Childcare options in Te Rapa

Te Rapa 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 Te Rapa

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A picture of BestStart Vardon Road

Te Rapa - Hamilton

BestStart Vardon Road

We are makers, we are shakers, jumping over alligators. We are scientists, we are artists, yes, we are super innovators!

Welcome to the Imagination Station, where everything is possible.

Children learn best through play so, at BestStart Vardon, we let our children’s imaginations run wild. 

Your child could go from starring in a fashion show to exploring enchanted forests and escaping pirates, all before lunchtime! Our teachers bring your child’s imagination to life and teach them how to inquire, problem solve, express feelings and make lasting friendships along the way. Your child will be nurtured to discover their curiosities and make magic happen from the moment they arrive.

So, step right into the nursery but do take care as you might find yourself lost in the hustle and bustle of the little explorers. They decorate the floor with an assortment of pegs, shells, blocks, and rattles. Dress ups are out of the basket and up in the air to find the perfect scarf for moving and grooving. Playdough is squished on the table in an abstract fashion, and paints are tested for taste while colour swatches are best done on bodies! Don’t be alarmed - giggles and squeals are the norm as swarms of bubbles escape from eager hands. Symphonies of oohs and ahhs surround the trough as pēpē encounter critters hiding in the icky and sticky world of gloop.  

In the preschool, you will see passionate storytellers designing their next fairytale, illustrators marveling at their masterpieces that speak joy and adventure, and witches and wizards whispering in collaboration and tweaking their magical and mysterious potions. You will hear echoes of screeching tyres, roaring engines and clanging hammers while the smell of smoking hot glue, draw your attention to the sparkly finishing touches on the supercars. Expert drivers of heavy machinery pave the way for the race to begin, giant rocks and sandbanks are constructed to secure the track. After a long day's work, sand-filled gumboots are shaken out and rumbling tummies are led to the mud kitchen where the master chefs have whipped up a feast.  

The children’s journeys do not end at the Imagination Station as they will be fully equipped for their last departure… where they will take their endless creativity and wonder with them in their school adventures. To prepare, children squeeze every memory into their backpack and unravel their treasure map, where X marks the spot of where to find their valuables such as shoes, lunchboxes and warm clothing. Your child’s treasure chest will be overflowing with riches that they can use to invent robots, raise castles but most importantly to build extraordinary friendships.  

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

65 children

A picture of BestStart Maui Street

Te Rapa - Hamilton

BestStart Maui Street

High-quality learning, fun and laughter is what you will see when you walk into any of our three rooms at BestStart Maui.

See Me, Know Me, Grow Me

See me - We see you for who you are 

Know me - Through communication and relationships, we get to know what you value, and bring to our centre 

Grow me - Together through trust and communication we will work with you to strengthen your values through everyday learning so that you never lose sight of who you are. 

Here at BestStart Maui Street we acknowledge and embrace the unique blend of cultures within our community. Our primary focus is getting to know our tamariki and whanau for the taonga each child brings to our centre. We believe that the strong relationships we build are the foundation for developing a strong sense of belonging, helping children grow into confident and capable lifelong learners. 

We are passionate about working in partnership with our whanau, together we as support each child’s learning and development. We have regular parent evenings and one-on-one conversations and we capture the learning and development of each child on Storypoark, our online portfolios.  We have a team of highly qualified and passionate teachers along with a centre administrator and a full-time chef who cooks all our meals fresh every day.

Our centre has 3 learning spaces to best meet the needs of children as they grow and develop.

HiHi Room (0-2 years): As you walk into this room you are greeted by our wonderful kaiako who are passionate about caring for our youngest children.

Our babies each have a primary caregiver whilst also being supported by all the other kaiako in that learning space. Our kaiako work closely with families to ensure care routines meet the child’s needs. During their time with us, children feel safe and secure and develop strong connections. 

Kereru Room (2-3 years): Adventure and curiosity leads to fun for tamariki in this room!

The kaiako in this room provide a lot of fun and stimulating activities that help curious toddlers experience the environment using their senses to explore the room. Kaiako put in place a curriculum that stimulates learning and provides experiences to enable social competence and independence at the same time having fun experiences. Kaiako also work with tamariki as they build communication skills, through play, singing and stories.  

Tui Room (3-5 years): The magic of learning continues, and each child comes into their own.

Kaiako work with each individual child, supporting them to gain independence and value their uniqueness. This is the time when children are encouraged to stand up and stand out as individuals. In this room children experience tuakana teina moments (older tamariki help/guide younger tamariki), as they learn to work together.

In the Tui Room we have a Be School Ready programme in place to ensure our tamariki have a successful transition when they start their journey at school. For these transitions to be smooth our focus is on making sure we support children to develop strong social competencies that see them having the necessary skills and attributes to start school. We continue to give our children opportunities to further extend themselves, being confident and knowing how to articulate themselves in a positive way. 

