This week, our Kindergarten classrooms were filled with the sweet smell of bananas, laughter, curiosity, and a whole lot of very enthusiastic little bakers.
Welcome to The Great Finnway Bake Off, our Kindergarten Stay & Play event, where students and parents came together to mix, mash, stir, and create the perfect loaf of banana bread.
But as with most things at Finnway, this wasn’t just about baking.
It was about community, connection, and learning through play, all wrapped up in a warm, flour-dusted afternoon.
A Community That Learns Together
We believe that education thrives when families, teachers, and students learn side by side.
Stay & Play events like this are an important part of our school culture because they invite parents into the heart of our learning environment.
When parents join in, something special happens:
- Children feel proud and confident seeing their families take part in their world.
- Parents gain a deeper understanding of how and what their children learn each day.
- Teachers, students, and families strengthen the relationships that make Finnway a true community.
These shared experiences build trust, belonging, and a sense that we are all in this together.
Learning Through Play – The Finnway Way
Cooking is play.
Cooking is learning.
Cooking is connection.
By making banana bread, our Kindergarten students explored multiple key developmental skills without even realising it:
Fine Motor Skills
Stirring, mashing bananas, pouring ingredients, sprinkling chocolate chips, these strengthen hand muscles needed for writing, cutting, and drawing.
Early Maths Skills
Measuring flour, counting spoonfuls, comparing sizes, and talking about time (“How long until it bakes?”) turn real moments into natural maths lessons.
Language & Communication
Students followed simple instructions, talked through steps with parents, and used descriptive vocabulary, sticky, squishy, soft, sweet.
Scientific Thinking
Why does the mixture change colour? What happens when something cooks? Why does it rise?
Baking is science in action, perfect for curious young minds.
Social & Emotional Development
Taking turns, sharing tools, making decisions together, and celebrating their finished loaf help children build confidence and cooperation.
Creativity & Expression
Whether they added chocolate chips, raisins, or sprinkles, each child put their own signature twist on their creation.
This is exactly what “learning through play” looks like at Finnway, joyful, hands-on, curiosity-driven education.
Why These Events Matter
The Great Finnway Bake Off wasn’t only about banana bread (although it was delicious!).
It was about:
- strengthening bonds between home and school
- giving parents a window into our learning approach
- celebrating the joy of shared experiences
- creating memories children will cherish
- living our values of connection, exploration, agency and action
Events like these reinforce that Finnway is not just a school, it is a community.
A place where families feel welcomed, students feel supported, and learning feels alive.
A Sweet Success
Thank you to all the parents, students, and staff who made this Stay & Play event such a warm and joyful experience.
Together, we created more than banana bread, we created moments of pride, discovery, and togetherness that reflect everything we value at Finnway.
Here’s to many more moments like these… and maybe a Finnway Cookbook next?
