This kindergarten operates all year, from mid-January until just prior to Christmas. We close for statutory holidays and five teacher-only days during the year.

At Mornington Kindergarten teachers provide a programme that is caring, happy, safe, secure, encouraging, stimulating, equitable and fun.
•We encourage and feed children’s curiosity and awareness as they investigate.
•We give children ample time, resources and opportunity to feed their curiosity so they develop a variety of skills and strategies as they explore.
•We support and encourage children as they investigate to find solutions to activities they have chosen to explore.
•We support children as they establish relationships with others and develop ways to be responsive to each other.

Our History

In 1961 Mornington Kindergarten was the 14th kindergarten to open in Dunedin, on its current site in English Avenue. It was the 11th community to take advantage of the government subsidy introduced in 1948 to assist provision of kindergarten in their own premises.

Tēnā koutou e hoa mā
Ko Whakaherekau te rohe
Ko Te Moananui a kiwa te Moana
Nō Ōtepoti ahau
Ko Rachel Reynolds taku kura

Hello my friends
South Dunedin is my area
The Pacific Ocean is my water
I am from Dunedin
Rachel Reynolds is my place of learning

We are named after Rachel Reynolds, one of the founding members of the kindergarten movement and are proud to have been in the South Dunedin Community for over one hundred years.

You are welcome to walk in through our gate, meet kaiako / teachers and find out what we can offer you, your child, family and whānau.

All children have the opportunity to learn at their own pace, immersed in a strong, literacy rich, bicultural and fun learning environment.

Looking forward to meeting you!

Our History

South Dunedin Kindergarten opened in St Peter’s Church Hall in 1906, then shifted to Wesleyan Church School room. A new building opened in 1914 as Rachel Reynolds Kindergarten. This was demolished in 1977 as an earthquake risk and the present kindergarten built in 1978.

Roslyn Kindergarten children have opportunities to become confident learners and communicators in a caring, stimulating and exciting environment, ‘where learning is fun.’

Teachers work to build close relationships with families to support children’s learning. Families and teachers have strong responsive, reciprocal and respectful relationships which support children’s strong sense of belonging.

Our families come from a wide area of the hill suburbs and we contribute to a large number of schools.

This kindergarten operates all year, from mid-January until just prior to Christmas. We close for statutory holidays and five teacher-only days during the year.

Learning is our prime focus at Rotary Park Kindergarten and our teachers are fully trained, experienced, qualified and registered. We believe learning should be fun and we provide a quality programme that enhances children’s learning and development in a caring environment. Our programme is based on the principles, strands and goals of the NZ Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Whariki, where children are encouraged to be curious, confident, competent lifelong learners.

Our philosophy is:

• We believe relationships with children and whanau are vital for children’s learning and we provide a place where everyone feels welcome. Teaching and learning is our prime focus.
• Our environment reflects a respect for Papatuanuku. Sustainability and learning how to care for pets are a big part of our place.
• We value the importance of a fun play environment where active movement and healthy choices are promoted.
• Rich literacy and numeracy experiences are integrated.
• We value the importance of our outdoor environment for children’s development/learning.
• We encourage social competence, independence, sharing and caring in young children.
• We believe in the importance of Te Tiriti O Waitangi and our programme reflects this in our commitment to Te Reo and Tikanga Maori.
• Diversity, culture and uniqueness is recognised

At Wakari Kindergarten our established and experienced teaching team encourage children to learn, play and explore. We believe kindergarten is about developing and learning whilst having fun.
Relationships are the key to all learning, and we develop and maintain open relationships with all children, their parents and families.

Wakari Kindergarten: A great place to learn – Where learning is fun!

Our History

Wakari Kindergarten opened in the local Presbyterian Hall in 1943, and moved to its own building in Lynn Street in 1956.

​We are located in the heart of Belleknowes.  We have parks and Roslyn shopping centre nearby for children to explore on ​walking excursions. Our Koru Group regularly visit the town belt for their bush walks as part of the Town Belt Kaitiaki.

We are a well established early childcare centre that has provided education and care for the last 30 years in Dunedin. As a mixed age centre we value the different learning styles each child brings to our centre.

We are licensed for 35 children from 0-5 years. We are a not for profit community and stand alone who work alongside our board of trustees.

We encourage strong  positive relationships between kaiako, children and whanau. At Otago Childcare Centre it is a place where we encourage our children to learn, connect, flourish.

LEARN

• Qualified Teachers
• Children learn in small engaged groups
• Planning based on children’s interests and knowledge
• Quality early learning helps our children begin to realise their potential and build a strong foundation as lifelong learner

CONNECT

• Positive relationships between staff, children and whanau
• Mixed age setting develops social skills, empathy and problem-solving
• Active community engagement
• Strong whanau engagement
• Curriculum that speaks to our past,  present and future

FLOURISH

• Children are supported to succeed
• Exploratory bush programme
• A child is a treasure, to be nurtured, to grow, to flourish
• In an environment that encourages playfulness, risk taking, openness to multiple perspectives and collaboration

For over 50 years, Roslyn Māori Hill Playcentre has been offering a quality preschool programme for children aged 0-5 years. Our centre strongly believes that parents and caregivers are the first and best educators of their children. This doesn’t only mean Mums; we have Dads, Aunties, Grandparents, and Great-Grandparents attend regularly with their tamariki. Alongside our Educator, parents and caregivers encourage and support our tamariki to learn and form connections within our playcentre as well as the wider community.

