Childcare options in Summerhill

Boasting great views of the Ruahine Ranges and Mount Ruapehu, Lollipops Ruapehu Drive is a home away from home for children of local families and those working in the New Zealand Defence Force (Linton Army Camp) and at Massey University. Family orientated, with great facilities, we nurture children to be their best – to be respectful, environmentally aware, resilient and independent.

Passionate and qualified teachers provide a safe, warm and supportive environment where your little one can have fun, learn and grow.

Why choose us?

There are a host of reasons why families choose Lollipops Ruapehu Drive. Here are just a few of them:

• Extended opening hours great for working families (7:30am to 6pm)
• Healthy Heart cooked meals provided
• Nappies provided
• We are sustainable and teach children to care for their environment
• Awesome outdoor spaces with fruit trees, vegetable gardens and a worm farm
• Monday morning football for 2 to 5 year olds
• Wednesday morning swimming lessons for 3 to 5 year olds
• Weekly nature walks
• Regular excursions to Summerset Retirement Village, local shops, cafes, supermarket
• Trips into the community (e.g. library, Te Manawa, airport, the Esplanade, the gym)
• Regular baking with the children
• Centre rabbit, birds and a fish
• Lots of celebrations and events (e.g. Matariki, birthdays, annual disco, fish and chip nights, parent-teacher nights)
• We value and encourage parental involvement

Our Rooms

Lollipops Ruapehu Drive has three separate rooms, enabling us to deliver safe, nurturing and age appropriate learning experiences for all our children.

Kiwi Room

This is a warm and welcoming space for our youngest members of the Lollipops family.  We cater for up to 12 under 2s here with three loving and dedicated educators.

Kakapo Room

Our Kakapo Room caters for our 2 to 3.5 year olds.  This room takes 16 to 18 children with three educators.

Kea Room

The Kea Room is where our oldest adventurers prepare for the next phase of their learning journey – primary school! They start here at around 3.5 years of age, and undertake lots of activities that build independence, like serving their own meals. This room caters for 20 children and has two educators.

Welcome to Ruahine Summerhill Early Learning - making a difference through adventure, imagining possibilities, risk taking and fostering the confidence to learn.

Summerhill is Ruahine Kindergarten Association's newest centre, with three huge, purpose-built, extremely well resourced age-specific spaces - our Kowhai, Karaka and Whero rooms.  

Our team have created auaha, a magical place for discovering together, and acknowledging the many ways little people can make sense of the world.  At Summerhill, the wellbeing of tamariki, whānau and kaiako is nurtured though calm spaces, predictable routines and clear, consistent expectations.   Teaching is intentional and celebrates every tamaiti as an individual. 

Summerhill's local curriculum comes alive through adventure and exploration, imagining possibilities, taking risks and fostering the confidence to learn. Kaiako use our stunning indoor and outdoor environment to extend on children's working theories through physical activity and gross-motor development, messy and water play, growing and harvesting fruit and veges, messy and water play, sensory exploration, and innovative thinking through construction, deconstruction and creativity.

Connections with our local area are strengthening by the day and we have a thriving and enthusiastic parent and whānau community.

Summerhill is open Monday to Friday, 7.30am - 6.00pm, and closed between Christmas and New Year, plus five days per year while teachers participate in professional development (dates to be advised on enrolment; please note there is no fee charged when the centre is closed).

An hourly charge of $5 applies for tamariki under two years of age. Three, four and five year old's may attend our centre up to 30 hours at no charge, and two year old's may attend up to 10 hours at no charge - ask for a copy of our Terms of Trade when you visit.