 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

100 children

A picture of Nurture & Bloom Early Learning Centre - Te Rapa

Te Rapa - Hamilton

Nurture & Bloom Early Learning Centre - Te Rapa

Nurture and Bloom Early Learning Centre is located in Te Rapa, just minutes from The Base Shopping Centre, the Rotokauri Transport Hub and Wintec.

Our beautiful purpose built centre is a home away from home for all our Tamariki, where we provide care and education for children 3 months - 6 years. We have 4 beautiful rooms for our infants, toddlers and pre schoolers. Our teachers are dedicated and passionate about providing rich learning opportunities and a fun, engaging environment where children are nurtured to grow and develop into their full God-given potential.

We encourage and celebrate each child’s cultural background, ensure every child has a key teacher who knows them well and we work closely with our families to, as it is very important to us that every child feels a strong sense of belonging here.

If you are looking for a beautiful centre for your little one that offers low teacher to child ratios with a loving and caring environment please book a visit, we would love to meet you!

Licensed for

80 children

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Other great childcare options in Te Rapa

A picture of Te Rapa Early Education Centre

Te Rapa - Hamilton

Te Rapa Early Education Centre

Te Rapa Early Education Waikato is purpose-built providing inclusive, high quality early childhood education and childcare in Hamilton. We operate separate infants, toddlers and kindergarten areas to enhance children’s learning. The programme is based on planned experiences and is responsive to children’s individual interests and needs.  

Separate Learning Areas (approx ages)

Infants Room: 3 months - 20 months

Toddler Room: 20 months - 3 years

Kindergarten Room: 3 years - School

  • Provides inclusive, high quality early education & care.
  • Warm & welcoming qualified staff who are passionate about caring and learning.
  • Teachers work with infants so that routines and a strong sense of belonging is nurtured.
  • Well resourced and large grassed outdoor play area framed by a large park area.
  • Cook prepares quality nutritious meals. Healthy Heart Award Pa Hareke (Highest level of Heart Foundation NZ)
  • Children develop social interaction and respect.
  • Learning is based on the NZ Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Whāriki.
  • 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! 
  • 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

61 children

A picture of St Andrews Kindergarten

Te Rapa - Hamilton

St Andrews Kindergarten

St Andrews Kindergartens Waikato is well-respected for delivering high quality, affordable education and childcare in Hamilton. We provide a caring and carefully planned environment in which children learn that everybody is valued, nurtured and respected no matter what their ability.

  • Warm & welcoming staff who are passionate about teaching and learning.
  • Safe, caring and stimulating environment.
  • Well resourced and huge outdoor play area.
  • 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 based on the NZ Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Whāriki.
  • Value family/whānau and kindergarten partnership.
  • Transition to school programme.

Licensed for

40 children

A picture of Sunshine Childcare  Preschool

Te Rapa - Hamilton

Sunshine Childcare Preschool

Sunshine Childcare is a place where your child can learn by exploring the natural world around them. Where pets are there to be cared for, and trees are there to be climbed. We really believe there’s enough wonder in Nature to inspire any child. We just need to open their eyes to it.

Our rooms

We have 5 separate rooms at Sunshine on Sunshine, each tailored for the needs and learning development of the specific age group.

THE KORU ROOM 

Our Koru Room is our specialist nursery, catering for tamariki 0-16 months. Kaiako follow the Pikler approach which is based on respectful relationships between an adult and infant, through tender care moments with children, a naturally paced physical development, free movement and uninterrupted play.

THE KEA ROOM

Our Kea Room is for our younger toddlers – who are active and on the move, exploring everything through their senses and with their whole bodies. Routine times are flexible and treated as rituals; a calm respectful time between Kaiako and tamariki. Kea tamariki are empowered to learn to play and interact with and alongside their peers and share an outdoor space with the older toddlers in a tuakana-teina relationship.

THE PUKEKO ROOM

The Pukeko Room is for our older toddlers. At this age, tamariki thrive best in an inclusive and respectful environment, where they are encouraged and empowered into sensory explorations, and the beginnings of independence; where there is space for outdoor play and where their changing temperaments are nurtured and respected through caring interactions.

THE PIWAIWAKA ROOM

The Piwaiwaka Room is for our 3 year olds. During this developmental stage, tamariki learn through experience, therefore, we offer a range of empowering activities and experiences to support tamariki to learn and develop, indoors and outdoors, especially in their deepening understanding of their sense of identity and place in the world. The Piwaiwaka tamariki work in tuakana-teina partnerships with the Rimu room in their shared outdoor space.

THE RIMU ROOM

Our Rimu Room, for our 4-5 year olds, is a large natural space, where tamariki are free to explore, experiment and create understandings of the wider world. Interests, urges and needs are fostered through play guided by experienced kaiako. The Rimu room focuses on teaching tamariki how to respect themselves, others and the environment, essential skills for going to school.


