On February 26, 2024, the Nā Pono No Nā ‘Ohana Program visited WLC to learn about canoe and medicinal plants. Aunty Ilima Ho-Lastimosa, Community Coordinator and native to Waimānalo, shared the uses of ‘olena, niu, ulu, kukui, mamaki, and many other canoe and la’au plants with the families. The keiki used their senses to kilo (observe) the environment.  They gathered ‘olena (turmeric) and kukui, got to feel the prickly outer skin of a soursop, and held millipedes as they dug in the lepo (dirt). Program participant Makoa McCallister’s makuahine (mother) shared, “I liked finding the different color ‘olena with my son.” The families supported outdoor learning by encouraging keiki to be free, explore, and investigate. It was a great day to be outdoors!

Written by: Cheri Richards

The families started at the check in lobby where everyone received boarding passes. They then made their way through TSA, jumped on the Wikiwiki bus and got a tour of Terminal 2.

The families met with some of United’s flight attendants and got to see some of the catering equipment and how they put food on the airplanes.

Keiki then learned about the different equipment and vehicles the United employees drive everyday, and posed with some of them. The field trip finished off with a tour of a working airplane. The keiki had so much fun exploring.

We send a heartfelt mahalo to United Airlines for hosting our Tūtū and Me ʻohana and we hope to see them again soon.

Preschool sites with our Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool, Ka Paʻalana Homeless Family Education, and Nā Pono No Nā ʻOhana Family Education programs went on huakaʻi (field trips) to either Aloun Farms or Waimānalo Country Farms, depending on where the sites are based.

Keiki were able to enjoy all kinds of activities from hay rides and petting zoos to the quintessential pumpkin picking. 

Mahalo to Aloun Farms and Waimānalo Country Farms for hosting our families and staff! We look forward to coming back next year.

Upon arrival at the farm, our families and staff were treated to a short video about agriculture on Hawaiʻi and how the farm works (did you know that 62 pairs of hands touch your food before you do?). Then they lined up and went on a hayride, and for many keiki it was their first.

“We went on a hayride for the very first time and we got to see some scarecrows out and about,” said Deja Hansen with her young son Kohl. Deja and Kohl have been coming to Ka Paʻalana for almost two years. “They never fail to amaze us with their knowledge, as well as that one-on-one communication and time that we get to have with our children.”

Families stopped for a photo op in front of the remaining sunflowers before heading down the fields to the pumpkin patch. While the keiki were instructed to try to find smaller pumpkins they could carry on their own, some could not resist the challenge of finding a pumpkin as big as they were.

Ka Paʻalana closed out the day with bento lunches and some resting from the Leeward heat in the shaded picnic areas. All the families had a wonderful time reconnecting to the ʻāina, learning about where their food comes from, and spending time together.

Another one of our program mothers, Nati, also enjoyed the day out with her family. “These field trips are important for us families because not all the time do the mothers, fathers and kids get to have that family time,” she says. “And they don’t have the money to go out, so stuff like this counts.”

All fieldtrip destinations are connected to the theme of the month. For the month of January, the theme was “Transportation: On the Move”.

Our staff, keiki, and caregivers from our Waialua site had a fantastic experience at the Pacific Aviation Museum at Pearl Harbor. Everyone enjoyed the facility and learned about aviation history and aircraft from the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Mahalo to the Pacific Aviation Museum for the great tour!

For our April huaka‘i we chose to take a trip to Kīpukapuaulu “Bird Park” in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. This bird park offers a 1.2 mile trail for hikers to enjoy. It is nestled in the cool mountain forest, and is easy enough for young keiki to walk. We walked the misty wooded path and encouraged our keiki to listen to the sounds of the birds and reminded them that if we were quiet enough, we might even be able to see the birds that actually make those sweet sounds. As we traversed the trail, several of our keiki watched for 1 of 20 flora plaques along the side of the trail. When we arrived at each one, they were excited to find them and asked that we read what was written. After reading each one we would all look for the flora identified and pictured on the plaque, and then move down the trail looking for the next.

Along the trail we found a very, very large ‘Ōhi‘a tree that had a split in the side, exposing the interior of the hollow trunk. The split provided keiki with a unique opportunity to peer inside a living tree!

By the time we reached the end of the trail we had spotted 3 Kalij pheasants, several small birds, crunchy leaves, sparkling water dew on blades of grass, rustic wooden benches, very tall trees, big steps, colorful flowers, hidden strawberry plants, and a lot of hungry keiki, but our trip was not over yet. We continued our huaka‘i by bus to the Nāmakanipaio Park where we were all able to eat lunch, play in the expansive grass park, roll logs, inspect leaves, and enjoy each other’s company.

It was a fabulous, fun filled learning adventure.

The past months we attended field trips that fit into our criteria and they include The Maui Ocean Center, Kula Farms Pumpkin Patch, and the Lāhainā and Kihei Fire Station. These field trips exposed us to the different things on our island and what we can learn from the community.

