Childcare options in Hamilton East

Hamilton East has a few daycare, childcare and early childhood education options. Book a visit or enquire at any one of them with Kindello. We're here to help you find the perfect fit for you and your child.

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Top-rated childcare in Hamilton East

Parents agree these childcare options are highly rated for location, staff, and more.

A picture of Little Waikato Scholars Prep School

5.00 (1)

Hamilton East - Hamilton

Little Waikato Scholars Prep School

Top Quality Educare for children from 3months to 5 years of age.

Children come first, learning is all about having the self confidence to trust yourself.

Little Waikato Scholars Prep School which is located at 644 Grey Street, Hamilton East. 

Licensed for

33 children

A picture of Busy Bees Hamilton East

Hamilton East - Hamilton

Busy Bees Hamilton East

Welcome to Busy Bees Hamilton East

Our teachers are passionate about encouraging children's creativity, supporting their emerging social interactions, and celebrating their individual successes. We cater for tamariki up to six and we are open from 7.00am-6.30pm, Monday to Friday.

At Busy Bees Hamilton East, our kaiako encourage open-ended learning through the provocations they provide within the centre environment. The identity of the capable learner is visible throughout the centre. Strong relationships with children and their whānau are fostered and we actively work towards engaging with the local Hamilton community.

Manuka | 0-2 Years

Our children in Ruma Manuka are growing quickly. Every week, we see them developing new skills, challenging themselves, taking risks, and forming closer friendships. Our planning is centered around 'Te Whare Tapa Wha', with a focus on taha tinana (physical well-being) as the first pillar.

Kowhai | 2-3.5 Years

The Kowhai room focuses on helping your child build relationships with others and a sense of belonging while they embark on their journey toward independence. We encourage and support this through participation, observation, exploration, and social interaction. At this age, children are active, curious, and beginning to make sense of the world.

Pohutukawa | 3.5-5 Years

The Pohutukawa room's planning focus is on fostering social competence which we are integrating into different learning areas such as language and literacy, motor and coordination skills, arts and crafts, science, numeracy, self-help skills, music, and movements. Kaiako continually observe and converse with children to develop projects based on their interests.

Licensed for

110 children

A picture of BestStart Dey Street

Hamilton East - Hamilton

BestStart Dey Street

Welcome to BestStart Dey Street where our capable little people reach their full potential through exploration, risk taking, independence and play. Our teachers take our little people under their wings, when we hear I can’t do this, we say YET! When we hear I’m no good at this, we say not yet but we believe in you. We’re all about empowering our little people. We want them saying I can and I will, watch me! And we’ll be there, standing beside them and holding their hands if they need us.

For us, play is much more than fun and games. It’s about our little ones exploring, negotiating, taking risks, and learning how to problem solve. We’re big fans of learning through play because we’ve seen what an enormous difference it makes to children’s development, creating confident learners. 

For your child it’s all about having loads of fun and making new friends. For us, it is an opportunity to explore your child’s interests, strengths and talents as we celebrate and extend on their amazing skills and courage!

You are your child’s first teacher and will always be the most important. As they grow a child’s world expands and so too does the number of people they learn from.

Our teachers know exactly what it takes to support our little people as they grow. It’s about developing relationships first and foremost, with you and your child. This creates trust, and trust is where the magic of learning begins.

We’ll be with you every step of the way. We’ll spend time getting to know what’s important to your family. We’ll always keep you up to date with what’s happening in your child’s so you don’t miss a moment of your child’s learning.

It’s so much fun exploring through a baby’s eyes. They rely on all their sense as they explore their surroundings.  As you step into our nursery, you’ll discover a sensory playground that ignites our little ones sense of wonder and sets them up to begin their earliest adventures. Calm, consistent routines throughout the day enable our little ones to engage in the world around them and develop a sense of trust and belonging

Play is central to the lives of little people, it’s how they learn, figure things out, explore, make mistakes and try again. You’ll find our toddler room is full of colour, warmth and fun and there’s plenty of space for the boisterous and adventurous. Our routines here are consistent and reassuring and we start to give our little ones opportunities to take responsibility for themselves.

I’m hungry now, look lunch is ready – I can get my plate and sit at the table with my friends – watch me! We provide healthy kai for our little ones to share with their friends, we let them get their own plates and serve themselves too.

