Childcare options in Island Bay

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.

Island Bay Childcare  is a family run, purpose-built childcare centre in the heart of Island Bay. With three separate classrooms, specifically designed and planned for children’s age range, we combine the feel of a home environment with space and resources to promote healthy development for all children.  

 Island Bay Childcare promotes a play-based education. Children learn best through play, and here they can play all day! Children are learning pre-literacy, early maths, science, the natural and physical world and just as importantly, they are learning about well-being, a sense of belonging, contribution, communication and exploration.  

Children are constantly learning about and engaged in socialisation in their classrooms and playgrounds. They are learning how to interact with their friends and other children in a way they find normal, natural, and enjoyable. They are learning the life long skills of how to build effective relationships, communicate freely and interact comfortably with other people. We are very proud of our multicultural community with 37 different ethnicities and 20 different languages spoken by our children throughout the centre!  

At Island Bay Childcare, our greatest asset is our kind, caring and passionate teachers. They are trained early childhood teachers who are nurturing and loving, with a passion for children, a commitment to early childhood development and support for parents, family and whanau. We want you and your child to feel welcomed and that this is a second home. We will take the time to get to know your family individually and what your needs are, and how we can best work together to watch your child’s learning take flight!

We are a vibrant playcentre, set in the heart of Island Bay on Wellington’s stunning South Coast. Our wonderful centre and community provide a quality licenced Early Childhood Centre for you and your child. Not far from the city or the sea, we think our centre is a pretty special place; our last ERO review placed us in the top 10% of all Early Childhood Education providers nationwide!
Here at Island Bay Playcentre, our sessions are mixed aged – from birth until school aged. Under the Playcentre philosophy we gently support our tamariki to become confident, independent individuals as they play, work, learn and grow together.

Our children thrive in an environment where they have the freedom to play and explore, are empowered to pursue their own interests and are challenged and extended by parents and caregivers as their first teachers. As parent-educators, we’re trained to facilitate and extend play and most of all have fun alongside our children as they learn through their play.
Playcentre offers free Parent Education (including an NZQA recognised programme) to all participating parents. Our parents/families are actively involved in providing for our children’s learning and development and share in making our centre a wonderful supportive community.

Our high adult to child ratio (max 1:5 but typically less) allows for a good balance of group and individual support during each session. The high level of supervision also enables us to provide exceptional learning opportunities such as excursions to our local bush reserves, cooking, gardening, and even toasting marshmallows around a fire in our sand pit!

Our large outdoor area includes two big sandpits (shaded in summer), with a multitude of sand friendly toys and implements. We have plenty of scope for child-led water play with our wooden troughs (with a water recycling system) plus separate outdoor kitchen. For all ages we have, a fort, fireman’s pole, climbing boxes, slides and swings as well as bikes, balls, and more, plus a green space and vege gardens.

Our centre is a place that you and your children will make friendships to last a lifetime.

Pop in for a chat or visit, we’d love to meet you and your whanau.