How to Add Te Reo Māori to Your Spooky Season!
I love Halloween and even though it isn’t widely celebrated in Australia or New Zealand, it’s still the perfect time to get creative with your tamariki! It’s also a great opportunity to weave in te Reo Māori while you’re at it! Whether it’s introducing new kupu (words) or reinforcing ones they already know, adding te Reo Māori to fun, spooky activities can make language learning exciting and much more memorable. Here are 3 simple and fun Halloween activities to help your tamariki learn while they play!
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Activity Tahi: Ngā Pekapeka – Toilet Roll Bats
Toilet rolls are great for crafting with and this Halloween, we’re up-cycling some into spooky hanging pekapeka (bat) decorations to put up around the whare!
They’re so simple to make and your tamariki will love getting creative with paint and glue while learning a little bit of te reo Māori while they craft!
Rauemi/Materials
- Toilet rolls
- Glue
- Scissors
- Paper or Coloured Card
- Pipe Cleaners
- Googly Eyes (optional)
Tikanga/Method
- Start by painting the toilet rolls or wrapping it in coloured paper. (If you don’t have any empty toilet rolls handy, you can always roll up some paper into a tube.)
- Once the paint or glue dries, help your tamariki cut out some paper bat wings (see free printable template below!), ears, spots, stripes or whatever other features they can imagine!
- Glue the wings to the back of the toilet roll.
- Add googly eyes or paint some karu onto the bat. Ask your tamariki to count parts of the kanohi (face) and tinana (body) in te Reo – tahi, rua (one, two)!
- If you want to hang your pekapeka, stick some pipe cleaners to the inside of the toilet roll and bend the ends to make little feet to hook onto something. You could also use string, thread or whatever you have handy.
Tip: While they craft their pekapeka, you can have a kōrero about parts of the face and body in te reo Māori, count them, talk about the different colours and shapes of decorations they are adding as well as talk about the materials and tools or give instructions.
You can download our FREE printable Halloween Activity Booklet below which includes some Pekapeka Wing templates for you to use – but you can always just draw your own if you don’t have access to a printer.
Activity Rua: Make a Whakapakoko – Mummy Wrapping Fun!
For this spooky Whakapakoko (mummy) craft, your tamariki can wrap up their own spooky Mummy to scare their friends with and all you need is someone to Mummify (which you can either cut out from card or use the printable template we’ve included in the Halloween booklet), a marker for drawing on a kanohi (face), and some ‘bandages’ to wrap your mummy up with.
Rauemi/Materials
- Paper/Card or *Optional – Mummy Template
- Pen or Colouring Tools
- Scissors
- ‘Bandages’ (ribbon, wool, string, or even toilet paper – just remember to save the empty rolls for bat-making! 😄)
Tikanga/Method
- Start by cutting out a person shape using our free printable template (you can download the whole activity book at the bottom of this post), or your tamariki can draw one themselves on paper and cut it out.
- Let the tamariki decorate their mummy by drawing a face or adding any other details they like – get creative with it!
- Once ready, it’s time to mummify them! Have your tamariki wrap their mummy up with the ‘bandages’.
- When they’re finished, you can display your mummies or even create a spooky mummy parade!
Tip: This activity is a good opportunity to practice some kanohi (face) and tinana (body) part kupu as they wrap the Upoko (head), Puku (Tummy) and Waewae (legs). You can also count in te reo Māori how many times the bandage goes around.
Activity Toru: Design a Paukena Carving
Grab our free printable paukena (pumpkin) template and let your tamariki get creative! They can add a kanohi (face), ta moko, moko kauae, and design their very own Halloween paukena carving. Encourage them to experiment with different patterns and ideas for a unique carving design.
If your tamariki are a bit older, you can take this activity to the next level by using their design to carve a real paukena together!
Rauemi/Materials
- Paper
- Colouring Materials
- Optional: Free Printable Pumpkin Template
(Don’t have a printer? No worries—just draw a paukena shape on paper and join in!)
Tikanga/Method
- Print the paukena template or draw a pumpkin shape on paper.
- Let your tamariki design their paukena by adding a kanohi, ta moko, moko kauae, or any creative patterns.
- Encourage them to use their te Reo Māori skills while designing, such as naming body parts or shapes.
- If you have time, discuss the meaning behind the designs and the traditional elements they’ve incorporated.
Well – there you have it whānau!
3 spooky ways for the tamariki to play this Halloween while learning te Reo Māori –
PLUS – the printable activity book includes extra Halloween themed colouring pages and bonus activities inside, so make sure to grab yours today!
These simple activities not only celebrate the Spooky Season and spark creativity but also help build kupu and reinforce te reo Māori in a fun and memorable way!
Download and print your free Pō Whakamataku Activity Booklet for Tamariki below and have a spooktacular Harowiini e te whānau!