Our teachers fill the air with words of encouragement, words from other languages, happy words and even quiet ones knowing our children are listening while they play. We also start to see our little ones start to teach and care for other – we call this tuakana teina relationships.

We dance to Indian music, we say karakia before eating, we dress up ready for adventures. We read books filled with wild colourful stories. And we’re confident going on bear hunts knowing our teachers are with us during the scary parts

Uh-oh I’m stuck! My feet are buried in the sandpit! What can I do? Find a friend to help me out – watch us!

When our preschoolers work in small groups, they learn to play together, take turns and solve problems.  Whether they’re playing a game, creating a work of art or planning a project. You can be confident, your preschooler is learning how to work co-operatively make new friends, manage their emotions and persevere when the going gets tough. We take fortnightly trips to “playtime” at our local school to get our preschoolers used to life at big school and we also visit the bush to learn more about Papatuanuku and how to look after living things.

Where’s my sunhat? I need to go outside! I can see something moving in the bushes. I’m going to find out what it is but I’m a bit scared. My teacher will come with me. Aha! It’s a rabbit – we can feed it carrots. I’ll go get some.

Every day there’s a new adventure at BestStart Dey Street. With our teachers by their side your little one will tackle new challenges and succeed. We love hearing our little people filled with courage, saying I can and I will, watch me! As teachers, that’s all we want for them, to be empowered. Come and join our whānau and soon your little one will be saying it too!

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.

Licensed for

70 children

Childcare for every family

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Popular features for Hamilton East childcare centres

Other great childcare options in Hamilton East

A picture of Educare Peachgrove

Hamilton East - Hamilton

Educare Peachgrove

Educare Peachgrove is in the heart of Hamilton surrounded by local families and schools, Parks and the mighty Waikato river. We are forward to helping your tamariki grow.

RELATIONSHIPS: We believe in the importance of developing and strengthening relationships with tamariki, whānau and the Community through collaboration and partnership.

DIVERSITY: We acknowledge the diversity of our Community. We endeavour to foster and we awhi (support) our whānau and tamariki in a caring and homely learning environment.

RESPECT: We value respectful practices. Where each Kaiako promotes the importance of respectful interactions, relationships and daily practices. Respect is role modelled and promoted throughout the Centre at all times.

KAIAKO: We value our experienced kaiako who continue to up-skill their knowledge and skills, providing up to date practice and a culture supportive of professional learning and development.

ENVIRONMENT: We create and foster age appropriate environments that focus on children’s individual needs, interests and abilities so their full potential can be met.

SCHOOL READINESS: We promote school readiness through a fun and interactive curriculum that combines Te Whariki & The NZ Curriculum documents to inspire tamariki to become lifelong learners.

Licensed for

95 children

A picture of Lambs Preschool Hamilton East

Hamilton East - Hamilton

Lambs Preschool Hamilton East

We are small, privately owned centres. We pride ourselves on that. We value small numbers, good ratios and this shows through how well the teachers know each child and their family's needs.

  • A stimulating warm and caring environment filled with learning opportunities
  • A Learning Portfolio which captures your child’s learning journey in centre and on Storypark (online learning tool)
  • Spacious outdoor environment with natural elements
  • A consistent teaching team who value children as learners
  • Nappies provided

Our philosophy

We create an environment where our community is valued, we provide many opportunities where you and your whanau can be involved in centre life.At Lambs Preschool Hamilton East we are committed to developing respectful relationships and value open communication with our tamariki, whanau and kaiako.  We understand that family and whanau are a significant part of learning success and we encourage a partnership to support the best development possible.  We appreciate that every child is unique and strive to provide the best quality care in an engaging and inclusive environment, allowing our tamariki to thrive.

Kaiako work and learn alongside the children, ensuring Lambs is a home away from home for our tamariki. Warmth, trust and aroha are woven into the fabric of our philosophy, empowering our tamariki to become confident and capable learners.

Licensed for

39 children

A picture of Tiny Nation Hamilton East

Hamilton East - Hamilton

Tiny Nation Hamilton East

About us

Tiny Nation is home-based care and education with a difference.

We believe that children have the best chance to flourish when they have secure attachments and a strong sense of belonging in their early years. This foundation is key to emotional, physical and mental growth and wellbeing. From this nourished beginning, happy, healthy and well-adjusted young adults can grow.