Our children are supported to become confident, competent self-directed learners through play based around their interests. Our children gain knowledge through play, participation and positive guidance.

Our children’s curiosity and creativity is nurtured through the fun range of experiences provided … no two days at Playcentre are the same.

Our children develop nurturing and social skills which have lifelong benefits. Siblings attend together, allowing older children to mentor younger children and practice empathy and caring.

Our parental relationships developed through Playcentre provide support from parents and help them develop new parenting and life skills.

Our parents are actively involved in providing our children’s learning programmes. The high adult to child ratio allows a good balance for group and individual support during each session.

There is no other organisation for early childhood education and family development quite like it in the world. Thousands of kiwi children, and their parents too, have grown up with Playcentre … book in for your three visits today and come and join the fun.

Mornington Playcentre is a warm, friendly, vibrant Playcentre that provides a nurturing environment and a quality, tailored programme of early childhood learning for your child.

We have a supportive community of enthusiastic families. We have mixed-age sessions and welcome children from birth to 6 years.

Our centre is a purpose built Playcentre and is spacious and open, with 2 large spaces for outdoor play.

Come by and enjoy three free visits to see if our centre is right for you and your child or children.

Polykids – Otago Polytechnic Childcare Centre

Learning is fun and every day presents a new opportunity to discover something new!

The Childcare Centre provides quality education and care for children from birth to school age. We welcome all children from our community – supporting and respecting children and families from all cultural, educational and social backgrounds. Children of all abilities are members of our learning community.

The Centre’s primary mission is to provide quality education and care for children of staff and students of Otago Polytechnic. If spaces are available, then children from the wider local community and Dunedin are accepted. Children of staff and students from Otago Polytechnic are always given priority on any Enrolment Waiting List.

Polykids has separate designated areas for children under the age of two and those over two years old. We can take children from birth through to school age although we prefer children to begin at three months old, as this has given their immune systems a little time to develop. All of our teachers are fully trained or currently in training.

The Polykids philosophy

Our mission is to provide quality Early Childhood Education and care for children from birth through to age five. Our programme follows the Principles of Te Whaariki – the Early Childhood Curriculum of Aotearoa/New Zealand. Through participation in our programme, children will become confident, capable learners and communicators who develop positive dispositions for learning that guide them through life. Our Centre also promotes respect for all, and values the differences that make us all unique. We place special value on the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa/New Zealand, and through consultation and communication with our parents and whanau, we aim to reflect the cultures, aspirations and values of our learning community.

We believe in:

• Providing a learning environment that is welcoming and inclusive
• Building positive and honest relationships – these are paramount for fostering an environment of engaged learning and education
• Promoting collaboration, exploration, problem solving, challenge and reflection, in the belief that children are competent and capable
• Fostering the development of self-belief
• Using the Principles of Te Whaariki to guide our programme and practice in conjunction with the belief that learning occurs through responsible and reciprocal interactions
• Establishing simple and clear boundaries for behaviour to promote respect and an understanding that the setting is fair for all
• Promoting the importance of structure and routine for children to develop a sense of belonging and security
• Advocating, as teachers, for our children, our parents and whanau and for Early Childhood Education

​Kiddies Campus is a boutique Early Leaning and Childcare service in the heart of Dunedin City.  It has been developed in a century old gentleman's residence and has two outdoor areas for the children to play and learn in.

We pride ourselves on offering a 'home away from home' where the children get to socialise with there peer group and to learn valuable skills that will set them up for their school years and beyond.

Our staff are passionate about the children.  They understand the importance of nurturing and allowing the children to grow and develop at their own pace and will use any opportunity to guide the children in their learning experience.

Kiddies Campus is a private, locally owned childcare centre established in the heart of Dunedin in 2003.  It is on a rear section in an old gentleman's residence opening onto a beautiful outdoors area and feels like a home away from home.

The Centre is licensed for up to 50 children, which includes up to 20 under 2 year olds, up to the age of 5 years,  All of the staff are fully committed to the care and education of the children.  We have all created an environment that is safe but challenging, nurturing and educational.

Each area of the Centre has been designed to cater for the needs of the various age groups (babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers) and is resourced with stimulating activities that are fun, will inspire learning and build confidence.  The staff work in partnership with the parents and whanau to ensure the children achieve their full potential.

We encourage the children to be confident in themselves and their own culture, and to develop a respect and understanding of others.

We utilise the secure on-line "Educa" service to maintain records for each child and these are able to be accessed by parents, or whanau they may nominate, at any time.  They showcase the child's learning experiences and journey and provide a fascinating record of these foundation years in their development.