 OUR COMMUNITY GARDEN

Nga tamariki and kaiako are kaitiaki (guardians) of our community garden, which is where we plant and harvest vegetables and fruit as a short walk to the back of our centre. Nga tamariki have opportunities to learn how to grow vegetables and delight in eating them as well.

Licensed for

126 children

A picture of Play To Learn Early Learning Centre

Te Rapa - Hamilton

Play To Learn Early Learning Centre

Welcome to our Early Learning Centre

Where learning is a part of everyday play

We know first hand as parents, that choosing the best early learning centre for your child is one of the most important decisions that you will make as a parent.

We also understand that the early years of a child’s life are critical for healthy development later on. At Play to Learn we believe that by working together parents and teachers can give children a great start. A great start that will help ensure their future success.

Play to Learn is a small centre with a big heart!

Our Hamilton Childcare centre is family owned and is run by experienced, passionate childcare professionals.

We believe that children learn and grow best in an environment where they feel happy and secure. Our centre philosophy is designed to enrich your child’s imagination, creativity and sense of wonder. We also nurture friendship learning and the development of social skills including respectful teacher/child relationships.

Early Learning Centre Location

Our early learning centre is near The Base Shopping Centre, Te Rapa Road and Avalon Drive in Te Rapa, Hamilton.



Licensed for

40 children

A picture of Kids Cave Early Learning

Te Rapa - Hamilton

Kids Cave Early Learning

Welcome to Kids Cave - Early Learning - Te Rapa

Nestled in the corner of Te Rapa Park, you will find Kids Cave Early Learning. A small sized early childhood centre that provides a personal approach to childcare. With Infant, Toddler and Preschool rooms we provide our little learners with a warm, nurturing and stimulating place to learn and grow.

Our passionate teaching team is fully committed to creating an inspiring environment for every child to reach their potential as competent and confident learners.

Our Te Rapa childcare center offer an environment where your child will have endless opportunities to communicate, explore and contribute, while being part of our Kids Cave Early Learning Te Rapa community.

We see children as capable learners and we believe our purpose, is to provide the experiences and opportunities to encourage a love of learning as well as the essential skills a child may need to be confident in their world. This ensures that children have access to a wide range of learning opportunities to support them to grow in mind, body and spirit. 


Licensed for

75 children

A picture of Future Kids Preschool Te Rapa

Te Rapa - Hamilton

Future Kids Preschool Te Rapa

Our programme at Future Kids Preschool Te Rapa is based on the New Zealand early childhood education curriculum called Te Whâriki. Future Kids Preschool Te Rapa is committed to providing a programme that balances the interests of the child together with the aspirations of both the parents and teachers.

Our programme is varied and flexible on a day to day basis, developing the curiosities of children.

We offer a range of learning opportunities to engage tamariki in a well-resourced, creative and inspiring environment. We see children as capable learners and we believe our job, is to provide the experiences and opportunities to encourage a love of learning, as well as the essential skills a child needs to be confident in their world.

Our Philosophy

  • Empowering all children and adults to be creative, risk takers, promoting positive attitudes and values that lead to open ended learning experiences.
  • Inspiring our community to adopt clean green environmentally friendly practices for our future..
  • Empowering children to be confident leaners and communicators.

Our Vision

  • To provide a green and sustainable home away from home, where children can express themselves and be loved and supported for who they are.
  • To ensure each child and their families leave with the foundations of environmental sustainability and a love of learning and life.

Licensed for

120 children

A picture of Sunshine Childcare on Vickery

Te Rapa - Hamilton

Sunshine Childcare on Vickery

The real world of family and whanau is mirrored in the nurturing world of Sunshine Childcare. In a big indoor and outdoor environment, qualified teaching professionals allow children to explore imaginatively the living and natural world around them, while they take healthy risks with child-like curiosity and build strong relationships with other adults and tamariki.

At Sunshine Childcare we assist your child’s educational development by strengthening their interest in the world around them.

Our Rooms

THE KOWHAI ROOM

Our Kowhai room caters for our children under the age of two. These children are able to enjoy a nurturing, caring learning environment which follows their home routine closely. Our professional teaching staff are flexible in their approach to help develop their individual strengths, needs, wants and interests, as no two children are the same.

With a separate outdoor environment, kaiako are able to be flexible and tailor experiences to the needs of the tamariki and children are able to gain a sense of belonging and well-being.

THE POHUTAKAWA ROOM

In the Pohutakawa room, we cherish and grow your child at their own pace and development. By encouraging tuakana-teina through our mixed age room (2-5years) we are fostering children’s ability to care for and work with and alongside others.

Every day will be precious and fun and our great outdoor environment will enhance this development. We will enjoy sharing in this journey with your child and watch them grow and develop into healthy, capable, confident lifelong learners. 


Licensed for

50 children