Enquire today

We would love to match you with the ideal educator in your area so send us an enquiry here and we’ll be in touch to provide you with all the information you need to make the best choice for your family.

How we look after our families

  • High quality education and care using only trained educators and qualified teachers

Because we believe in quality, not quantity, we only work with trained educators and qualified teachers, who by completing their training have proven their commitment to nurturing and caring for children. We find the best trained teachers and educators and support them to deliver their own unique early learning programmes in their own homes. We hand-pick them for their passion, commitment, experience and qualifications. We know that qualifications are an indicator of quality when it comes to early childhood education and we’re proud to represent 100% qualified educators and teachers.

  • Family and educator self-matches

When you enquire with us as a family, we support you to self-match with a Tiny Nation educator of your choice. The choice factor is huge here – you get to choose the person you leave your child with when you can’t be there. You will choose your educator based on the needs of your family and child, your values, your own early learning philosophy and, most importantly, your connection with them. This allows you to find the perfect educator for your family – someone who will become a part of your support village and who will advocate fiercely for your child when you can’t. Isn’t this what we all want as parents?

  • Small ratios of no more than four children to one educator

By choosing home-based early learning, you are choosing small groups and responsive relationships. Tiny Nation educators have no more than four pre-school children in their care at any given time, with no more than two under the age of two. This allows them to engage with their care children in meaningful ways, dedicating time to support their development and getting to know them deeply. Having small ratios of children per educator enables respectful interactions and authentic connections. Your child is not just a number at Tiny Nation.

  • Nurturing, natural and familiar home environments

Home environments stir up comforting memories for all of us. We make personal connections with this kind of environment because it represents our childhood. It provides a strong sense of security and safety as we are able to seek comfort through the familiar. Early childhood education in home environments provide a calm and settled foundation for learning to occur. Children have the space to explore the community around them in real and authentic ways.

Our vision

To empower a nation of children to reach their full potential

Our guiding principles

Leadership / Ārahitanga

We encourage, empower and inspire our educators and teachers to contribute to our thinking and re-define what leadership looks like in early childhood education.

Relationship / Whanaungatanga

We are founded on consistent, familiar and nurturing relationships. It’s vital to take the time to understand, relate to and acknowledge each other as relationships are the soil from which everything else grows.

Partnership / Whakahoahoatanga

We are collaborative and work in partnership with parents and whānau, educators, the community and other like-minded services so that they can participate in and contribute to our journey.

These are our values

Authenticity / Mana Pono

This means being real and accountable. We partner with people who are aligned with our principles, values and beliefs so that we can all show up for our children in meaningful ways.

Belonging / Nō Konei Hoki

We affirm the identity, culture and language of our community and ensure staff, children, families and whānau know they have a place with us. Our environments and programmes are inclusive and our transitions are thoughtfully planned.

Communication / Kōrero

Reciprocal and responsive communication allows us to express ideas and feelings. We’re as passionate about listening as we are about being heard. We model effective communication so that our children become capable and confident communicators.

Our commitment to families

“Ko te ahurei o te tamaiti aroha o tatou mahi.

Let the uniqueness of the child guide our work.”

When you enrol as a family with Tiny Nation, we make a commitment to you as we journey together to provide your child with the love and care that they need to grow and flourish. For us, early childhood starts with care and ends with education. We know that no significant learning can occur without there first being a significant relationship. Your chosen educator becomes your child’s special person – their ‘go to’ in times of triumph and trouble. Someone who loves them just like you do and an extension of your family.

Licensed for

4 children

A picture of Happy Sprouts Hamilton

Hamilton East - Hamilton

Happy Sprouts Hamilton

A small privatly owned centre in Hamilton East, providing education and care for 40 children aged two and over. 

Licensed for

40 children

A picture of Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Kohao o Te Ngira

Hamilton East - Hamilton

Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Kohao o Te Ngira

Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Kohao o Te Ngira is a centre-based kōhanga reo located in Hamilton East and provides for up to 30 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.

