Top 10 Unforgettable Memories from 2025-2026

Once again the end of yet another chapter has been written. It is that time of the year I enjoy looking back to some of the best moments we spent throughout this scholastic year. This year my classroom was made up of me, myself and I alone with 12 wonderful little big humans, coming from all corners of the beautiful world. We celebrated diversity, cultures and above all eachother. Challanges we had in abundance but WOW the opportunities were grand. Here are my Top 10 moments from this year's scholastic year. The year of overcoming challenges together and celebrating little wins as a whole.

Number 10: Snail Homes

It is no secret that this scholastic year our class was intrigued by the snails in our school yard. Everytime trying to save the snails from being squashed and relocating them to safety. This is when the students came up with the idea to create safer places for snails to roam in. Looking around them, they discovered unused pots and natural materials. They enlisted all the things the snails need... shelter, food and soil, so later they teamed up to construct what they described as "snail homes". This activity extended by students waiting for snail movement, which to their surprise they actually managed to see. They sat down and watched the snails for hours, moving around the natural spaces they have created. They watched them climb on top of other snail shells, nibble leaves, get in and out of places and above all they enjoyed watching the snails upside. This activity is the first of many fantastic ones because it led us to learn how to not only care for snails, but most importantly it taught us how to slow things down and take time in watching process take place.

Number 9: Monster Mash

A combination of creative imagination, physical gross motor movement and fantastic work of language development. This monster mash was epic for the simple fact that we created a fun atmosphere through imaginative storytelling in one of the hardest classroom spaces I ever had to endure. We brought out our monsters from our stories who were looking for colours. Splat some paint on large paper and let the shatters get swatting. Made sure to reel in their excitement, their giggles and their pure joy from a task which moves away from total desk bound. Why deserving of this spot? Because it challenges how learning is perceived in Kindergarten. This activity has ample learning concepts which are memorable without abiding by worksheets. It explored colour transformations, social skills and turn taking adaptability, symbolic representation, decreasing number value when reducing monsters as we go, body part identification, vocabulary enhancement, core muscle strength and above all happy dispositions which help us stay focused on our aims while feeling safe in our environment.

Number 8: Tie Dye Experiment

What a fun way to create costumes right? Before anyone bashes me for using heavy chemicals around children, this is a disclaimer that no bleach nor clothes dye was used. We used food colouring, this way the colours stayed sharp, bright and of course not harmful when used. This activity deserves a mention because I clearly remember children in awe once the rubber bands were taken off. In the beginning they did not grasp the concept other than enjoying the pipette and watching our shirts turn from white to stained. However the magic was yet to come. After using our fine motor skills to create such wonders, when dried up children were able to engage in language development through various role plays. They beamed with delight at their own refelections in mirrors and had so much fun creating shadows too. Playfully the children grasped experiences on different occasions and that is why this deserves a mention.

Number 7: Tasting Korean Food

My students have been super excited about KPop demon hunters but not necessarily their songs alone. They wanted to try Korean food for a while so I found a great multicultural experience to do so. We ordered Korean cuisines chosen by the children, waited for the delivery while e

learning about GPS and maps which led us into receiving our food ready to serve. Why we did not try cooking it? Because I wished for them to explore authentic Korean food which I am not capable of providing. Mind you, we still managed to do other cooking activities throughout this project, I promise. From trying out Kimchi, Stick Tteok, Kimbab, Milkis, Chapaguri Ramen and Bibimbab. They surprised me on their willingness to taste different foods and I got inspired to try along with them too. I do not regret exploring along and as a mother of a child who uses Food Therapy services, this activity humbled me. I appreciated the joy of witnessing children enjoy food tasting, and given how I have learnt the long process of what it intails, I felt that at that particular moment a little win was accomplished.

Number 6: Discussing Gender Stereotypes

Many may disagree that this moment should not be listed but I beg to differ because I remember clearly that moment I scrapped all of my planning and followed their lead. It started early in the morning, the arguments escalated to a point that needed my interference. Usually I opt to wait it out and let children learn how to solve own problems, make meaning of their thoughts and also construct new possible solutions. This time I was 10 cm away from a fist fight to brawl out. Close call indeed! So I separated the genders and asked them to work in their groups, discuss, co-construct ideas and elaborate more about these feelings of ' ONLY girls or boys can do this, this and that '. I watched the group conversations take place and was taken back by some statements. Yet again I did not interfere. We proceeded by later pinning both charts next to each other. I called one child at a time and asked to elaborate on their findings. When the opposite gender did the same, a pivotal learning curve was noted. The children started to identify their similarities while elaborating furthermore. From getting close to the boxing ring to later follwoing ul with playful agendas. Play took place, with a much more open mindset and far more understanding. Definitely not missing out of this spontaneous activity to mark it up on this year's top 10.

