Childcare options in Mount Eden

For over 60 years, Eden-Epsom Playcentre has been offering a quality preschool programme for children aged 0 to 6 years.

At Playcentre, parents, caregivers or grandparents, come with their children to enjoy educational, stimulating and fun sessions run by parents. Children receive lots of personal attention and develop friendships with the other children.

Parents enjoy the support and company of other parents. They have access to free adult education courses and workshops.

What is the time commitment?

All members need to attend a minimum of two sessions per week.

A big part of what makes Playcentre unique is that it is a parent-led environment. This means our members are responsible for the running of the Centre. We have a committee and officer roles such as Treasurer, Secretary, PR, Equipment, Property, Education as well as smaller rolls so everyone can play a small or big part.

We work together to ensure no one is loaded with too much to do.

There are three evening meetings per term (10 weeks) to attend that focus on both general centre matters as well as planning high-quality sessions for our children.

We also require all members to attend a minimum of one Education workshop per term. This could be a few hours learning about great messy play set-ups, how to incorporate literacy into play or cooking with children.

Fees (per family):

$50 per term (our terms are between 10-11 weeks long and follow the school term dates) You may qualify for further WINZ subsidies or 20hrs ECE free

Location

Located at the end of Poronui St, in Mt Eden village, our Playcentre has extensive grounds including an open grass area and small forest, vegetable gardens and fruit trees, a worm farm and just about every piece of play equipment and educational resource that you can imagine.

We love play

At Playcentre we believe that play is the central activity of children and through play young children are like little scientists, learning about themselves and their world. Your child can explore, create, climb, do puzzles, read, sing, experiment, play musical instruments, wear costumes, have their face painted (or do it themselves!), garden, discover, jump, run, do carpentry with real tools, bake and cook, play games, swing and slide.

Is it a free for all?

We love to provide our children with the opportunity to decide for themselves what to do and when to do it. This does not mean a free-for-all; we have limits and the high adult: child ratio ensures the children are well supported in their play. The environment and equipment are arranged and selected by responsible adults in such a way that it is safe, stimulating and promotes all-round development.

This promotes confidence, feelings of success, self-direction, independence, discovery, problem-solving decision making, creativity, opportunities to learn from mistakes, self-discipline plus a lot more. Our Playcentre caters for each child’s individuality, allowing each child to grow and develop at his or her own rate, pursuing individual interests and developing individual skills.

Excursions and outdoor sessions

We provide the opportunity for you to take your children on excursions to places like Tristar Gym, animal parks or to one of our many wonderful local beaches and parks.

Playcentre and other childcare options

Many of our children also attend kindergarten or other child care facilities. Once your child is over 2.5 years of age, with the mutual agreement of the Centre Members, your child may be left on a session without you there.

Is your Playcentre zoned?

Many families live locally to Eden-Epsom Playcentre, but we also have families who travel from surrounding suburbs.

Book a visit

We welcome families with children from newborn to school age, at any time during the year. We invite you to visit us and experience what Playcentre is all about. Please book your visit on Kindello today. We look forward to meeting you and your family.

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!

Ellerton Preschool is a small, beautiful, home-like childcare centre for 2 to 5-year-olds. Licensed for just 20 children with qualified and passionate teachers to support, you can be assured your child will flourish in personalised care.

Our philosophy

Ko te ahurei o te tamaiti aroha o tatou mahi

Let the uniqueness of the child guide our work

Ellerton Preschool is a small, unique and a home away from home in the heart of Mt Eden where children and their whānau develop and grow.  We believe in respectful and trustful relationships, always keeping our children and their families at the heart of our work.   Our environment is prepared so our children can develop holistically and naturally at their own pace, in their own time with experienced teachers. 

Our spacious natural outdoor area enables our children to cultivate a sense of exploration and joy, experience freedom to play and learn with and alongside others and to take risks in a safe and supportive environment. Our education programme provides opportunities that nurture and prepare children with a strong foundation for future learning and smooth transitions. 

Our small group environment ensures children can form close relationships with our team as well as their peers, whilst fostering resilience, independence and a love of learning.  Underpinning our approach to the education and care of children are the values of respectful relationships with people, places and things, creativity and opportunities to learn and grow naturally.

At Mt Eden Kindergarten we believe in creating a friendly, inclusive and caring culture in which everyone is respected and valued. We support learning through child-initiated free play and our fantastic, extensive outdoor space provides children with numerous opportunities to explore, challenge themselves and engage in active movement and imaginative play.

We welcome, celebrate and value all cultures and we encourage and support, parents/whānau to become involved in their children’s learning and to contribute to our programme. We have built strong links to our local schools and the wider community.

