Te Whāriki · Strand 1 of 5
Mana atua | Wellbeing
Wellbeing | Children have a sense of wellbeing and resilience.
Mana atua | Children understand their own mana atuatanga – uniqueness and spiritual connectedness.
In plain words: children feel safe, cared for and healthy, and are learning to look after themselves, manage their feelings and keep themselves and others safe. It has 3 goals for kaiako and 3 learning outcomes.
Updated 6 October 2026 · StoryLoop, Ōtautahi Christchurch
Learning outcomes
The 3 learning outcomes
Over time and with guidance and encouragement, children become increasingly capable of:
| Learning outcome | Te reo Māori |
|---|---|
| Keeping themselves healthy and caring for themselveste oranga nui | te oranga nui |
| Managing themselves and expressing their feelings and needste whakahua whakaaro | te whakahua whakaaro |
| Keeping themselves and others safe from harmte noho haumaru | te noho haumaru |
Wording from Te Whāriki (2017), pages 24 and 25.
Goals for kaiako
The goals
Children experience an environment where:
- Their health is promoted
- Their emotional wellbeing is nurtured
- They are kept safe from harm
The strand as a whole: The health and wellbeing of the child are protected and nurtured.
In everyday play
What it can look like
Washing hands before kai, telling a kaiako they are tired or hungry, settling with comfort after a big feeling, checking a friend who has fallen over.
StoryLoop's examples, not curriculum text. Every child shows this learning in their own way and time.
From a real draft
How a real StoryLoop draft linked this strand
The note:
Aroha tried to put her shoes on before going outside. Velcro kept folding over. Asked 'help me' then pushed my hand away and did the second one herself. Stood up and stomped both feet.
The link StoryLoop wrote in the draft, unedited:
This links with Mana atua | Wellbeing, especially children developing self-care skills and confidence with daily routines. Aroha worked on putting on her own shoes before going outside.
What StoryLoop does with a note
A rough note in, a learning story out.
A real note an educator typed, and the start of the draft StoryLoop wrote from it, unedited, with the Te Whāriki links, learning and next steps to follow.
Aroha tried to put her shoes on before going outside. Velcro kept folding over. Asked 'help me' then pushed my hand away and did the second one herself. Stood up and stomped both feet.
Putting on her own shoes
Before going outside, Aroha tried to put her shoes on by herself. The Velcro kept folding over, making the job trickier. Aroha asked, "help me", letting us know clearly that she needed support.
When help was offered, Aroha pushed the adult hand away and did the second shoe herself. Once both shoes were on, she stood up and stomped both feet. This looked like Aroha checking that her shoes were on and feeling the result with her whole body.
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Questions kaiako ask
What does Mana atua mean?
What are the learning outcomes for Mana atua | Wellbeing?
What are the goals of Mana atua | Wellbeing?
How do I link a learning story to Mana atua | Wellbeing?
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