Childcare options in Taupo

At Busy Bees Taupō, our kaiako create beautiful provocations where materials are carefully selected to provoke curiosity, promote critical thinking, and encourage tamariki to express themselves through various art forms. We believe that every moment is an opportunity for learning, and our kaiako utlise these teachable moments to enrich our children’s understanding of the world around them.

We proudly embrace diverse cultures, where we cultivate an inclusive and equitable learning environment for all tamariki, as we celebrate and affirm who we all are, thereby fostering a positive awareness and understanding of our own and other cultures. We have numerous opportunities to celebrate different cultures alongside the tamariki. We mark language weeks, organise kapa haka evenings, engage whānau in celebrating Matariki, embrace the festivities of Chinese New Year, Diwali, and much more. By incorporating cultural diversity into our learning environment, we create a space where tamariki can develop an appreciation for their own heritage whilst simultaneously gaining insights into and respecting the richness of other cultures. This collective celebration and understanding pave the way for a truly inclusive educational experience.

BestStart Abacus is an established childcare centre situated on a large corner plot, a short drive from the Taupo CBD. We provide education and care for children from 3 months until they are ready for school. Our small centre creates a home-like, welcoming and relaxed family environment that helps your child settle in and get to know us.

Being, Belonging, Becoming and Growing Together

Our experienced team of teachers are dedicated to creating a warm, friendly and fun environment where you and your child feel safe and at home. Your child will be encouraged and supported to learn through their play experiences, and we set our environment based on these as we feel this will create genuine moments for curiosity and exploration. We understand that you know your child best and we value working alongside you. It is through getting to know you and your child that we can make sure we are creating a positive early learning experience for us all.

We are proud of our spacious and inviting outdoor playground with established trees which provide lots of natural shade. Outside offers a variety of areas for your child to explore including the sandpit, nature garden, vegetable/fruit/herb garden, chickens and climbing fort with swings. We even have heaps of space left for ball games, running and bike riding! This helps your child learn about the outdoors, get the fresh air they need and gives them the space to keep them busy as long as they need to.

Our Koru room welcomes children under two year’s old and we have a maximum of 10 children. This provides a cosy and comfortable space for your young one to settle. We believe it is important to develop close relationships with whanau and tamariki through providing lead carers. The environment is set to encourage natural movement, helping your child to meet milestones and grow in a natural, progressive way.

Our Be School Ready initiative is woven through our day to day activities, encouraging your child to develop the skills they will need when they start school through their everyday play and routine experiences. We encourage children to work together, learn alongside and from their peers and most importantly to enjoy being a child and have fun!

We love getting out into the community to visit interesting people and places as well as having visitors that will help your child understand how the world works. We regularly visit Primary School new entrant classes to support our 4-year olds with transition to  school, helping them see what it will be like and become more comfortable with the change.

We welcome you to come and visit us at anytime to see what we can offer you and your child.

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.

BestStart Motutaiko Street is a high quality childcare centre located close to Taupo’s town centre. We provide care and education for children aged 3 months to 6 years. We're open all year round from 7.30am to 5.30pm and offer a variety of session times half days, school days and full days to cater to your needs.

Support for success, Tautoko kia eke

We work closely with our families to create a learning environment where children feel safe, curious to learn, confident to try new things, have persistence to try again and take pride in their success.

At BestStart Motutaiko your child will be in the very best care with our excellent team of friendly, caring and dedicated teachers who are committed to providing quality care and education. We've been rated one of the top childcare centres in New Zealand by the Education Review Office so you can be confident that your child will receive the very best support for success.

A sense of pride - Supporting each child to succeed and providing them with the skills and resources to do this is our vision. There is nothing more exciting as a teacher or parent than seeing a child accomplish a skill that they have been working hard at achieving. The smile, laughter and sense of pride is priceless.

