Childcare options in Frankton

Situated in the suburb of Frankton, and just minutes from the Queenstown Airport, Queenstown Events Centre and Remarkables Park Shopping Centre, our Queenstown Childcare Centre has spaces available now.

Our Queenstown Childcare Centre is a safe place for children to grow and develop. The amazing teachers come from many different cultures and backgrounds and are able to make every child feel welcomed and at home. Our early learning childcare teachers have outstanding qualifications and experience, they are committed to growing and caring for our next generation.

The curriculum is designed to create learning opportunities for each child with the purpose to enhance the development as they grow into their special God-given identities and be confident in who they are.

If you are looking for a home-away-from-home for your child in Queenstown, say hi to us at City Impact Church Childcare Queenstown.

Our roots are something to be proud of. Our stories are begging to be told. Our lands, our marae, and our taonga are to be treasured. Our language is precious. Our traditions are beautiful. Our history belongs in our future.

Our roots run deep

At BestStart Greenwood Street, we know how important culture is to our future. We are connected to these lands, to Papatūānuku, to Ranginui by both sun and by moonlight, to the bounty of Tangaroa, and to the wind song of Tāwhirimātea, bound together by the embrace of Tāne Māhuta.

As you walk into our whare, you will feel the wairua and be greeted by kingitanga hanging in our rooms and hallway. This is what connects us to our past. We are driven by aroha, whānaungatanga, wānanga and start everyday with morning karakia.

Our kaiako believe in celebrating your heritage, the language that your elders speak, and the mighty tipuna who paved the way before you and your whānau. We teach our tamariki to appreciate the humble ways our people lived and thrived.

Our whare is a house of learning, a house of fun, a house to explore our culture and all things unique to you. Our kaiako share stories and legends handed down from generation to generation to help us learn about the world around us. We learn to be strong like Māui, to shine bright like the seven stars during Matariki. And we learn to be kaitiaki like the taniwha that swims in the mighty Waikato River.

In the Kererū room, we operate from the kaupapa belief “it takes a village to raise a child”. We have communication books that allow you to see the most important way our kaiako are growing our pēpi and connecting them to the life source of aroha, manaakitanga – love and nurtured learning. We go at the pace of your pēpi, catering to their needs and interests while connecting with you as much as possible to strengthen our relationships. 

In the Kea room, our kaiako work with whānau to support the tamariki by using centre hui and whānau events so that they stay connected to their roots and progress towards developing their own mana. Using language is another way to connect with our whānau. We believe it is important for our tamariki to hear that languages they hear at home so our kaiako greet whānau in languages like Hindi and Māori. Poipoia te kākano, kia puawai  - the root system of our Toddler room is manaaki. We want our tamariki to love learning for life

Our Kiwi room is where our tamariki, filled with culture start on their pathway to kura. We learn about birds, trees, insects, animals and all that Papatūānuku, Mother Earth gives us. We learn about creation and lifecycles, how to care for centre pets and most important how to be a great friend.

We practice our ball skills, we learn to work together as a team and we celebrate our success. Our whānau get behind our Greenwood Gladiators, bringing flags and signs, dressing up and cheering us on during our Rippa Rugby Tournament.

We work really hard making our own costumes and practising our waiata for our Cultural Festival. Our whānau come from far and wide to tautoko us and when our nannies do a karanga, their cry of pride connects us back to what matters the most – our roots.

Our Centre Taonga is our korowai made by our tamariki. As our tamariki leave, they each sew their own feather to the korowai, knowing they will always have a place in our whānau. When your tamaiti leaves us for kura, they will wear our korowai with pride, letting their roots guide their new journey while their friends, kaiako and whānau watch on. 

Kia mau ki tō Ūkaipō - take who you are and where you’re from with you.

Who is BestStart?

BestStart is for families who want more from early-childhood education. Safe, nurturing and educationally focused, we’re committed to growing caring people with curious minds.

Together we teach, learn and nurture.

Our vision is to work in partnership with families, whanau and communities to enable children to achieve their learning potential.

Ko tō mātou tirohanga hei mahi ngātahi i te taha o ngā whānau me ngā hāpori, kia āwhinatia ngā tamariki, kia tū pito mata ai rāatou, hei rangatira mō āpōpō.

We are committed to being a progressive and responsive leader in early-childhood education. We do this by enhancing our services, investing in our people, developing our support structure and continuously improving the educational outcomes and experiences of our children, families and the communities we serve.

