Keiki Pa'ani

What Christmas at @keikipaani would be complete without a little mudfight and body painting?The best part was the making of the games. Been a LONG time since I've heard any little voice making up those "house rules" like we all used to when we were little too. Koa even devised a point system... Its moments like that where my heart flutters and I lose my train of thought because I'm so humbled to have been chosen by The Universe to be Keiki Pa'ani.... I'm nothing short of amazed when I see or hear keiki growing/learning/living/understanding self/etc, all BECAUSE of the freedom in this naturally playful environment. I can't wait to see what the @keikimahiai program will be bringing out of those precious, open, wonderful toddler minds. -Val PS. The boys LOVED sharing this space with visiting Tia (spanish for aunty) @mightyb_13 - love you @ Keiki Pa'ani

Sooo... I know old myths die hard but there in fact snakes in Hawai'i (non-native of course) We were cleaning up @keikipaani this morning and out slithers what I knew for a fact was not an earthworm. The craziest part was that even the boys knew too! Koa said "it's too shiny" and Kana noticed it's TINY tongue There's SO much to this story in the conversations & observations with these two Toddler minds that was incredibly amazing and validating for all of our outdoor un...structured play here at @keikipaani but I can't fit it on here. But! What I can tell you for sure is that Camp @keikimahiai will be learning the word "parthenogenic" (which actually blew my mind when I learned about it this morning hahaha!) Geckos can help teach this word too @ Keiki Pa'ani

Progress... this back breaking work to restore @keikipaani has been soul soothing and validating in more ways than I can count. The Universe must really have a sense of humor to be able to pull this off lol. It pushed me into wind storm woes and now both me and the boys are experiencing mind opening joys TOGETHER. Forever adding to curriculum for @keikimahiai Can't wait to see how it all turns out... PS. No major project is complete in my book without a good ...audible attached to it. I'll let you know how this one called "Last Child in the Woods" turns out. Stay tuned for both -Val

Does anyone else remember that feeling of finally getting to use the water hose? I love the way it can put a smile on even the most serious of faces (adults lol) Weird how we used it almost as a rite of passage as keiki but as an adult a waterhose can take merely seconds to warm up those "be free like a keiki" muscles always in us and forever suppressed. I love that feeling of freedom too. I love offering that to keiki. I love letting them be keiki. As both @keikipaani & @keikimahiai grow I love mulling over the many details to ensure that I am always offering keiki in attendance the freedom to grow as individuals and the growth to know freedom forever - that is what Environmental Literacy via Unstructured Play gives you. @ Keiki Pa'ani

"Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed" - Maria Montessori With the exception safety of life/limb/eyesight, I agree. Learning HOW to think instead of WHAT to think is the fundamental cornerstone of all the we do for both open play @keikipaani and camp with curriculum @keikimahiai . I believe in giving them tools and space (literally &figuratively) to help all of future be seen through their eyes of successful solutions instead of our jaded eyes of i...nsurmountable problems. -Val @ Keiki Pa'ani

In this video I have a husband asking for lovees (aka snuggles lol), my free spirit potty training keiki are concerned about the well being of a dying bee, and its capped with the youngest learning everything from left & right to controlling gross motor movement with bricks and dirt... all because @keikipaani . Everyday we get closer to our little slice of Hawai'i heaven and learn more about ourselves (both adult and keiki) here in this natural unstructured play space. Everyday this sense of connection and understanding of life gets stronger. I think I need to make shirts that declare Environmental Literacy is everything. This. Is. The. Life. Please join us!!!