Childcare options in Whitford

Playcentre is a family organisation where we

• Empower adults and children to play, work, learn and grow together
• Honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and celebrate people’s uniqueness
• Value and affirm parents as the first and best educators of their children so that whanau are strengthened and communities enriched

At Whitford Playcentre we pride ourselves on being a friendly and relaxed playcentre. We want our centre to be a place that members want to contribute towards. We recognise that in order to achieve this we need to cultivate strong relationships with each other, strive to maintain a balance between doing and being together, and have fun and enjoy our time at Playcentre.

Our rural setting allows us to have a large outdoor environment, offering lots of gardens, a solid playground structure, modular playground equipment, a sandpit, and lots of space for other activities such as water play, messy play, and loose parts. We have a large covered deck that provides plenty of space for activities, even on the wettest days, along with a very well-resourced indoor environment. 

We welcome tamariki of all ages, from newborn babies to school-age and enjoy seeing our children grow in their mixed age environment. 

Here at Whitford Early Learning Centre we firmly believe that care and education go hand in hand and we strive to continually provide the right balance of care and learning experiences for the different ages, stages, and needs of your child.

Our Centre has been carefully set up with this in mind with our well thought out curriculum, experienced team, and four well-designed age-appropriate rooms all on-site. Each room is organised to provide the appropriate level of education and care to suit the age and needs of your child.

• Fantail Room – 3 months to 18 months
• Tui Room – 18 months to 2.5 years
• Pukeko Room – 2.5  to 3.5  years
• Kindy – 3  to 5 years

Age ranges are a guide, children are transitioned to their next room as they show readiness, for some this is sooner, others later.

“There’s a clear focus on what would most benefit the children including attractive, age-appropriate settings...” - Education Review Office, November 2012

We pride ourselves on our well-structured transition programme to support your child and your family through the process of transition, right from when you first come to our Centre,  within the centre, and finally off to school.

Parents are also encouraged to be fully involved with this transition process, visiting the next room with their child, meeting the new teachers and also familiarising themselves with any new routines and the environment.

“Systems for ensuring seamless transition within the centre have helped strengthen relationships and supportive sharing” - Education Review Office, November 2012

Outside, as well as the spacious playgrounds, there are petanque and picnic areas and supervised swimming pool facilities. Along with the meadow, there are also hills to climb and our wonderful farm animals. Whitford’s Alpaca’s Pacman, Chico, Alfonso, and Albert are much loved by all the children.

Fantail Room:

Many of our children start their journey at Whitford Early Learning Centre as a Fantail. This is our under 2’s Centre for children aged from 3 months up to 18 months.

Tui Room:  

Our adventurous Tuis, from 18 months to 2.5 years, enjoy stimulating art activities, play facilities, and learning games in a fabulous indoor-outdoor environment that supports both their cognitive development and all the social skills they are going to need through life.

Pukeko Room: 

The 2.5 to 3.5-year-old children form the Pukeko group.  Together they explore our outdoor classroom and bring what they learn back into the classroom which is reflected in their art and play.

The covered and uncovered play areas provide opportunities for workshop and adventure play.

Kiwi Room:

From three years to school age, the transition to school is made easy with the amount of learning that takes place in our Kindergarten.

The children enjoy lots of independent learning opportunities in a wide variety of activities including music and art, literacy, and numeracy skills. From approximately 4 and a half, the children take part in Kiwi explorer's extended learning programme, giving the children an extra boost just prior to going to school.

Environments filled with love curiosity and wonder for children 3 months to 5 years.

Bumblebees Whitford is in the heart of Whitford Village in a thoughtfully renovated villa, maintaining its beautiful character and history.

Adorned with natural light, our generous indoor play spaces were created with purpose and love and richly resourced to ignite curiosity and wonder. Our beautiful art space in our cottage, inspires our little bees to share ideas and indulge in self expression.

Designed with adventure in mind, our three spacious outdoor areas include huts, sandpits, mud, natural obstacle courses, and vegetable gardens, empowering the children to connect with nature and nourish every facet of their being. Our learning environment serves as an invitation to play, and our loving teaching team gently guides our children with respectful and caring teaching practices.

With nutritionist approved and deliciously cooked meals prepared by our in house cook, our children have full bellies and are ready for a fun filled day of learning and laughter.