Number 5: Rescuing Drumstick

Our dog investigations took a turn from the start. Students were intrigued by the police dog show from our school, hence we extended our curiosity upon that experience. They were so eager to investigate something fun, so I teamed up with my colleague who needed a guinea pig for her classroom experiences. Our mission started with my colleague asking my dog detectives for some help. We later used QR codes to identify where the missing animal could be hiding or lost. Behold when found, the excitement was ten times worth the hassle. After the QR code mission, children kept identifying how QR codes are fun. Therefore we created some of our own. Nevertheless the biggest highlight was definitely stroking Drumstick the guinea pig and making it feel at home. That day Drumstick returned home safe and sound with my son investigating that it was truly left in once piece while in the hands of kindergarteners. He was protective but so were they.

Number 4: Making Doll Attire

I am limited when it comes to dolls. I have raised a fine young man who had minor interest in dolls. I have plenty of Legos but minimal dolls. The ones we had were mostly superhero related and I would not dare to touch any of those being that by son is a comic/movie geek like me. Nevertheless the students kept asking me to help them with putting clothes on their dolls or simply complain that there was not enough room to share our limited doll clothes. Hence to compensate the loss, I introducd them to the art of sewing our own doll dresses. Thus trickled down from fiction to factual S.T.E.A.M opportunities. Very often I encouraged children to sew their own dolls attire and I confess I was not ready for was yet to come. Rather than draping pieces of fabric, children seriously enjoyed sewing and moulding different attire sizes with their doll models. From wedding gowns to hijabs. From skirts to superhero capes. From turbans to bikinis. Wonderful, creative and plenty of open ended opportunities too. Some call it risky, I call it another successful opportunity.

Number 3: Watercolouring at Upper Barracks in Valletta

There is something different about painting outdoors, yet alone painting during an outing. After visiting the Muża museum in Valletta, we headed to the Upper Barracks Gardens in Valletta. There we found a spot, sat down and enjoyed painting with watercolours. Unphased about the onlookers, students kept painting and finding inspirations from their surroundings. This activity gave our outing an added bonus, plus we managed to take something back to the classroom as a memorable token of the day. Days passed by and students kept wanting to go back and do it again and again and again. You know an activity is memorable when the children themselves keep reminding you of it. Must admit that the biggest struggle was not the children but the people and tourists around us during this activity. It was tiring to call out strangers in not taking photos or videos of children and keep boundaries. Protecting the children's safety through someone's lens was the most struggle but luckily I had a colleague backing me up while I catered for the children's needs.

Number 2: Charley's Debut

Speaking of reminding, the children had not one, not two but three encounters with my puppy Charley this scholastic year. As mentioned earlier, you know that something is memorable because the interest keeps cropping up and mentioned on more than one occasion. Charley is definitely one of them. I took her once to class as part of our 'Dogs' investigations but little did I know that little miss Charley would leave a remarkable impact on the children. After her debut, children kept asking about Charley, often resulting in me switching on my home cameras so they can get a glimpse of Charley at home or getting her treats. I ended up her personal courier with all the toys and treats students kept getting for her. Upon their request I got her again to school as they wanted Charley to see them graduating, so she tagged along for a dress rehearsal. Her last visit however was the most important. A student was going through an emotional turbulence, one that showed up abruptly. So I took Charley with me to school. Little did I know how much Charley was needed at that time by that student. A simple stroke, a simple pat and a simple Charley cuddle was just the right amount to feel safe at school once again.

Number 1: Our Art Museum

No one can ever deny that opening our art museum was not EPIC! After the New Year, I sat down with my students to understand better what they wish to do more of during Term 2. Painting and art was unanoumos, hence why I embarked on a totally full on artist experience with the children. I usually do talk about an artist or two to combine them with a different topic, however this was different. This was all about the artists themselves and all I could say is WOW what a transformation. From exploring lines, dots and swirls with Vincent Van Gogh to exploring parallel vertical and horizontal lines and primary colours with Piet Mondrian. From Henri Matisse's funky scissoring collages to Claud Monet's outdoor inspired art. From Frida Kahlo's natural portraits to a magnificent art gallery. Our classroom transformed into an art museum. Children handed out tickets, became tour guides and above all showcased their work with pride. SLT joined in the fun and so did my Kindergarten colleagues and their students. This was their day, this was the day that I could never forget.

Now that summer is kicking in, I look back with pride, joy and a little disbelief, that we actually did all this and more. To my class, I thank you and remember I believe in you....I believe in us!