Partnerships - We recognise that you and your whanau are your child’s first teachers and we create open and positive relationships with families to support each child’s learning and development. Parental involvement is always welcomed, and we value our partnerships with whanau, both within the centre and on Storypark. When we work and learn together our children feel supported, confident, and ready for success. 

Specialised learning - Through collaboration with families, observations, and communication we create individual learning goals that are tailored to support each child's success. Children have an individual portfolio to show evidence of how they learn through play experiences. 

Leading their learning - Children have opportunities to join in on planned activities as well as discovering their own spontaneous moments of learning. Children's interests are supported and extended by our skilled teachers. They are encouraged to investigate and explore and challenge themselves. All this works together to create a curiosity and passion for life-long learning.

Learning spaces - We have two specialised age-based rooms to provide the most meaningful, intentional, and stimulating environment for each child. Children ‘learn by doing’ and here learning is encouraged through play and a fun-filled environment.

In our Titoki Room for children under two years old, our Primary Care system enables us to develop trusting relationships with tamariki and their whanau. We get to know them on a personal level rather than just a kaiako/whanau level. We are then able to recognize tamariki interests and development and put in place strategies and learning experiences to support these, based on what we know about each whanau background.

This Primary Care approach is followed through when our tamariki transition to the Motutaiko Room for children over two years old. Here our preschoolers are assigned key teachers to continue with maintaining their Mana Atua (sense of well-being), Mana Whenua (sense of belonging), Whanaungatanga (sense of family connection), and their learning development.

We invite you to meet our team of friendly teachers and see how we extend, support and educate the children in our care.

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.

BestStart Heuheu Street Kindy has a fantastic learning environment our children just love. We are convienently located in the heart of Taupō between the Spoon & Paddle Café and Jetts Gym. We care for children from 2-5 years old and are open right through the year. The Education Review Office has rated us one of the top childcare centres in NZ - come and see what makes us great.

Growing People, Families and Communities

BestStart Heuheu Street Kindy has a warm, welcoming, and caring atmosphere where our children and families soon feel at home. Our bright, modern Kindy has wonderful indoor-outdoor flow, encouraging children to explore our special learning spaces.

We have an team of bubbly and experienced teachers who love working alongside children above all else.  We support our children to develop the skills needed to build lifelong relationships with others and gain the confidence to overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

Our team, for families - We get to know each child and family individually. This allows us to discover their interests and each families aspirations and then create an Individual Development Plan. This makes sure that each child is growing and developing to the best of their ability whilst maintaining home family values.

Our wonderful portfolios capture each child’s journey through Kindy and are a treasure for families to keep. We capture each child’s growth and progression through personalised stories and images. Individual goals are updated regularly. We also use the online platform Storypark, which allows you to access their learning anytime, and is perfect to share with friends and family members who are near or far.

Community is important to us - Our town has so much pride in what we have to offer, and at Kindy, we ‘Love Taupō’ too. We have a great array of community experiences that we love to involve our children in.

Being close to town, we can walk to many places. We take groups of children to visit our closest rest home and bring smiles to the faces of our cherished elderly.

We take children shopping for Kindy resources to teach them essential skills when out and about. We have taken the whole centre on a walk to the movies to see a movie about superheroes!

We get regular visits from Cath at Bike Taupō, which has seen many of our children grow into excellent confident bike riders and lose their training wheels before starting school.

We also take part in the Tūwharetoa Festival each year, where we take all the children on a bus, and practice each day leading up to having our moment on stage!

Preparation for school - As part of our Be School Ready initiative we support and foster literacy and numeracy development. We are lucky enough to be a stone’s throw away from Taupō Primary, where we regularly take our 4 year olds for school visits. We also have great relationships with the other schools in the area who allow us to visit them also. Each child has a special graduation day where they receive their own Be School Ready bag and certificate, certifying they are ready to start school.

Healthy, happy hearts - We are proud to be healthy heart winners! We provide nutritious morning and afternoon teas. Often our children are in the kitchen, or at our kai tables helping with baking or preparing delicious food to eat. We encourage versatile lunchboxes at lunch time and support families in getting the good stuff into their child.

