Everyone is aware there are benefits both healthwise and mentally in learning a musical instrument. It has been said the piano is a gateway to all music, so what are some of the benefits in learning to play the piano?

Reduces stress – Something that plagues not just adults nowadays! Playing the piano allows you to get away from daily stress where you can focus on the music. Some of the most beautiful musical pieces have been written for the piano and it is believed piano lessons can help decrease depression,  and subsequently induce positive mind states.

Calm the mind – Hand in hand with the previous benefit, reducing stress calms the mind, this subsequently improves mental health. Research has shown people who create and play music experience less depression, anxiety and loneliness and also experience improved self-esteem.

Piano playing promotes better performance at school - Research has also shown students who studied piano for 3 years or longer scored higher in general and spatial cognitive tests and children who studied the piano for a few years could remember twenty percent more vocabulary words than other students. Piano lessons have also been shown to improve a child’s ability to listen, focus, and learn and can help children finish projects quicker and more efficiently.

Develops hand/eye coordination – With having to both read the music and play at the same time this trains your eyes and hands to work effectively together. Also in playing each hand performs different movements and needs to learn to work independently but together thus stimulating multiple parts of the brain.

Aids in language development – As mentioned above learning the piano can increase the vocabulary range of a child which in turn aids language development and also in learning foreign languages. Also the brain activity acquired when young through music will continue to benefit into adulthood.

It is easy to play - When a student starts to learn an instrument like the guitar or trumpet, there’s a huge learning curve in the early stages which are not present when learning the piano. When learning a wind or brass instrument the use of facial muscles and shaping of the lips can take time to master, or learning how to build calluses on fingers for playing guitar takes time. Piano is also intuitive to learn.

Inspires creativity - Playing the piano requires you to be creative and thus use both sides of your brain. By having to use both hand and eye helps in the development of creative thinking. This will also aid in being able to think outside the box and have clearer problem solving skills.

Playing the Piano Brings Joy - The piano can be hauntingly beautiful. Whether you are playing it yourself or just listening piano music can bring great joy.

1. Te Ara Tahuna Estuary Cycleway and Walk

Te Ara Tahuna Estuary Pathway provides an excellent bike ride, or riding with children on bikes or scooters.

Accessed from Western Reserve, at the southern end of Orewa beach and just 40 minutes drive north from Auckland centre. The path features tributes to the estuary's past as a significant food gathering place for Maori including six carved seats created by Auckland's prison's carving group, carved from Macrocarpa trees felled during the walkway construction. Five of the seats represent the various hapu of the Kaipara Harbour who travelled to their traditional fishing grounds in the Orewa estuary to collect seafood.

The sixth seat was unveiled in memory of Kiara Morgan, a young Orewa girl who died of cancer in 2011.

The pathway is 7.6 km long and passes along the edge of the estuary through bush trails and quiet residential areas. It is mostly sealed and flat.

The pathway (travelling anti-clockwise) follows the Millenium Walkway through Western Reserve and distance markers are placed every 1 km so you can track your progress! Connects to walk Nos 1, 2 and 3 below.

4. Maygrove Reserve

Riverside/Lakeside Drives, Maygrove, Orewa. A variety of walkways through residential areas, esplanade reserve and around the artificial lake in Lakeside Reserve. Wet in winter. Range of short and long walks.

5. Pohutukawa Reserve/Orewa Estuary

Pohutukawa Ave and Moffat Rd, Orewa. 30–45 mins. Grass reserve walkway on south side of estuary running from Orewa south bridge to Jelas Rd/Kingsway School into Totara Views subdivision.

Whangaparaoa Walks

1. Amorino Reserve
SH1/Hibiscus Coast Highway, Red Beach. 15–30 mins. Reserve walkway beside Orewa estuary mouth, linking with surrounding residential streets. Start of Whangaparaoa Peninsula’s ‘Coastal Walkways’. Follow signs on lamp posts.

2. Red Beach Reserves
Vista Motu and Marellen Drive, Red Beach. 30-45 mins. An informal walk between various reserves in the centre of Red Beach. From Red Beach Lookout Reserve take walkways into Higham Ferrers Reserve, cross Bay Vista Dr into Gilshennan Reserve, follow path to right and follow walkways to Rushden Terrace and Red Beach Park, cross Marellen Drive to beach.

3. Red Beach section of Coastal Walkway
Ngapara St – Duncansby Rd, Red Beach. 30 mins. Walk along beach from Ngapara St to Duncansby Rd. May be restricted at high tide.

4. Stanmore Bay Beach
Cooper Rd and Stanmore Bay Reserve, Stanmore Bay. 15–30 mins. Walk along beach from Cooper Rd/Lea Reserve to Stanmore Bay Park. Cross arch bridge at eastern end of park to link to No. 3 above

5. Stanmore Bay Reserve to Manly Beach
Stanmore Bay Rd – Moreton Dr, Manly. 15–30 mins. Walk from end of Stanmore Bay Rd and take track up through historic cemetery. Left into Ardern Ave and cross to next accessway. Turn right into Swann Beach Rd to the top corner and next accessway with steps through to Hurdlow Place and Moreton Drive / beach.

