Lil Seeds

Lil Seeds

We are offering a unique opportunity for your child to attend an exclusive private kindergarten. We offer small intimate learning groups of 12 children, with two enthusiastic, highly qualified and experienced educators. The underpinning philosophy of Lil Seeds Kindy is a combination of Reggio Emilia and the Forest Kindergarten movement, which encourages children to play and learn in a natural environment. The program is based on the principles of respect, responsibility and community promoted through exploration and discovery in a supportive, enriching environment.

In order to promote this philosophy we have a 12-seater van and will be embarking on excursions in the community, exploring local parks and reserves. Safety is a priority and each area has been researched and a full risk assessment completed.

While nature based play is an important part of our curriculum and makes significant contributions to literacy, numeracy, health and wellbeing, it is also designed to provide further opportunities “in house” to learn about the environment and sustainable practices such as gardening, cooking, waste control, electricity, and life cycles.

Our Philosophy

Lil Seeds

"Must we always teach our children with books? Let them look at the mountains and the stars up above. Let them look at the beauty of the waters and the trees and flowers on earth. They will then begin to think, and to think is the beginning of a real education" - David Polis.

Peaceful, Respectful Communication

• We believe that positive communication is the key to ensure everyone is well informed and valued in their contribution while feeling respected at all times.
• We believe that through role-modelling peaceful communication children will learn compassionate dialogue, which will provide life-long skills in situations of conflict and leadership, in addition, impacting on the overall wellness of society.
• We believe children learn limits and boundaries through love and support.
• We believe that open honest communication with parents and whanau is the key to successful relationships.

Loving, Homely Environments, which firstly engage the heart and then the mind.....

• We believe that every adult and child within our care deserves to be treated with the respect that is consistent to their cultural heritage.
• We believe in creating relationships with our children that are built on love, trust and mutual respect. Grounding children to the environment.
• We believe an emotionally satisfied child is free to fully engage themselves within their surroundings.
• We believe that little brains needs to feel safe, secure and loved.
• We believe that our environment should reflect the ideas, ethics, attitudes and culture of the people within it.
• We believe that the physical environment acts as the third teacher, it therefore needs to entice, captivate, challenge and nourish every individual.
• We believe "the child should live in an environment of beauty" - Maria Montessori.

Learning unfolds naturally...Play is the answer to how anything new comes about...all mammals play!

• We believe play is the window to all learning and for children to play they need to be emotionally satisfied.
• We believe meaningful learning experiences only happen when children initiate and engage in opportunities for themselves.
• We believe children be free to play in their own natural way making their own natural progression.
• We believe teachers foster learning through play by setting up an environment, which is rich in provocations, allowing children to develop a natural love for enquiry, investigation and invention.
• We believe all children are naturally creative and teachers foster this through providing raw materials, freedom of time, creative experiences that are holistic and limitless.
• We believe teachers and children are equal partners in the learning process.

Collaboration is Everything…shared vision, shared goals.

• We believe that together we provide strength, unity, shared understanding and strategies.
• We believe partnership between management and teacher, child, family and community exist and this strengthens and supports us.
• We believe in sharing knowledge, praise and recognition on a daily basis.
• We believe that we are all of equal importance and that we make a difference everyday.
• We believe that together we inspire one another to be the best we can be, together we achieve greatness.

“Teaching children about the natural world should be seen as one of the most important events in their lives” – Thomas Berry

• We believe nature holds the key essential elements to holistic growth and development.
• We believe by installing a love and sense of wonder about nature in every child we are creating guardians of our earth.
• We believe that the outdoor environment is pivotal to the development of a healthy body, soul and spirit.
• We believe natural elements provide for open-ended play that emphasise unstructured creative exploration with diverse materials – the high levels of complexity and variety nature offers invites longer and more complex play.
• We believe that working alongside children to develop more sustainable practices is to help ensure our children’s future.
• We believe that playing and engaging in nature evokes the children’s imagination and creativity while being meaningful, abundant and able to create multiple opportunities.
• We believe that through opportunities to explore our beautiful country we are able to pass on legends and myths of Maori, and honouring Maori as Tangata Whenua.