Childcare options in Takapuna

Welcome to Takapuna Kindergarten. We have a large outdoor garden where children can play, a newly renovated building, and friendly, fully qualified staff dedicated to providing the best possible early childhood education in Takapuna. Our programmes respond to the individual needs of each child, in close consultation with parents and whanau. There is a strong focus on goal setting for children, and nurturing them to meet those goals.

We are very proud that our kindergarten in Takapuna has achieved Silver Enviroschools status and we continue to work with our community to build and maintain the sustainable practices that are important to us. The New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Whāriki, guides our teaching and helps us to create a learning environment that embraces the diversity of New Zealand children. The curriculum is based around five principles of learning: wellbeing (mana atua) belonging (mana whenua), contribution (mana tangata), communication (mana reo) and exploration (mana aoturoa).

Unlike any other Takapuna childcare centre, we are part of a tradition of educating Kiwi kids that stretches back more than a century. The Auckland Kindergarten Association, of which our centre is a part, was established in 1908 and is a longstanding organisation with a charitable purpose, teaching children academic and life skills.

Kindergartens are set apart by many things, one of which is the integration into the community. Relationships within the local area are important to us, and we take a collaborative approach with families to ensure our children learn both at kindy and at home. The transition to school is a big focus for our older kids, and we work hard to prepare them for this big life change.

The teaching team behind our Kindergarten is passionate about providing an education that goes beyond what you’ll find at a typical Takapuna daycare provider. We have four early childhood qualified and registered teachers, a teacher support person and an administrator making up a dedicated staff.

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.

Nau mai, haere mai and welcome to Takapuna 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!

Safe, nurturing and inspiring, Lollipops Takapuna provides high quality care and education to a diverse and vibrant multicultural mix of local families. Our highly experienced teachers will equip your little one with everything they need to settle in and succeed in this ever changing world. Your child will build confidence and resilience, develop independence and social skills, and gain a strong sense of belonging. They’ll thrive in an engaging environment that encourages learning through fun and play. Located in a beautiful renovated building, we offer a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces specially designed for each age and stage, with great facilities, first-class resources, and an excellent transition to school programme.

Our Philosophy

At Lollipops Educare Takapuna we believe that our philosophy is underpinned by providing a welcoming second home for our tamariki and whānau, where their uniqueness (Mauri) is acknowledged, they enjoy a strong sense of belonging (Whanaugatanga), through strong attachments knowing that they have a place here at our centre.

Our kaiako acknowledge and affirm that our curriculum is bi-cultural. We respect and reflect the unique place of Māori, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and acknowledge and validate the diverse multicultural backgrounds of our whānau, their Mana, their values and virtues.  We also believe it is fundamental to seek to reflect our multiculturalism through the way in which we welcome all cultures.  Our multiculturalism is reflected in “who we are” and is embedded in our curriculum and practise.

Open communication with our parents and whānau is the foundation for positive and reciprocal relationships and is the cornerstone of this partnership.  It is through this that we maintain a respectful environment where our tamariki experience Manaakitanga: being nurtured and loved through a curriculum of care, focussing on kindness, supporting children’s self-regulation and in promoting Kotahitanga: taking pleasure in our connections with each other.  These relationships and connections are the basis for all learning and development.

Our rooms

Lollipops Takapuna has two separate outdoor areas and three separate indoor spaces, catering to children at each age and stage of development.

Outdoors we have an infants and toddler play area, where our children can explore safely at their own calm pace, as well as a preschool area, where our older children enjoy more challenging activities.

Inside, we have the following rooms:

Cubs Room

This caters for children from birth to approximately 18 months.  We have a ratio of one teacher to four children, which means we have a maximum of eight babies per day.  We follow each baby’s established routine from home and cater for their individual needs in every way. During this stage of a baby’s development we encourage self-discovery which is why our babies regularly enjoy heuristic play and an environment that provides opportunities for exploration with all the senses. We enjoy listening to songs, nursery rhymes, waiata and music from different nations.  Our programme is based on Te Whāriki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum that fosters children’s holistic development

Tigers Room

Here we cater for children from approximately 18 months up to 3 years of age. Our teachers follow a programme which supports and develops our toddlers’ physical, social and cognitive skills and language development with resources that encourage problem solving and exploration. During this stage of a child’s development they are discovering their individuality and gaining independence by developing self-help skills. Our Tigers benefit from a free play philosophy where they are able to choose from a range of interactive experiences on offer to them throughout the day. We also have structured mat times, music and movement time and art learning experiences

Why choose us?

There are a host of reasons why families choose Lollipops Takapuna. Here are just a few of them:

• Healthy Heart meals provided including for those with special dietary needs
• Two separate outdoor areas for different age groups enable children to explore safely at their own pace
• Regular walks in the local community (e.g. library, beach, parks)
• Excellent transition to school programme including established partnership with Takapuna Primary School
• Multicultural environment, including many families that have recently arrived in New Zealand
• Skilled staff work collaboratively to settle children from other nations using many strategies to create a strong sense of security, belonging and wellbeing
• Our staff speak several languages and we believe in teaching children in their first language whenever possible
• We celebrate cultural days of all families represented at our centre
• Our team is skilled in adapting teaching practice for children with diverse needs, abilities and strengths
• Close relationship with our neighbours, the Takapuna Methodist Church
• Two parent evenings each year including dinner and guest speakers
• Annual summer excursion (e.g. Auckland Zoo, Kiwi Valley Farm Park, Butterfly Creek)

Our team of dedicated teachers provide the  highest quality care and education,  delivering rich and inspiring learning experiences and environments that bring out the best in every child. Unlock your child’s unique potential

The No 1 Kindy is a well-established early learning centre in Takapuna, Auckland. It is licensed for 34 children, including up to 12 under two years of age. The centre offers full-day education and care in a mixed-age group programme.

