Kai time at Nayland Kindergarten

At Nayland Kindergarten we have what are called rolling morning and afternoon teas. This means that children can come if they are hungry and over a period of time. If the morning parents may have noticed the signs on the wall which mean have a green spot for go and a red spot for stop. This is to allow children to self manage this time. When the children see it is 9:30am they can put out the red kai mats, put sitting mat around the kai mat and then wash hands and say the karakia. The kai mats are then removed at 10:45am.

Karakia - Maori name for prayer. Our karakia is more a statement of thanks rather than a religious grace so we do not exclude any children from the process. It is written above the kai area for parents to see and some families have even adopted this for their own tables at home.

For our family whanau friends and food
we say ka pai and thank you
Kia taku whanau me nga hoa,
mo te kai,kia ora.

These are the tikanga (protocols) around the kai mats:
1. We must not stand or sit on the kai mats
2. W place our food on the mat not on our sitting mats
3. Sitting mats are for sitting, not lying down.

Children know at the end of kai they pick up their mats and place them back in the basket.
The same tikanga runs for morning, afternoon and lunch times.

In the morning session, children choose their morning tea from their lunch boxes. They place a poster on the mat and choose things that are similar in their lunch boxes. Children talk about everyday food being for morning tea. The poster also hangs on the wooden stand by the kai mats.

Children learn about waste free lunch boxes, and all rubbish brought in lunch boxes goes home in their lunch boxes.