In August, the Maui Ocean Center opened its doors to us, allowing keiki and caregivers to watch, see and explore our ocean creatures. From the large view tank and tunnel, where our keiki watched mano / sharks, stingrays and manta rays; to exploring the touch pool with starfish, wana (sea urchin) and sea cucumbers. Tūtū and Me had a chance to explore from the reef to the depths of the sea.

For the month of October, we visited the Kula Country Farms. This experience allowed the keiki and caregiver to tour the pumpkin patch and gain knowledge about its lifecycle. Families enjoyed the crisp, country air while going through the corn maze and looking at the very large rabbit and two miniature horse. Keiki searched through the pumpkin patch and were able to choose one to take home with them.

At the end of October we visited both the Lāhainā and Kihei fire stations. The firemen gave us the opportunity to learn what they do in an emergency and what they do while they are not working. Keiki got to tour around the station, walk in the trucks, shoot the fire hose, and try on a fire suit. They also educated our families on what to dial in case of emergency, what to do in a fire, and the importance of their equipment.

As we close our year, we continue to educate our families with exciting field trips such as the Maui Ocean Center, Kula Country Farms, and the Fire Station. These places are open to the public and are available to experience again and share with others as we build relationships with our community.

Keiki and caregivers were entertained with a short cartoon presentation from “Broc the Broccoli” who explained the importance of local farming in the State of Hawai‘i. Following the presentation, everyone boarded the Aloun Farm’s hayride which took us on a tour of Aloun’s pumpkin patches, sunflower and corn fields.

At the completion of our adventurous hayride, we all made our way to the pumpkin patches where each keiki could pick a pumpkin to take home. No one left empty-handed and the keiki had fun hand picking their own pumpkins. It was an enjoyable time outside of the classroom and we always look forward to the coming months huaka‘i.

Families met us at the location ready to get their hands dirty and kōkua! The staff at Amy Greenwell Gardens needed help in gathering leaves that had fallen from the ‘ulu trees in order to make mulch. The leaves are used to keep the moisture in the lo‘i patch so the kalo would grow. Kalo is planted to perpetuate the native species.

We all practiced the Hawaiian value, Laulima (cooperation and teamwork) and worked together to gather these leaves into a huge pile, that will eventually go into the lo‘i patch. Keiki, families and our Tūtū and Me staff were engaged in meaningful work, and keiki were able to do this all by themselves.

As we all moved under the kukui trees to gather the nuts that had fallen to the ground, our guide Aunty Kamuela, shared that if you look at the leaves, they tell the story of Kamapua‘a, the pig demigod. Kukui means light and the bark of the kukui tree has many uses. It can be used as dye, the sap to treat thrush, and the oil from the nuts were used by ancient Hawaiians for light.

The keiki were asked to be good observers and to use their maka (eyes) to find the kukui nuts that had fallen to the ground. Some were hiding under leaves and were camouflaged in the dirt. The keiki gathered the nuts into buckets and carried them over to the workers at the gardens. The nuts that we gathered will be used for lei making.

It was a great feeling to get our hands in the ‘āina and help in our community. The staff at Amy Greenwell Ethno Botanical Gardens was so thankful for our hard work and invited us to come back and visit the gardens at anytime.

Our field trip for the month was to the Aloun Farms for our Hale‘iwa site and to the Waimānalo Country Farms for our Pauoa site where we highlighted our communities’ farmers and the role they play in growing our food. Each keiki and caregiver was able to pick their own pumpkin, as well as participate in such farmyard activities as hay rides, a sunflower maze, and a petting zoo. All in all it was a great opportunity for our children and families here on Oʻahu to be reconnected to our ʻāina and to appreciate the vital role that the mahi ʻai of our communities play in a society where this connection is being increasingly forgotten.

Both of our sites were also fortunate to be visited by members of the Honolulu Police Department who demonstrated for our keiki the jobs that police officers do, explained the uniforms they wear as community helpers, shared some Halloween safety tips with the children, and provided Keiki I.D. cards for the families to serve as a vital tool to help find our keiki in the event that they go lost or missing. Our families all agreed that being able to make their children’s I.D. cards on the spot with the help of our local police officers was a great opportunity to talk to their keiki about the importance of being safe and of sticking near their caregivers during this holiday season. We were also able to complement our monthly theme and Police Department visit by having a Community Helper themed dress up day as a substitute for Halloween celebrations. Our keiki had a blast pretending to be different community helpers while in the presence of our real-life community police officers.

During the month of September, we learned “All About Me and My ‘Ohana”. The keiki from our Kahalu’u site went on a Huaka’i to the Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center. We explored the Rainforest Adventures that taught us about the importance of rainforests around the world and also right here in our own Hawai‘i. The keiki also toured the All About Me and Hawaiian Rainbows exhibits. They learned about what’s in their stomachs, how to take care for their teeth, explored their senses and pretended to be doctors and pilots! It was a very educational experience for all.

As we can see, our O‘ahu teaching staff surely enjoyed the Hawai‘i Children’s Discovery Center as well! On the bass is Micah, strumming the ‘ukulele is Tatum and finally Leihua; playing the guitar.