Island Bay

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.

At Playcentre, early childhood education is a shared journey. We value parents as the first and best educators for their tamariki, which is why parents attend alongside their tamariki – to play, learn and grow together.

Whether you have a new pēpī, preschooler, or are new to a community, Playcentre provides a place for whānau and communities to come together.

If you care for tamariki aged 0-6, we invite you to visit and experience our affordable, unique, and child-led environment. Our centres encourage learning through free play and nurture imagination, confidence, and connection.

Our licensed early learning centres follow the Ministry of Education’s world-leading bicultural curriculum, Te Whāriki, offering 16 different areas of play set up to cater for different interests, skills, ages and abilities.

We also provide a free, NZQA-approved, adult education programme for enrolled whānau to add practical strategies and skills to your parenting toolbox.

We offer three visits before you enrol. Arrange a visit today and experience our supportive, fun and friendly community for yourself!