Typically responds within
A few hours
Vacancies
Limited availability
Muddy Toes Babies provides a safe haven for our children, where they are cared and nurtured. We provide quality care for children aged 3 months to two years old and our opening hours are from 8.00-5.00pm. Our children are respected, understood and have an appreciation for the wider world. By blending the Pikler and RIE approaches, we are able to provide a centre that is built on respect; respect for each other as well as respect for the environment. We promote interactions where the children are actively participating in child-led learning daily, with a focus on all the senses and the natural world around us.
Our whānau come first and work in partnership within the centre, which enables us to build stronger and meaningful relationships. In order to better know the children and support their learning and development; we have open lines of communication with our whānau enabling the teachers to be able to develop strong and robust relationships. These relationships are the foundation and help us to learn more about our children and their cultural heritage as an extension of what they learn at home. This connectedness helps the children to feel safe and at “home”.
We recognise tangata whenua and that our unique bicultural heritage is founded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi with its principles of partnership, protection and participation. Our children experience the languages, music, art and stories of the cultures and diversity of Aotearoa. Cultural and other individual diversities are celebrated, planned for and valued within the routine experiences that the centre has to offer.
Children are encouraged to move freely, discovering their own bodies and how it moves. Our children have time to explore nature and develop in their own time. They are provided with open ended resources that stimulate their creativity, imagination and sense of wonder for the world around them. Through our explorations, we provide opportunities for our children to learn with and alongside their peers.
Our observations and engagements are unhurried and meaningful. Therefore our teachers are able to form close relationships with each of the children. Our interactions are thoughtful, intentional and aimed to support the interconnectedness that each child brings to the centre. We talk gently and respectfully, encouraging them to develop healthy language and social skills. We take the time to set up beautiful play spaces each day to ensure the childrens needs are being met. The strong relationships that our teachers have with each other help us to be able to provide a deep level of care.
We provide a nature based environment that promotes positive, calm, peaceful interactions and engagements. Teachers allow the time and space for each child to develop their individual skills, interests and routines. We embrace play through natural investigations through a range of activities which provide practical, hands-on experiences. We foster a love and passion for the outdoors and the importance of taking care of the earth we live on. As the children grow, learn and explore the world around us, they will experience a “home away from home” which values all aspects of the living world.