The centre's philosophy is aligned to the principles of Te Whāriki 2017, the early childhood curriculum. It emphasises the values of whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, tuakana/teina, and fostering trusting relationships with children and their whānau. This is underpinned by a strong commitment to biculturalism and child-led play.

Centre staff consist of the experienced owner, who manages the centre, and 10 registered teachers. Most of the teachers are long-standing members of staff.

Child is a high quality preschool in New Zealand, setting a standard in both education and staffing. We offer five innovative and individual learning environments, catering for all preschool children from birth to five years, thus ensuring continuity of progress in these all-important formative years. Our purpose-built preschools are designed solely for the child. These unique surroundings set our children on a journey of accelerated learning and self-discovery whilst building their confidence and self-esteem. Through a diverse educational programme, your child will learn, grow and develop in an inspirational environment. Our holistic teaching programmes are of the highest standard utilising structured learning plans, lesson evaluations and child-initiated activities.

At child, we guide our children by providing them with an intriguing array of outdoor areas, arts, books and learning materials. We believe that childhood should be a joyful and exciting time and if guided properly, children will learn without even knowing that they are learning.

Through our educational approach encompassing emotional, social and intellectual development, we help children feel valued and acknowledged in today’s world. We encourage them to feel confident in developing positive relationships with both teachers and other children and we respect and celebrate their different, individual personalities.

True to our goal of being the best preschool available, we also offer two full-time chefs in a fully equipped commercial kitchen cooking three daily nutritious meals for our children. We have dedicated sleep rooms, a dedicated staffroom with adjoining teacher resource and planning room, laundry, meeting room and car seat storage.

child is a privately owned Preschool, run and managed by Lee Clark. Lee is a qualified Early Childhood Teacher who has had many years of experience teaching and educating children, both nationally and internationally. Lee gained her qualifications in Australia, where Lee and her husband designed and built “The Heritage Preschool” in NSW, Australia. Lee successfully managed the preschool for eight years before selling it to move to New Zealand. Her passion to educate young children is reflected in that both herself and Preschool Manager Lauren are on site every day involved in the managing and daily running of child.  Lauren is Early Childhood and Primary Trained, they are both always available for discussions, face to face meetings and involvement with all parents, staff and children to ensure a close family environment.  

Above all, we firmly believe that children need to be nurtured in an environment where their creativity and imagination is embraced.

In other words, where children can be children.

At child, our goal is simple: to make learning irresistible. In other words, to uncover the potential within each child, enabling us to prepare and inspire them for a lifetime of learning, discovery and creative thinking.

Angels Childcare Takapuna is a small, homely centre in the heart of Takapuna which captures the true essence of love. We recognise and value the importance of genuine relationships and how a feeling of wellbeing and belonging facilitates and nurtures children’s learning and development in crucial early childhood years.

Our centre prides itself on its attractive & inviting indoor & outdoor environments and on its close-knit team of skilled and caring staff who provide children with every opportunity to explore their capabilities and extend on their self-confidence, knowledge and learning.

With Takapuna Primary School right next door, we are perfectly located. Our Pre-school teachers engage with the School on an ongoing basis, as we prepare our older children for school readiness, through an Early Literacy & Numeracy programme, optimizing your child’s foundational skills for transitioning into School.

Angels Childcare Takapuna provides a respectful, loving and nurturing home away from home for the children and families we serve in Takapuna and the wider community. We pride ourselves on our hospitality and we look forward to welcoming you into our family at Angels Childcare.

Welcome to Pupuke Early Education Centre.

We consider a child’s early years to be extremely important, and it is our role to provide you with professional and friendly support to assist with your child’s development.

We are a privately owned centre in the heart of Takapuna.

We have experienced, qualified staff to ensure your child receives the best education and care possible in an optimum learning environment.

Our philosophy 

Here at Pupuke, we welcome children and their whanau into a safe, trusting and respectful environment where they will be loved and acknowledged with warmth by friendly, professional staff. We want families to feel comfortable and experience a sense of belonging in a relaxed, caring environment.

Our families are valued; we are serious about what we do and our staff are competent and skilled. Children are active participants in their learning which, we believe, should happen daily and our parents are welcomed resources who deserve to be listened to. We acknowledge parents and whᾱnau as a child’s first teachers and we want to collaborate with them in decision making, providing regular feedback and encouraging them to be actively involved in what we do.

Children will be learning about solving problems, taking risks by trying new things, learning from their mistakes and developing knowledge and skills. We also believe children should be encouraged to be independent, confident, socially competent, empathetic, resilient and happy. We want them to be tolerant of others and considerate of their feelings. To achieve this and build a respectful relationship with both the child and family we will observe their behaviour, support them and extend their knowledge; at the same time we need to keep learning as fun as possible. We need to assess what children know and work together to co-construct and extend their learning. We will show children by example and ensure our behaviour mirrors what we want to see in children. We will encourage them to try to do things for themselves, help and support their efforts, encourage their natural learning, listen to and collaborate with them. This will be achieved through peer tutoring, learning alongside others and developing and encouraging teina-tuakana relationships. Our programme aims to provide for children’s needs holistically in a secure, safe and loving environment.