Lakes District Health Board is doing its bit to support Maori Language Week by bringing te reo to patients in the children's unit.
Every day this week children at Rotorua Hospital have been involved in waiata, dancing, making poi and learning basic Maori greetings and pronunciation.
Hunter Wetini enjoyed the festivities even though he was waiting for surgery on his broken finger. "I like making the poi."
Cherie Sayer said she and daughter Destin Overbeay, 3, had fun dancing and playing with poi during their day visit to the children's ward playroom.
"Destin has a rare kidney disease and one day she will need a kidney transplant, but bringing her here to the playroom takes her mind off things because there are no doctors or needles," she said.