Be a part of something a little bit wonderful!

Bordering the sandy shores of St Clair and St Kilda beach, Little Wonders St Kilda offers a fun-loving and rich programme for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Our well resourced, purpose built centre features five separate rooms specially designed for each age and stage, giving children increased opportunities to challenge and extend their social, emotional and physical development. Energetic and dedicated teachers will ensure your little one thrives, helping them unlock their own unique potential in an environment that is safe, nurturing and vibrant.

Spark your child’s imagination. Build their skills. Set them up with a lifelong love of learning.

Join our journey at Little Wonders St Kilda.

Our philosophy

At Little Wonders St Kilda, strong relationships build the foundation for our community to work together to create a positive environment for our children to explore, understand and expand their knowledge of the world.

We acknowledge all cultures and embrace the richness and diversity that they bring. We honour the Treaty of Waitangi by providing opportunities for all children to learn, with Te Whariki (our national curriculum) evident in our practice.

At Little Wonders St Kilda, teachers are professionals in their field. They provide a programme that is designed to meet the social, emotional, physical and cognitive needs of the children, whilst valuing the wealth of knowledge established by family/whanau.

At Little Wonders St Kilda, success in learning comes from children actively exploring the environment, engaging in meaningful, uninterrupted play while interacting with people, places and things.

Our priorities for children’s learning are implemented through quality teaching strategies that are relative to each age group. Teachers are focused on supporting children to become:

• Independent learners
• Investigative learners
• Culturally respectful
• Risk takers
• Decision makers
• Resilient
• Socially confident
• Enriched in languages, numbers and information technology

Rooms

Little Wonders St Kilda has five separate classrooms, allowing us to resource and respond to the specific needs of different ages and stages.

Kakariki Room

Our Kakariki Room is a customised space for our youngest children aged 3 months to 1 year old to safely explore, gain confidence and be respected as initiators and self-learners. The teaching team’s approach is inspired by the RIE philosophy, offering an environment that is a balance of being physically safe, cognitively challenging and emotionally nurturing.

The environment is warm, calm and inviting, presenting a ‘home away from home’ feel. Families are welcomed into this space where infants are valued and respected. Daily journals ensure each infant’s individual routine is followed, and their development supported by a loving teaching team, dedicated to providing them with the best possible start.

Kahurangi Room

The Kahurangi Room is designed to inspire and support our 1 to 2 year olds as they take those beginning steps towards exploring the world around them. The environment offers age-appropriate physical challenges, both indoors and outdoors, supporting physical development, and increasing confidence, balance, strength and agility.

An experienced teaching team, who understand the natural urges and interests of this age group, provide a balanced and engaging programme that extends and inspires. The tamariki are encouraged and supported to explore the environment and participate in fun learning experiences that are introduced alongside their care routine.

Karaka Room

The Karaka Room is where our fun-loving 2 to 3 year olds get to make their mark! With an emphasis on language development, they participate in rich learning experiences including music, puppets, magnetic stories, storytelling and imaginative play. Our Karaka Room teaching team have an abundance of energy and respond to the learners needs with enthusiasm and creativity.

Kowhai Room

Our 3 to 4 year olds have a large indoor environment that boasts a variety of different learning spaces including an art area, whanau corner, block area, construction table, library corner, train table, natural world play space, and a music area. Each child is supported to follow their interests and extend their learning through a play-based model where teachers use intentional teaching strategies to add depth, skills and new knowledge to their inquiries.

Whero Room

Purpose designed for our 4 to 5 year olds, the Whero Room is proud of its reputable Transition to School programme that is integrated throughout the daily learning experiences and supports our children and their families to prepare for the next phase of their learning journey. The curriculum has a strong focus on developing self-care and emotional regulation skills to support the development of independence, and confidence.

Why choose us?

There are a host of reasons why families choose Little Wonders St Kilda. Here are just a few of them:

• Awesome location, bordering St Clair an St Kilda beaches
• Delicious meals cooked daily by our centre cook (she has a Degree in Culinary Arts!)
• Five specially designed classrooms catering for each age and stage, including a separate purpose built infants room
• Experienced, dedicated teachers
• Extended opening hours great for working parents (7.30am to 6pm)
• Regular outings including walks to the Esplanade and sports ground, or bussing into town or local gardens
• Strong collaborative partnerships between parents and teachers
• Community focussed
• Regular dress up days
• Whanau evenings and special events
• Weekly term-time gymnastics for 2 to 5 year olds
• Optional Playball for 3 to 5 year olds

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.

Our kindergarten is situated near St Kilda beach and is in close proximity to several primary schools; close links to these schools are fostered. Our outdoor environment has been created by parents, teachers and children to reflect our beach-side community.
Come and visit our secret garden! This environment encourages imaginative play and exploration in a very natural setting. Children are closely involved in the establishment and care of our flower and vegetable gardens.

Our History

In 1922 St Kilda Kindergarten opened in the local Presbyterian Church hall, it then moved to the scout hall, and later into a local house. In 1957 the present Kindergarten was opened.

Learning Links Montessori is an Early Childhood setting on Queens Drive in St Kilda Dunedin. We follow the Montessori philosophy of child-directed learning with a big emphasis on the development of independence.  

Our programme is designed to support the children’s growing curiosity and encourage them to explore and learn with the guidance of qualified Montessori teachers.  

We provide a nurturing and well prepared environment where the children can develop independence and respect for both the natural world and each other. Our Montessori approach is strongly interwoven with the TeWhariki -the Zealand Early Childhood curriculum . Balanced with group activities, a beautiful outdoor learning environment and regular whanau events to promote a strong community feeling. 

 Our mixed age group settings foster a strong sense of community in which the children care and collaborate with each other.  

Why choose Learning Links?

We believe learning is an exciting process of discovery, leading to concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning. By giving children easy access to well-organised equipment and resources as well as the freedom to choose activities they are interested in, they experience the excitement and fun of discovery at their own pace.  

We are a passionate team of educators who strive to support the children on their individual leaning journey to become independent human beings.  

The Montessori philosophy doesn’t just prepare the child for school, rather gives them tools to life creating a love of lifelong learning.  

Feel free to arrange a visit to discuss the philosophy in more detail and to view our three Montessori environments-Nido, Rata and Kowhai.  

With a complete new internal fitout and all new resources and an incredible refresh outdoors you will love our new look environment.