A Moari Understanding!!!

"Tahi Rua Toru Wha!"
Te Ao Kori is so much enthusiastic fun. It includes string games, hand games, stick games, knuckle bones, elastics and the poi. Room 5 and 6 girls do Te Ao Kori on a Monday and Friday afternoon, from 2 till 3pm. We started Te Ao Kori toward the end of term 2 and to the beginning of term 3 to the seventh week. When I first heard that we were doing fantastic Moari games, I was so excited, I couldn't stop thinking about how much fun I would have. I think that Te Ao Kori is a Moari understanding of how the Moari children played back in the past and now in the present.

The hand games we played were so fun. The games were Hipitoitoi, which was the easiest game, then Hei Tama Tu Tama, which was the is the easiest game, and lastly Whakaropiropi Ai, which is the hardest gmae to remember. Every single girl from rooms 5 and 6 that did the hand games had buckets and buckets full of fun. When everyone felt comfortable about battling against each other, the games had just began. The girls were racing for gold in the end not caring if one of their team mates won. This lesson proberly went on for 2 enjoyable days full of laughter. My friends and I were ready to compete. Our little fingers and thumbs were racing for gold, before they exploded with fireworks spelling “I WON!!!”

Now the stick games were a bit tricky. As we partnered up with a study buddy and we had to make up our own original rhythm to a Pacific Maori song. It was so much fun watching other people muck up their routine. Even though they are embarrassing themselves. As the laughter in the room made by rooms 5 and 6 girls uplifted through the roof. It exploded the top of the building. “WOW!!” this lesson was combined with other Maori games. I think the stick games went on for 3 amazing experiencing weeks alone. Another activity was the string games. The
string games were the trickiest. Why is it so hard to get a loop over knot? So confusing and frustrating. Any ways rooms 5 and 6 girls always mucked up, but they never gave up hope. We kept on trying until we made something. This fantastic lesson went on for about 2 cool weeks. These 3 games so far are so much fun. It brings out the inner talent in children’s hidden body.

All right now it’s the knucklebones. This is my personal favourite. I was just getting ready to face the champion Christina. I was felling more and more confident as I practised night and day. Everyone was filled with endless joy, as they played. Knucklebones were usually
played with medium sized rocks. Then as somebody invented hard sliver knucklebones most people don’t play with rocks. This lesson was also mixed in with other games. It went on for maybe 4 or more weeks other cool games.

Now the lucky last 2 games, are the elastics and the poi. These 2 games were outgoing and enthusiastic. The elastics were a bit hard, because we had to stretch. This game tests your flexibility and strength. Flexibility for how high we can kick our legs. Our strength
is to see if we are strong enough to jump real high. This lesson only went on for a day. I don’t know why this is relevant to Te Ao Kori but it was loads of fun. Now lastly, the poi. I didn’t do the poi but I knew it was going to be so much fun because of when people walked into
the room smiling and laughing. The poi was also mixed with other games, but it went on for only 3 weeks. I wish I could have had the chance to do the poi, because then I would be laughing and laughing my heart out.

These six games are all apart of Te Ao Kori. I wish the entire school
could do Te Ao Kori, so they can see how much fun it is. Next Term or year I would like to do Te Ao Kori again. I had so much fun this past term learning how Maori people use to play back then and now.
“Tahi, Rua, Toru, Wha!”



By: Dominique Koloamatangi