Our commitment to you - In our centre, your child will get the care, encouragement and attention needed to prepare them for a happy, well-balanced and positive future.

Please visit our vibrant centre any time, come and meet the team and see for yourself what we can do for your family, or give us a call now to find out more about enrolling your child at BestStart Heuheu Street Kindy. We look forward to getting to know you, your child and your whānau.

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.

Creating Lifelong Learners

Tamariki natural curiosity is the foundation for exploration and growth. They explore to make sense of the world, develop and have fun. Tamariki start their lives by exploring the world around them. They learn through everything they see, touch, hear, smell, taste and do.

Through play, nga tamariki engage in active learning and exploration. They learn more about their interests and about the world. Most importantly, they learn how to adapt to a changing world. Play helps us remain creative and provokes our imagination.

Our People

Our team at Kids at Home is a dedicated team of individuals who have been chosen for their commitment to provide quality, educational in-home childcare. Kids at Home’s management team also consists of experienced Early childhood professionals and others who have worked within other roles in ECE for many years. We are proud of our positive workplace culture which can be felt as soon as you walk through our office doors!

Playgroups

Playgroup provides your child with a rich learning setting that encourages your child to build a foundation for future learning. Our groups provide your child with the opportunity to mix and make lifelong friends with other tamariki

Music Groups

Music groups provide your child the opportunity to participate in singing, dancing and experiment with musical instruments.

Music is an important part of any child care program. Listening to music, singing, playing musical instruments, and moving to music are all activities that support tamariki development.

Outings and Excursions

Visiting Teachers plan trips to events or places of interest in the community such as fire stations, the zoo, museum, parks etc. (Whanau and friends are welcome to attend).

High Standard of Care

Our Teachers and Educators pride themselves on the quality of care and education each child receives.

We do not limit ourselves to one teaching method or philosophy because we understand that your child is unique. We believe that each child has their own learning style and personality.

Kids at Home’s Visiting Teachers are fully qualified and certificated ECE Teachers with a current practicing certificate from the Teaching Council; our handpicked Teachers have many years of experience and expertise between them.

Kids at Home’s Visiting Teachers support Educators with regular visits and planning for education and development of tamariki.

Laughton Kindergarten

Central Kids Laughton Kindergarten is a richly resourced environment, a beautiful setting inside and out. This provides space and inspiration for tamariki to explore, create, inquire and learn, while having loads of fun alongside each other.

Our qualified and registered teachers strive for excellence and keep up to date with current practice through ongoing professional development. We pride ourselves on our relationships with tamariki and their whānau and the shared responsibility of working together to understand and harness each child’s culture, uniqueness and interests.

Please feel free to pop in anytime, our door is always open. We look forward to meeting you soon.

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.

Hinemoa Kindergarten

At Central Kids Hinemoa our rich and stimulating environment empowers children to be competent, inquisitive learners, who drive their own learning and take an active role in our programme alongside registered teachers.

We are well resourced with large spaces for play both inside and out. We have a large outdoor area, which gives children plenty of room to move and explore in a natural setting with trees to climb, vegetable gardens to care for and plenty of opportunities for physical challenges.

Our philosophy reflects the diverse nature of our community and our belief in the importance of relationships. Parents/whānau are welcome in our kindergarten and have plenty of opportunities to engage in their child’s learning and community events.

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.

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.

Taupo family Playcentre offers a huge range of activities at our wonderful facility, a place where children and their parents/whanau/caregivers can make, learn, create, explore, experiment, construct, laugh and play to their hearts’ content.

Our centre has lovely heated indoor environment with a full range of toys and activities to keep children of all ages and interests occupied. We have a family corner with dolls, beds, prams and kitchen along with dress ups for lots of dramatic play. We have a fun selection of blocks, cars, trains and animals. A well stocked book collection and musical instruments as well as a safe place for the young babies to play with a range of developmental toys. Along with a craft section for endless creating. Our centre also has a great kitchen with platforms so the kids can get up and help with baking, something that is a very popular activity on most sessions and even better when the children collect food from our vegetable gardens. 

