These classroom resources aim to raise your students’ awareness of Matariki, the Māori New Year – a significant festival celebrated throughout AotearoaAotearoa New Zealand.

They include:

• information about the relevance of Matariki to Māori
• practical activities for your classroom
• Māori vocabulary lists to extend your students reo Māorireo Māori 'Māori language
• cross-curricular links with Te Whāriki, as well as The New Zealand Curriculum (Social Sciences, Science, Literacy, and Learning Languages).

Kōrero pūrakāu o Matariki (Matariki storytelling)

This three-part resource explores the tradition of storytelling during Matariki. It provides educators with ideas and activities for early childhood and primary classrooms. Storytelling in the whare tapere (Māori house of entertainment) is the focus of Part 1. Part 2 explores storytelling through dance, and Part 3 gives tools for storytelling through visual arts.

Part 1

Kōrero pūrakāu o Matariki: Matariki teaching resource 2016, Part 1 – Storytelling

Part 2

Part 3

You can also find all three-parts of the Matariki classroom resource on our online blog. 

Ko te whānau o Matariki (the family of Matariki)

This three-part resource looks at the seven stars that make up the Matariki star cluster, as well as related personalities. In Parts 1 and 2, find out about Matariki, the whaeawhaea mother, and her six daughters (Tupu-ā-nuku, Tupu-ā-rangi, Waipunarangi, Waitī, Waitā, and Ururangi). Part 3 introduces their cousins, Puanga/Puaka, Pūtātara, and Hine-takurua. Fun, practical activities are included.

Ko te whānau o Matariki: Matariki Education Resource 2015 – Part 1

Ko te whānau o Matariki: Matariki Education Resource 2015 – Part 2

Ko te whānau o Matariki: Matariki Education Resource 2015 – Part 3

Activity trail

This activity trail helps engage children with Matariki while at Te Papa.

Download Te Papa’s Matariki Activity Trail

Further resources

Discover more about Matariki at Te Papa