Some facts:

• We’re licensed to educate and care for 15,000 full-time children daily.
• 18,000 families use BestStart services annually.
• We have over 270 centres nationwide located from Whangarei to Invercargill.
• Each centre is managed by a Centre Manager who is supported by a local Area Manager. This gives our centre teams ongoing quality training and support.
• Te Whāriki, the world-wide acclaimed national early childhood education curriculum, is used in all centres.
• We have over 4500 permanent teachers nationally. Over 90% of our permanent teaching staff are either fully qualified with a diploma or bachelor of teaching (ECE) or higher, or are in training. These figures are very high by national standards within the ECE sector.
• We provide a two-year Advice and Guidance Programme for all recently certified teachers, providing further mentoring and training. This gives strong support for teachers from provisional registration to full teacher registration with the NZ Teachers Council.
• We regularly spend around $4 million on teacher training per annum.

We’re for children

At our heart is our commitment and passion for children. Central to this belief is our focus on the holistic development of children. We support children to explore the world around them, learning through relationships, creating a love of learning in an ever-changing world. Exploration, friendship and fun are part of the journey.

We’re for good

BestStart is a registered charity owned by the Wright Family Foundation. We support initiatives and programmes within BestStart and the wider early-childhood education sector (ECE) that support good outcomes for all children. We do this because we want to make a positive difference to the lives of all children.

Innovation leads us

At BestStart, innovation guides our thinking. We advocate positive change for learners through our research and practice. We’re proud to be thought leaders within ECE, openly challenging ourselves to think differently to provide the best for our children, families and staff.

We’re responsive

Our centres reflect their children, staff and communities. We celebrate individuality, uniqueness and diversity, encouraging a spirit of empathy, understanding and collaboration. Through our responsive relationships and our curriculum, we support learners to choose their own path.

Our people matter

At BestStart people come first. When we grow and develop our people, everyone benefits. We strive for whakamana/empowerment, nurturing a culture of excellence with engaged, talented professionals. Their commitment, skill and passion light our way.

Welcome to Go Bananas Childcare!

Leaving a child with a childcare facility is an important decision. For most of the children, it marks the first time they will be away from their parents for a long period of time. We are delighted that you are considering our services as an integral part of your child’s upbringing. We are committed to providing the best quality care and education for children from 3 months to 6 years old.

Research shows a child’s first five years are critical to all future learning and development as their brains develop most rapidly during this time. By age three a child’s brain has already developed to 80% of its adult size with brain connections formed through the interactions, experiences, and relationships the child makes. The quality of these interactions, experiences, and relationships is crucial and that is why a child’s involvement in a quality early learning program is so important.

Why Choose Us

• Provide indoor and outdoor educational spaces which are age-appropriate and designed to engage and support children to discover, grow and learn.
• Offer children the experiences to support their cognitive, emotional and physical development.
• Plan from each child’s individual interests, we aim to work alongside their interest, making them to be creative, curious and confident to develop positive and lasting relationships with their peers.
• Promote the very best practices to nurture children’s well-being and support them to fulfil their potential.
• Partner with families to ensure our children feel a sense of belonging.
• Acknowledge and respect the diversity of our families and communities in which they reside.
• Have educators, teachers, and leaders who are passionate, dedicated and they support and celebrate each child’s individual talents and strengths through meaningful interactions, experiences, and relationships.

At BestStart Dinsdale we're a lovely early learning centre with individual rooms created for the developmental stages of our tamariki. We're open from 7.30am to 5.30pm right through the year, only closing for public holidays.

We rise by lifting others

Me whakamana taatou I a tatou

We value every tamaiti (child) as an individual. Their independence is valued and encouraged through exploration, play and cultural identity. We plant seeds on a foundation of kindness to rise and lift others, and as nature intended, we ourselves are uplifted.

Nau mai haere mai ki BestStart Dinsdale. We have a team of diverse, passionate and creative teachers committed to making a positive impact on the learning and growth of our tamariki.

Trusting relationships - Working together with our families and whānau is integral to developing an understanding of what each child needs to learn, grow and develop. We work hard to nurture these relationships and create open and honest communication. When we do this we are able to make sure every child has the support they need to thrive. 

Cultural connections - Celebrating our rich diversity is an important part of centre life. Together with our local BestStart hapu we are building connections with our local marae. We focus on supporting children to know their own whakapapa and identity, to stand proud in who they are.

Ready for school - We have a passionate primary trained teacher who leads our pathway to kura programme. From the age of four we set goals for our children to ensure they are well prepared for school. We build children’s capabilities through activities and experiences that foster independence, support their social and emotional development, develop critical thinking and focus on developing a passion for learning, supporting them to rise to their potential.