Licensed for

30 children

A picture of Jubilee Catholic Early Childhood Centre

Hamilton East - Hamilton

Jubilee Catholic Early Childhood Centre

Jubilee offers quality care and education in a nurturing, faith filled environment for children aged 3 - 5 years. We are licensed for 30 children maximum daily.  Our teachers are all fully qualified and certified with over fifty years of combined Early Childhood experience. We aspire to provide a warm, welcoming and homely environment where children have fun!

Jubilee is a community based service operating under the auspices of the Catholic Diocese of Hamilton. We have close links to Marian Catholic School, Sacred Heart Girls College and the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We warmly welcome your family to become part of our extended whánau. 

Our philosophy

  • Our role is to support children’s faith development in partnership with whánau, community and parish.
  • Each child is unique with God given potential. It is our task to nurture and strengthen these individual gifts.
  • We will model and support children’s development of Christian Attitudes: including Love; Care/Compassion; Respect; Acting with kindness; Strength/Courage; Speaking with gentleness; Self-control; Patience; Perseverance; Justice/Being fair.
  • Children learn best through their play. We will provide an environment that supports children’s holistic development through the provision of ‘open-ended’ resources.
  • Learning and teaching is most successful when children feel safe, loved, valued and their achievements are acknowledged.
  • Relationships are fundamental in ensuring children and their whánau feel a sense of ‘belonging’ at Jubilee. Through these relationships parental aspirations and expectations for their child can be supported.
  • Te Wháriki and The NZ Catholic Curriculum statement are our guiding documents and these are supported by current theory and teaching practice.
  • Maori hold a special place in Aotearoa/NZ as tangata whenua therefore we celebrate and share our bi-cultural Aotearoa and the multicultural community of our centre.

Licensed for

30 children

A picture of Hamilton East Playcentre

Hamilton East - Hamilton

Hamilton East Playcentre

We are a vibrant Playcentre situated in the thriving and diverse Hamilton East community. A licensed Early Childhood Education provider, attending families work cooperatively to manage our centre. We run mixed age sessions open to children 0 to 6 years, helping to foster social skills which have lifelong benefits.

We support our children to become confident, competent, curious and creative self-directed learners by engaging their interests through play. 

We provide a broad and adaptable range of opportunities for children to explore in a fun, safe learning environment. Our beautiful outdoor area features many established trees and provides a wonderful landscape for learning opportunities.

Our building has plenty of windows for natural light. We are a well-resourced and established centre with both new and retro equipment and play materials.

The play opportunities that we provide include sand, water, messy play, physical play, carpentry, painting, collage, junk construction, family play, puzzles, books, blocks, clay, playdough, science and exploratory play and music. We place a special focus on Te reo and tikanga Maori while honouring the diverse backgrounds of our whanau.

Licensed for

30 children

A picture of The Park Early Education Centre

Hamilton East - Hamilton

The Park Early Education Centre

The Park Early Education Waikato is a spacious purpose built childcare centre in Hamilton East. It has four areas Babies, Toddlers, Kindergarten and Transition to School.

Separate Learning Areas (approx ages)

Koru Room: 3 months - 16 months

Tawa Room: 16 months - 2.5 years

Rimu Room: 2.5 years - 3.5 years

Kauri Room: 3.5 years - School

The educational programme focuses on your child’s strengths and interests, this encourages an enthusiasm for learning, independently and collaboratively. We incorporate literacy, maths, science, the arts and te reo within the planned and spontaneous learning opportunities. We encourage respect for the environment and each other. The Baby Room uses a ‘Primary Care’, RIE Pikler philosophy this helps your baby form very important secure attachments and encourages exploration and persistence.

  • Provide inclusive, high quality early education & care.
  • Warm & welcoming qualified staff who are passionate about caring and learning.
  • Teachers work with babies so that routines and a strong sense of belonging is nurtured.
  • Well resourced and large grassed outdoor play area with climbing equipment and swings.
  • Backs on to Galloway Park which children use for supervised sports, walks and exploration.
  • Cook prepares quality nutritious Healthy Heart Award meals
  • Children develop social interaction and respect.
  • Private online learning portfolios for parents (sharing photos, videos and stories about your child).
  • 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! 
  • Learning is based on the NZ Early Childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki.
  • Value family/whānau and centre partnership.
  • Opportunies are provided for children to explore and learn according to their individual needs and interests.
  • Commitment to reflect our bicultural heritage.
  • Transition to school programme.

Licensed for

82 children