We are proud to be an Enviroschool kindergarten, recently achieving our Bronze Certificate. We share a passion for nature and we want to instil an appreciation and understanding of responsible and sustainable environmental practices for our tamariki, their parents/whanau and ourselves as teachers.

We invite you to spend some time with us, to meet our team and experience our kindergarten in action.

Our teachers are all qualified early childhood educators and hold teacher registrations as well as first aid certificates. Support staff includes a part-time teaching assistant, a teacher aide and an administrator. Everyone on our team is dedicated to providing Mt Eden’s tamariki with the very best in early childhood education – come in and meet us!

Our learning philosophy

For the past 110 years, the Auckland Kindergarten Association has been igniting young minds by encouraging them to explore their imaginations through play. For many of us, kindergarten was where we began our life of learning; it was where we started learning skills like sharing, tolerance, patience, respect and self-confidence.

We view children as capable, competent, life-long learners, and our philosophy encourages children to make their own learning choices, problem-solve and observe and explore at their own pace…with support from teachers, parents, wider whānau and their peers. We value the importance of child-initiated, play-based experiences. Our kindergarten teachers nurture your children’s interests and natural curiosity by working alongside them, expanding language and introducing mathematical and science concepts, as well as literacy, digital technology and sustainable practices.

Our centres have gardens and natural outdoor spaces where children can create, explore, be imaginative and expressive. There’s plenty of room to safely run about, being imaginative and physically active. In fact, the natural world is essential to free-range play. AKA encourages each kindergarten community to explore and enrich their diversity and uniqueness. Some have regular excursions into the local community; some are Enviroschool kindergartens that live and breathe sustainable practices; while others engage in long-term research on child interest-based programmes of learning.

As an organisation, we formally acknowledge the dual heritage of Aotearoa / New Zealand, and work to uphold the spirit and intent of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in each kindergarten. We are accessible, secular and welcoming to the wide diversity of tamariki and whānau who attend our centres, and value ongoing partnerships between teaching teams and leadership staff with families and whānau. We value ongoing learning for teachers, parents and whānau, and the sharing of knowledge, skills and attributes is fundamental to achieving the best learning outcomes for children. Teachers and staff can access collegial professional time to ensure that quality practice is enhanced so current theories of learning and development within New Zealand’s world-class Te Whāriki early childhood curriculum are shared and understood.

Children learn

Children in our kindergartens have the opportunity to:

• Feel confident, develop responsibility and a sense of independence
• Play meaningfully alongside other children and adults
• Develop effective communication skills
• Persevere, problem-solve and take risks
• Explore limits, boundaries, routines and conflict resolution strategies
• Practice fine motor skills such as threading, writing, cutting and grasping
• Develop gross motor play such as physical games like climbing, throwing, kicking, balancing and lifting
• Develop creative expressions through painting, music, collage, movement, dance, finger-painting, drawing, cutting, pasting and story sharing
• Develop early numeracy, literacy and science skills
• Learn techniques through trial and error
• Explore the world through experimenting, questioning and curiosity
• Develop confidence and celebrate both attempts and successes
• Develop a passion for learning and a love of life
• Have fun!

Older children will be supported in their transition to school to make this process as simple and seamless as possible. Book a visit here on Kindello today, we’d love to meet you.

Vision

Our centre vision is ‘love, learn and grow’. At our centre children love each other, learn through observation and grow together as a group. So we aim at promoting a healthy environment and high quality programme for all groups of children irrespective of age, ability, cultures and genders

Goals

Up to two years: Enriching learning of up to two’s by providing them activities that help them develop important skills.

2-3 year old:

• Supporting them with self- help skills
• Communication (Verbal & Non- verbal)
• Emotional well -being (To express how they feel, how to deal with
• emotions)

4- 5 Year old:

• Helping them develop verbal language skills.
• Prepare them for a smooth transition to school.

Philosophy

Our aim is to provide quality care and education for children at our centre.

We ensure that children are kept safe from harm, and we promote well-being through consistent, warm relationships which connect the various aspects of the world.

We believe that children learn through play, and these experiences enhance a child’s sense of self-worth, identity, confidence and enjoyment.

We believe that each child is special and we aim to encourage them to develop at their own pace, by being creative and expressive through different forms of art.

We believe that all children should be treated equally irrespective of gender, ability, age, ethnicity or background. We respect the diverse cultures from which our children, teachers and whānau come, by celebrating their special festivals. Through this, we aim to help children gain a positive awareness of their own and other cultures.