Getting physical - We are lucky to have great outdoor spaces where our children can challenge themselves and develop their physical skills. We utilise our wharenui for dance, gymnastics, kapa haka and yoga. We also have opportunities for our children to connect across the rooms to encourage tuakana / teina relationships.

We love going on excursions to the local and wider community. We build connections with our community by getting involved and supporting local community events.

Learning rooms - We have three learning rooms that cater to every age group from 3 months to 5 years old.

Who is BestStart?

BestStart is for families who want more from early-childhood education. Safe, nurturing and educationally focused, we’re committed to growing caring people with curious minds.

Together we teach, learn and nurture.

Our vision is to work in partnership with families, whanau and communities to enable children to achieve their learning potential.

Ko tō mātou tirohanga hei mahi ngātahi i te taha o ngā whānau me ngā hāpori, kia āwhinatia ngā tamariki, kia tū pito mata ai rāatou, hei rangatira mō āpōpō.

We are committed to being a progressive and responsive leader in early-childhood education. We do this by enhancing our services, investing in our people, developing our support structure and continuously improving the educational outcomes and experiences of our children, families and the communities we serve.

Some facts:

• We’re licensed to educate and care for 15,000 full-time children daily.
• 18,000 families use BestStart services annually.
• We have over 270 centres nationwide located from Whangarei to Invercargill.
• Each centre is managed by a Centre Manager who is supported by a local Area Manager. This gives our centre teams ongoing quality training and support.
• Te Whāriki, the world-wide acclaimed national early childhood education curriculum, is used in all centres.
• We have over 4500 permanent teachers nationally. Over 90% of our permanent teaching staff are either fully qualified with a diploma or bachelor of teaching (ECE) or higher, or are in training. These figures are very high by national standards within the ECE sector.
• We provide a two-year Advice and Guidance Programme for all recently certified teachers, providing further mentoring and training. This gives strong support for teachers from provisional registration to full teacher registration with the NZ Teachers Council.
• We regularly spend around $4 million on teacher training per annum.

We’re for children

At our heart is our commitment and passion for children. Central to this belief is our focus on the holistic development of children. We support children to explore the world around them, learning through relationships, creating a love of learning in an ever-changing world. Exploration, friendship and fun are part of the journey.

We’re for good

BestStart is a registered charity owned by the Wright Family Foundation. We support initiatives and programmes within BestStart and the wider early-childhood education sector (ECE) that support good outcomes for all children. We do this because we want to make a positive difference to the lives of all children.

Innovation leads us

At BestStart, innovation guides our thinking. We advocate positive change for learners through our research and practice. We’re proud to be thought leaders within ECE, openly challenging ourselves to think differently to provide the best for our children, families and staff.

We’re responsive

Our centres reflect their children, staff and communities. We celebrate individuality, uniqueness and diversity, encouraging a spirit of empathy, understanding and collaboration. Through our responsive relationships and our curriculum, we support learners to choose their own path.

Our people matter

At BestStart people come first. When we grow and develop our people, everyone benefits. We strive for whakamana/empowerment, nurturing a culture of excellence with engaged, talented professionals. Their commitment, skill and passion light our way.

Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Oranga o Ngā Kaupapa is a centre-based kōhanga reo located in Frankton-Hamilton and provides for up to 34 tamariki. Book a visit today to connect with our kōhanga reo and to learn more about the options for your whanau.

Te Kōhanga Reo

The kōhanga reo movement is a unique initiative based on total immersion in Māori language and values with the aim of passing on Māori culture to future generations.

Kōhanga reo emphasise the revitalisation of the culture through te reo Māori and are dependent on the active participation of the whole whānau. The kaupapa of kōhanga reo aims to strengthen whānau capabilities in cultural, social, economic, spiritual and political matters. Education, health and wellbeing are inherent within all aspects of the kaupapa. The prime focus is the whānau – its collective development, growth, accountability and wellbeing set within a Māori cultural context.

Kōhanga reo do not regard tamariki in isolation, but as important members of the whānau. The kōhanga reo philosophy is that tamariki will benefit when whānau successfully operate according to the kaupapa. Tamariki are an integral part of whānau development.

The following key goals are the foundation of te kōhanga reo kaupapa established in 1982:

• total immersion in te reo Māori me ōna tikanga in daily operations
• whānau decision-making, management and responsibility
• accountability
• health and wellbeing of mokopuna and whānau.

