Childcare options in Taitapu

Active Explorers Tai Tapu is a place where kids are encouraged to wonder, imagine, discover and create. Located in the beautiful close-knit community of Tai Tapu, just ten minutes  from Halswell and Lincoln, our centre boasts a gorgeous natural environment, plenty of space, and top quality resources.

A home away from home for our children, we have two separate classrooms – our Preschool/Nursery (0-3years) and the Prep Room (3-5years).  Each are staffed by a team of well qualified and highly experienced teachers who provide a warm, respectful and caring environment. Our rich programmes are woven with dynamic learning opportunities that keep kids engaged and inspired.

We are the perfect start to a lifetime of learning.

Why choose us?

He taonga te mokopuna, kia whāngaia, kia tipu, kia rea

A child is a treasure, to be nurtured, to grow, to flourish

Active Explorers Tai Tapu is an inspirational place of learning that nurtures and celebrates enquiring minds. Here are just a few of the reasons why families choose us:

• Beautiful natural surroundings provide opportunities for tamariki to be curious and take risks, helping them develop a strong sense of self
• Loving and peaceful environment builds sense of security and belonging
• Extremely high ratio of qualified, registered and experienced teachers
• Regular excursions into the community, such as walks to the store and posting mail
• Termly excursions related to children’s needs and development, such as Willowbank, Museum Trips and Flips and Tumbles
• Special excursions to Lincoln Event Centre for music and baby sessions
• Big Hitters every Monday for children 2 and over - https://www.bighitters.co.nz/
• Strong connections with whanau and the community to support our tamariki
• Great relationship with Tai Tapu Primary School including weekly visits with our eldest children to support their transition to primary school
• Lots of cultural activities
• Well-resourced purpose built centre

Our Rooms

Preschool/Nursery

Our Preschool/Nursery room provides a calm, relaxed and loving environment for our 0 to 3 year olds. We promote freedom of movement and respectful relationships and give all children the time to explore and evolve naturally, just as nature intended. Before starting with us, each child is assigned a primary care teacher, who will develop a close relationship with the child, getting to know their cues, needs and preferences.

Tuakana Room

Our Tuakana Room gets our 3 to 5 year olds ready for their transition to school, with a curriculum that focuses on building foundation skills that equip tamariki to enter the next stage of their educational journey with confidence. Much of the day is free-play focussed, allowing children to explore at their own pace while also guiding their interests through intentional teaching. Other parts of the day are more structured including group times and meal times.

Nau mai, haere mai and welcome to Tai Tapu Playcentre

Playcentre is unlike any other early childhood education organisation. At Playcentre, both children and their parents / caregivers attend.

At Playcentre children get the opportunity to learn and explore in a fun and safe environment.

The curiosity and creativity of our tamariki is nurtured in a way that allows them to learn about themselves and their world.

Your child will be given a chance to explore, create, climb, read, sing, experiment, play music, wear costumes, have their face painted (or do it themselves!), garden, do carpentry with real tools, bake and cook, build sandcastles, swing, slide, dance, spend time in nature and get messy.

The activities change every day. Playcentre parents all bring different skills, interests, and cultural backgrounds to add to the rich learning environment.

We welcome families with children aged 0 – 6 years. Mixed age play allows your children to engage with others older and younger than themselves. Pre-schoolers learn how to communicate, share and negotiate with empathy for their younger peers.

At Playcentre, families come together and lifelong friendships are formed.

We welcome you to visit any time during the year. You are entitled to three free visits so come and check out what we do – we would love to meet you and your family!