As educators we believe in building opportunities for social interactions with adults and other children and respect the aspirations of the children’s family and community. We work in partnership with parents and children in order to build a community of learners.

We acknowledge our bi-cultural heritage and honour the principles Te Tiriti O Waitangi. We work in partnership with children and whānau to ensure that there are equitable opportunities for participation.

We believe that a smooth transition to school is crucial for children. Through our Transition to school programme, we help children to make sense of what is happening and supporting them through changes. We provide enriching activities and experiences that allow them to develop important skills by the time they start school

Our lovingly refurbished villa has been a special home to many little ones, since 1981, as they prepare for school and the many wonders of the world. 

Today, DayStar operates as a non-profit organisation, governed by a board and an incorporated society with the ability and desire to focus on our children, our centre, and our community.  

The Daystar board is made up of dedicated, community-minded Eden Community Church members. They strive to govern Daystar in line with the legacy set out by previous generations to support and serve local whanau and most specifically tamariki. 

As a group of professionals with a wide range of skills and interests, the board enjoys working with the Daystar team and supporting them to deliver a wonderful environment for the Daystar tamariki. Also of importance to the board is supporting Daystar tamariki’s whanau in times of difficulty or need. The board is driven to see Daystar succeed so that there are funds available to donate to other charities and organisations that have a positive impact on local whanau and tamariki.

Stepping Stones Mt Eden, a beautiful boutique centre with 35 children aged 0-5 years. 

At Stepping Stones daycare here in Mt Eden, we want only the very best for your child.

Considered as 'excellent' by local primary schools, Stepping Stones children thrive in a stunning, homely environment where beautifully presented environments are thoughtfully created to evoke rich learning and play.

Our centre has a very high teacher to child ratio where fully qualified early childhood teachers just cherish celebrating and extending your child’s interests, play and learning.

Our carefully created curriculum is designed to meet your individual child’s interests and gives every child the opportunity to engage in a vast range of experiences each day that they attend Stepping Stones.

Located on a big 1070m² site on Wairiki Road (close to Maungawhau School), Stepping Stones outdoor area has it all.

A large safe water play area inspires wonder and imagination. And then there is a giant playhouse that has its own 'kitchen', as well as a living hut complete with a mud kitchen and a large sandpit set against native trees. There’s even a life-size play boat in which to 'set sail'!

Stepping Stones indoor area ignites imagination and diversity because it provides ample choice in itself, and includes a big area for messy play, art and craft activities. We have daily baking in our dining room, and then there's construction areas, a separate quiet literacy room, science areas, and a separate family area.

A homely, safe and stimulating environment where your child feels protected and happy - that’s Kids’ Kampus. 

Everyone deserves peace of mind in knowing that their child is secure, content and thriving when they spend time at daycare. Kids’ Kampus is a boutique, privately owned and owner operated childcare centre located in central Auckland. With our experienced team of qualified ECE teachers working alongside your family, we share a commitment to nurture your children’s individual qualities and potential. 

Established over 30 years ago by New Zealand General and Maternity Nurse, Margie Blackwood, Kids’ Kampus opened its doors with a goal to provide childcare for children across Epsom, Sandringham, Mt Eden, Mt Roskill, Three Kings, Kingsland and wider Auckland.

​What makes Kids’ Kampus different from other centres? We’re here to support you through your own unique parenting journey, by creating a loving and nurturing environment for your children. Envision a home away from home, where your child will be exposed to new opportunities that encourage them to socialise, discover, and develop vital skills and tools whilst having lots of fun along the way.  ​

Exceptional care & learning at our daycare centre in Central Auckland

At Kids’ Kampus, we understand that every child is unique, and deserve to be supported as they explore and develop their own individual needs, traits and abilities. We know that a positive childcare experience has significant benefits for the future of our children. That’s why we’ve created a welcoming environment for our teachers to attend to every child’s needs. Our enthusiastic and qualified educators offer a creatively differentiated and flexible learning programme that is based on the New Zealand National Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Whāriki and Montessori.

In addition to receiving the best-quality education and care, your child will experience meaningful developmental opportunities that will lay the foundations for their future. Whether you’re looking for a daycare centre in Mt Eden, Epsom or elsewhere, our central Auckland based centre provides all-day childcare that will make your life easier and enrich your children’s lives  Utilising two beautifully converted spacious bungalows named Koru House and Kauri House, children aged between 0 to 5 years of age can enjoy their days in both indoor and expansive outdoor play and learning areas.

We understand that placing your trust in a childcare establishment is a huge step to make, which is why we take pride in the service we provide. The best childcare centres & kindergartens offer high teacher-to-child ratios in order to lessen stress and promote better staff-child interactions, which is why we never accommodate more than 65 children on our half acre site in the heart of Mt Eden.