Venture outside in to our amazing large section and you will continue to find endless option for the children to learn and play. In the cover deck area we have painting, loose parts and an outdoor kitchen. Our recently covered swing area offers endless and sun safe fun for all ages. For the adventurous ones we have lots of climbing, balance and confidence building structures. A great big fort with climbing wall and slides. Our centre has an awesome bike track that has a pump track along with a more scenic route with a shed full of bikes that suit all ages and abilities. The kids can also play outside on the wooden boat or in the playhouse. We have a large shade covered sand pit with its very own water feature and bridge. Along with a construction area with a great range of tools and wood for the kids to get creating with. 

Along with all these permeant  features our set up teams also add a wide range of activities for the children from mess play, play dough to water activities.

We invite you to come along and visit our fabulous centre and see for yourself the great opportunities that are on offer for your children along with meeting the families that are apart of our village. 

WELCOME TO FOUR SEASONS KINDERGARTEN

Through our passion for an unhurried approach to childhood, we provide a safe and secure environment that is homely, nurturing and sustainable. At Four Seasons we respect that each stage of a child’s development has unique qualities and that these should be fully experienced before embarking on the next stage of education.

“Receive the child in reverence

Educate him in Love

Let him go forth in Freedom”

Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925)

MISSION STATEMENT

Tamariki in our community have an early childhood education based on Rudolf Steiner early childhood philosophies.

A haven where they can experience an unhurried childhood in a natural homelike environment.

An environment that supports whanau, our community and builds the foundation of who our children will be come as adults, our future community and the future of our environment.

Play is the child’s way of working.  When tamariki are playing, they are concentrating, learning and if we intervene without permission or thought, we can break the spell and the magic is gone.  When tamariki are playing at Four Seasons, we resist playing ‘with’ them or setting up activities for them to engage in.  Play lives deeply within each child. We provide an environment to allow the play to unfold and relationships between tamariki to develop and strengthen. 

Waipāhīhī Kindergarten

Nau mai, haere mai! Haere ki te Kōhungahunga o Waipāhīhī. We celebrate a way of being that holds children at the heart of what we do, with rich and authentic play at the core of our daily experiences. Our team is full of experienced teachers, who are passionate about teaching and learning, with a special interest in a heart based approach within an environment that encourages exploration.

Teaching and learning at Waipāhīhī is guided by New Zealand’s bi-cultural curriculum, Te Whāriki. We are proud to have an established relationship with local whānau, who support our programme at kindergarten wholeheartedly. We welcome visitors to our kindergarten, so please call in for a play with your child any time.

We promote growth and development in all our children

Central to Taupo Educational Preschool’s philosophy is the importance of relationships. We aim to develop a partnership with whanau and share the responsibility of promoting growth and development in the children attending. To assist in building this partnership on enrolment each child is allocated a Key Teacher to take personal responsibility for the child’s overall well being.

Our programme is based on Te Whariki, the bicultural Early Childhood Curriculum. We provide opportunities for children to develop knowledge and understanding of the cultural heritages of both partners to the Treaty of Waitangi. 

Preschool is open to parents at all times and parent participation is invited and welcomed at a time that will suit each family/whanau.

A healthy, peaceful and sustainable environment

We provide a healthy, peaceful and sustainable environment by encouraging healthy eating and physical development, reducing waste, recycling, reusing and caring for the area around Preschool. Through exploration and connections with the local parks and reserves  children develop their knowledge and  relationship with Papatuanuku.

The environment provides appropriate and stimulating equipment and resources. Loose Parts are included in all areas of the curriculum. Loose Parts are materials that are open ended and can be used in multiple ways. They spark children’s imagination, support social interaction, creativity and innovation.