The key goals of te kōhanga reo assure that there will be:

• security in te reo Māori
• a supportive, caring environment for mokopuna
• whānau (collective) sharing of responsibilities, knowledge and expertise
• greater respect and appreciation of each other.

We are close to the centre of town and draw on many neighbouring suburbs. Our well-resourced centre is at the end of the street, bordering a gully.

Parents all share in the running of our centre and our sessions focus on Playcentre Philosophy with child-led activities, high adult to child ratios, and 16 plus areas of play in a fun supportive environment. We believe parents and whanau are the first and most important educators of our children and children learn best by doing what they love- playing! Dinsdale Playcentre received the highest rating possible in our last ERO review – “very well placed” to promote positive learning outcomes for children.

We welcome families to visit with their preschool children- birth to school age and check out what we do.

Frankton Kindergartens Waikato is well-respected for providing high quality, affordable education and childcare.

The programme is holistic in nature, with awareness that children are individuals, developing at their own pace and in their own way. We value and role-model collaboration, respect, appreciation and encouragement.

• Warm & welcoming staff who are passionate about teaching and learning.
• Safe, caring and stimulating environment.
• Well resourced and huge outdoor play area.
• Located close to Frankton Primary School allowing easy transition to school.
• An exclusive early childhood partnership with the Enviroschools Programme (eg. recycling, composting, gardening).
• In Partnership with Sports Waikato Under5 Energize to eat healthy, be active & have fun! 
• Children develop social interaction and respect.
• Learning based on the NZ Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Whāriki.
• Value family/whānau and kindergarten partnership.
• Transition to school programme.

Nestled below our majestic mountains is a very special place... a place where children get their journey off to a Remarkable Start.

We offer quality Early Childhood Education for 1- 6 Year-olds across our two centres in Queenstown, New Zealand.

Within our beautifully considered environment with its warm and welcoming community spirit, we nurture your child’s unique potential, so they’re equipped with everything they need for school and beyond.

Nature is one of our greatest teachers

Our two purpose-built centres are eco-friendly and sustainability focussed with a strong connection to the great outdoors. We promote a sense of community and care – for each other and our incredible surroundings.

Our flagship centre was opened in December 2017. With views of Coronet Peak and our namesake – The Remarkables – this really is one of the most inspiring settings for an early learning centre. When it came to designing the building, our vision was to create an environment that connects Queenstown children to the great outdoors.

Positioned to receive natural warmth and light, and to make the most of the mountain views, the centre is designed to ‘bring the outside in’. Featuring a connecting deck and large sliding glass doors, we’ve created a space that effortlessly connects the learning space inside to the natural environment outside.

Our Prepared Environment

Our commitment to nature and sustainability flows across into the materials in our prepared environments. We have sourced beautifully crafted, natural Montessori and conventional learning materials.

The learning spaces are beautifully presented with natural tones and textures creating a calm environment with the right amount of stimulation for the children. Our furniture and resources are child appropriate in size, giving the children a sense of belonging in their own space.

Sustainability Focus

As an eco-friendly centre, we integrate sustainability into our operation and education programme. The children learn about caring for nature throughout the programme including, composting and growing the raised edible gardens. To minimise our impact on the environment, we use natural materials and eco-friendly products wherever possible.

Nau mai, haere mai and welcome to Wakatipu 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!

Nestled at the base of the Remarkable Mountains in the vibrant Frankton community, Kidsfirst Kindergartens Frankton offers a picturesque learning environment. The kindergarten is conveniently located in a quiet cul-de-sac with ample parking and overlooks the scenic Kawarau River and Lake Wakatipu. The spacious and modern purpose-built facility features a large covered deck for outdoor play in all weather conditions. Inside, the light-filled space is thoughtfully equipped with a variety of teaching materials to support child-initiated learning, offering both quiet areas and group activities. The expansive backyard provides children with abundant opportunities to explore, discover, and engage with the natural world. With green grass, gardens, climbing trees, and specially designed equipment, children can develop their physical skills and learn about managing risk and making safe choices. The dedicated team of qualified teachers at Kidsfirst Frankton creates a responsive and inclusive program that celebrates the diverse cultural backgrounds of the kindergarten community. Children aged 2 to 5 take the lead in their learning, making their own choices during free play and setting their own challenges, supported by nurturing relationships. Family involvement is highly encouraged, fostering strong connections between home and kindergarten to support children's learning and development. The kindergarten also maintains strong partnerships with local primary schools, facilitating a smooth transition for children as they progress to the next stage of their educational journey.