Kids’ Kampus is here for your child and for your family. We’re here to partner with you in your child’s formative years of growth and character development because we know that working together and supporting you as a family, will help you achieve the goals you have for your child moving forward. 

Kids at Play is a not-for-profit, incorporated society.  We are a community daycare that is different from any others in the local area. 

Kids At Play is run by the Centre Manager who is the professional leader and has overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the centre.  The manager is supported by two Area Supervisors. 

Teachers work in rotating teams coordinated by the Centre Manager.  We employ housekeeping staff and relief teachers. The Centre also employs a centre cook & a financial administrator.

Smart Start will provide a preschool where all activities are guided by Maria Montessori’s vision of holistic development – cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual growth. In so doing, Smart Start will cultivate a child’s education for living a purposeful life.

Kia Ora, Hello and Welcome to Smart Start Montessori Preschool.

Smart Start Montessori Preschool had it's humble beginnings over 20 years ago, in Elisabeth Abbott's living room. Since then, it has evolved into a boutique, 2 classroom preschool located in the Auckland  suburb of Mt Eden.

We offer a well balanced early childhood education programme using the Montessori method of teaching. This fosters an holistic development for your child, respecting their emotional, spiritual, physical and moral facets. Maximum involvement between home and preschool is always encouraged.

The children work co-operatively in a mixed age child care setting, where values of respect and independence are cultivated. Children develop tools for learning and master academic skills. They learn to concentrate, self-initiate, problem solve and organise themselves.

We provide a structured learning environment - prepared into four general areas - the areas focus on: practical life, the five senses, language and maths. Two boutique classrooms are limited to 20 children (a ratio of 10 children to one teacher) to create an intimate learning environment. 

Our children's happiness and security is paramount, nurturing their desire and enthusiasm to learn.

Located in the heart of Mt Eden, Flying Start Kindergarten has been serving the community for nearly 30 years. Small and private, the kindergarten was established with the children’s well-being and best interests at heart — a tradition we work hard to uphold.

Our passionate, highly qualified team collaborates with children and families to create a one-of-a-kind environment that empowers and brings out the best in every child who walks through our door. 

Learning is a never-ending venture, and together, we can build foundations that will stand a lifetime.

Our Philosophy

At Flying Kiwi Preschool we believe our tamariki should feel a strong sense of belonging in an environment where they are valued, nurtured, challenged, encouraged and empowered to lead their own learning.

Our passionate team of kaiako are warm, welcoming and loving. We build positive, respectful relationships with our tamariki and engage in meaningful conversations as we support, facilitate and extend their learning. We acknowledge and celebrate children’s effort and contribution and work together collaboratively to foster a love of learning.

We cherish diversity and difference and respect children as unique individuals who bring a vast range of culture, understandings and knowledge to create new learning experiences. We believe in fostering authentic and meaningful partnerships with whānau and acknowledge and value whānau aspirations as we create a ‘community of learners’ together.

In our childcare centre l we promote quality education in an environment where tamariki believe in their own abilities, feel encouraged to make their own choices and decisions and take responsibility for their own learning. We support children as they build confidence, with a strong sense of self identity and self worth. We offer fun learning opportunities specifically designed to meet the developmental needs and unique potential of each individual child, with small groups enabling quality one on one time with each teacher.

Flying Kiwi kaiako believe our role is to nurture children’s emotional, intellectual, physical and social development and extend learning through a multitude of exciting and engaging learning opportunities and experiences. We provide a challenging, interactive, environment with rich learning opportunities and resources which allow children to explore, experiment and investigate in all areas of the curriculum.

At Flying Kiwi Preschool we are guided by the NZ Early Childhood Curriculum ‘Te Whāriki’ and our planning involves us noticing what children are interested in; recognising the learning that is happening and responding to this learning with resources, activities and extended learning opportunities.  Our daily programme caters to the holistic development of each child as we identify individual interests, learning dispositions, skills and knowledge and work to build a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

A Place to Belong

Established in 2004, our early learning centre is now run by Taonga Education Centre Charitable Trust.

Our unit is on the ground floor of Eden Campus

with the goal of providing a special place for the children of young parents.

We encourage a love of learning in a relaxed environment where children can take risks, be curious, and confident.

We want your children to be proud of who they are, their achievements, and where they come from.

Side by Side

Being in the same building means we are a close knit team, and we make the most of opportunities to do things together.

Babies can start from as early as 6 weeks old.  This means that you and your baby can continue to flourish and grow together while you complete your education.

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