6. Manly Beach to Tindalls Beach
Brown St – Tindalls Bay Rd, Tindalls Beach. 15–30 mins. From end of Brown St, walk along beach (restricted at high tide) to boatramp. Cross footbridge by sheds to accessway to The Crescent. Follow road round Crown Reserve to Tindalls Beach.

7. Tindalls Beach to Matakatia Beach
15–30mins. From centre of beach, take series of accessways through to Whangaparaoa Rd. Cross road and turn right to top of hill, then left into reserve accessway down to Matakatia Beach.

8. Gulf Harbour
Shakespear Rd – Gulf Harbour Drive, Gulf Harbour. Walkways progressing as Gulf Harbour estate develops. Network utilises reserves, roads and runs through the golf course. Range of short and long walks. Toilets at boatramp.

9. Fisherman’s Rock/Pacific Parade
Fisherman’s Rock Reserve, Army Bay. 60–90 mins. Coastal clifftop walk from Fisherman’s Rock Reserve to eastern end of Pacific Parade. Two clifftop staircases and stone ramp provide access onto rocky foreshore. Access between Fisherman’s Rock and Pacific Parade Reserves via foreshore, restricted at high tide.

10. Shakespear Regional Park
Army Bay, Whangaparaoa Peninsula. Various marked tracks ranging from 1 – 2 hrs around farm park at end of peninsula. Open sanctuary under development behind predator-proof fence. Bookable picnic sites and camping. Sweeping views of Hauraki Gulf and islands. The Heritage, Tiri and Okoromai tracks are medium difficulty and are approximately 9 km. Click here for basic Shakespear map.

11. Tiritiri Matangi Island
Take ferry from Gulf Harbour Marina. Open sanctuary for some of New Zealand’s rare and endangered plant and bird species. Home to saddlebacks, kiwi, takahe, bellbird and other native birds no longer seen on mainland. A variety of walking tracks across island.

12. Tiri Rd – East Ave Clifftop
Starts at 33 Tiri Rd, Little Manly. 5–15 mins. Short clifftop reserve walk between Tiri Rd and East Ave cul de sac. Good views of Hauraki Gulf.

13. Little Manly Beach
South Ave – Little Manly Beach, Little Manly. 5–15 mins. Shore reserve and clifftop walk from South Ave to beach.

14. Arkles Bay Clifftop
Ladies Mile – Arkles Bay. 5–15 mins. Short clifftop walk from Ladies Mile/Whangaparaoa Rd intersection to Arkles Bay beach through coastal bush. Steep flight of steps at Arkles Bay end.

15. Whangaparaoa Town Centre to Stanmore Bay beach
Town centre – Brightside Rd, Stanmore Bay. 15–30 mins. From town centre via Palmgreen Court and reserve, walkway to Rata Rd. Walkway half way along Rimu Rd on right leads into Stanmore Bay Park past leisure Centre. Cross Brightside Rd to beach side of reserve.

16. Stanmore Bay Reserve to Town Centre
15–30 mins. From the back of the leisure centre, via wetland walk to Rata Rd, Palmgreen Court or Red Hibiscus Rd and onto Whangaparaoa Rd.

17. Ferry Road Reserve. Ferry Rd, Arkles Bay
5–15 mins. Short reserve walk through coastal bush to foreshore of Weiti River near mouth of river. Timber steps at top. Slippery rocks on foreshore.

18. Fairhaven Walk. Wade River Rd, Arkles Bay
30–45 mins. Rough dead end walking track off end of Wade River Rd past boat club on banks of Weiti River flanked by native bush with some big puriri trees.

19. Okura Walk
Duck Creek Rd, Stillwater or Haigh Access Rd, Redvale. 2–2.5 hours from Stillwater through muddy pastures and along foreshore to historic Dacre cottage (composting toilets alongside). 3–3.5 hours from Okura (Haigh Access Rd) through Scenic Bush Reserve. Coastal walk between Weiti and Okura Rivers. Boots required. Check out Okura Walk details

Toys driving you mad? Here are some practical tips on controlling the mess!

Big deep toy boxes often don’t work well. Toys get jumbled into one big mess, small pieces get lost in the tangle and toddlers have no choice but to empty the whole thing on the floor to find what they want.

Collect lots of small, easy to handle, easy to carry, un-lidded containers, so children can sort their toys into groups – all the building things in one, wheeled toys in another, and so on.

Have fun with lots of big, coloured hooks labelled for coats, hats, bags, skipping ropes, dress-ups. It may not look elegant, but you and your children will be able to find what you need.

Use symbols or colours, even allocate one colour to each child if that works for you. Eg Sophie has a pink towel, pink toothbrush, pink hook for clothes and a pink box, or pink star on her box of toys.

Organise things into activity areas – puzzles, reading, art – so everything to do with that activity is there. Eg keep paper, aprons, wipe-up cloths and hanging pegs in one bin along with the pens, pencils, crayons, brushes and paints to make set up and cleaning up easy. During the day, convert a space from one activity to another by putting art stuff away and bringing out the puzzles bin.

Make finding stuff and putting it away fun and interesting to build good habits for a lifetime.

Preschool teachers have made an art of labelling boxes and crates.