Nurture a Kinder Aotearoa with SPCA

The SPCA Teachers’ Portal is designed to support early childhood educators nurture this natural connection by weaving animal welfare education into everyday experiences and linking it to Te Whāriki. Free, play-based and easy-to-use resources aid kaiako in fostering children’s empathy, social-emotional skills, and understanding of the needs and feelings of animals. They carry these values into their wider communities, shaping a more compassionate future for all.

Connecting to Te Whāriki

SPCA’s Early Learning Resources align seamlessly with Te Whāriki, supporting tamariki and their holistic development through meaningful, play-based learning experiences that empower tamariki to learn about animal welfare in their own unique way. Suggested kaiako-initiated experiences and printable resources are easy to use, inviting and can be tailored to different needs and interests as appropriate.

SPCA Resources in Your Centre

The SPCA Teachers’ Portal provides a rich collection of resources developed by New Zealand early childhood educators, for New Zealand early childhood educators. These resources include engaging hands-on activities, thought-provoking messages, and printable materials that encourage tamariki to explore animal welfare concepts in meaningful ways.

Here are some ideas to seamlessly integrate animal welfare education into your centre curriculum:

Dramatic Play and Role-Playing

‍Set up an animal care corner where children can pretend to be veterinarians, animal carers, or a dog groomer. Using SPCA’s printable vet dramatic play kit and role-play scenarios, tamariki can practice caring for toy animals, bandaging them, feeding them, and creating safe spaces. This activity supports the development of problem-solving skills, teamwork and greater empathy and understanding of positive wellbeing.

Storytelling and Literacy

Read an animal-themed picture book, then use SPCA’s discussion guides to support tamariki to think about how the animals might feel, what they need to be happy and healthy, and how people can give them a good life. Follow up with the companion animal profile experience where children create their own profile about a special animal in their life, strengthening their sense of belonging and connection between home and their ECE setting.

Exploration and Lifelong Learning

Take learning outside by observing animals in their habitat - birds, insects, or even companion animals in the neighbourhood. Set up a bird watching station or build an insect hotel using the SPCA guides. Encourage tamariki to document their observations through drawings or simple tally charts, then share their observations with everyone during circle/mat time. Ask open ended questions to support tamariki to refine working theories about how they can help care for animals in the wild through acts of kind conservation, such as recycling, picking up litter and planting native trees. Learning about animals helps tamariki build a sense of connection with community and the world around them, fostering respect for living things and their environment.

Arts and Crafts with a Purpose

Incorporate SPCA’s printable resources, such as playdough animal habitat boards or puzzles, into everyday activities or set up the art table with an SPCA theme (e.g. animal masks or design dog/cat collars). The resources are full of experiences that encourage communication and creative expression while strengthening animal welfare messages.

Music, Movement and Group Activities

Teach with SPCA’s animal-themed songs and movement games to help tamariki explore animal body parts, behaviours and feelings in a fun and active way. Music and movement resources offer ways to connect physical activity with understanding animal needs and provides an opportunity for tamariki to learn together through play.