expression and understanding of their surroundings, fostering valuable learning skills to help your child be Set for School.

Puzzle play is a wonderful way to develop a range of skills directly related to the early primary school curriculum.

Teachers use puzzles to teach children mathematics skills such as counting, pattern recognition and shapes in a fun and enjoyable way. Letter recognition can also be practised through puzzles for future learning in reading and writing.  

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Block play provides a hands-on way to learn and develop knowledge and skills related to physical education, maths, social science, technology, science and the visual arts.

Wooden block sets are specifically designed for maths concepts, introducing children to shapes and fractions. Science concepts like balance, speed and gravity are also explored through additional resources like using ramps and cars.

Block Play

Messy Play

Messy play sparks curiosity, initiative and concentration, fostering creativity and expression. In early learning centres, messy play takes on various substances. 

This open-ended play provides teaching opportunities across multiple school subjects depending on your child’s specific interests.  

Messy play engages children holistically and supports their development across multiple areas helping them become set for school. 

Clay and Playdough

Water play supports children to learn important science, maths and social studies concepts. 

Through conversations around the water play table, teachers introduce vocabulary around science and maths to extend their learning. 

This helps children become more familiar with concepts and words when they start school.

Carpentry Play

Carpentry play enables children to learn how to design and build things whilst developing a wide range of physical and thinking skills. Core skills in math, science, technology, and sculptural art are developed. 

Carpentry play helps develop an understanding of measurement, size, balance, and the use of force, as well as learning to solve problems as children consider design features.

Puzzle Play

Puzzles come in many shapes, sizes, and forms. They support children in problem-solving while they learn about colours, shapes, numbers, letters, and many other concepts.

Puzzle play is a wonderful way to develop mathematic skills related to the early primary school curriculum. In this video we explore which areas of the curriculum is supported by puzzle play, and how you can intentionally use puzzles to support tamariki to be set for school.

Sensory Play

Sensory play is a learning resource commonly used with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers that allows them to explore the five senses and be creative with a variety of materials.

Sensory play helps children to learn to make choices and figure out how objects are used, developing their investigation and problem-solving skills. By deciphering differences and similarities between objects, children are experiencing the beginning of the math and science concept of classification

Water Play

Our centres have plants and gardens where insects, small animals and natural materials can be discovered, and children can explore through playing. Materials such as leaves, rocks and wooden logs all provide areas of interest for further investigation and learning.

Science and nature play helps develop observational skills and communication of ideas. Children learn to classify, measure and predict, enriching their understanding of the physical world around them.

Books and Storytelling

Books and storytelling in its many forms are well established mediums for learning across all ages.

From building critical thinking skills to strengthening word recognition, there are plenty of learning opportunities with books and storytelling which help children to become set for school.

Sand

Sand is a popular method of play amongst children. Children enjoy exploring sand in many ways – from patting, moulding, and mixing to sprinkling and digging, the possibilities are endless. 

Sand play triggers children’s creativity – they make cakes, build castles, create rivers, and excavate land.

Through purposeful setups and observations about how children respond to and play with sand, adults can provide many learning opportunities.

Collage

Collage provides a wide range of learning experiences in a fun and creative way. Children learn about design, patternmaking, dimension, and composition while developing practical skills such as gluing, cutting, and tearing.

A collage table is usually set up with a variety of materials and tools to choose from. Resources such as ripped paper, material, bottle tops, wool, glue, tape, scissors, and staplers are good to have on hand