Pukehīnau Kelburn Playcentre

Nau mai, haere mai and welcome to Pukehīnau Kelburn Playcentre,

Our large, purpose-designed space adjacent to Kelburn Normal School offers a wide range of indoor and outdoor play equipment – everything from books to read, painting and art supplies, dolls, duplo and musical instruments to a sandpit, swings and slide, bubble wands, trampolines and big muscle climbing equipment. There is no such thing as a “typical” session at Pukehīnau Kelburn Playcentre. Our wealth of resources and the diverse experiences, skills and interests that our parents bring means that new ideas are constantly being brought forward and no two days are the same.

A Pukehīnau Kelburn Playcentre parent needs to be prepared to get stuck in and get their hands dirty – or if that’s not your thing you might prefer building… or reading stories… or making an obstacle course… In return we offer a strong adult education programme, a supportive and friendly environment, and plenty of tea and coffee.

If you’d like to come along and find out if our whanau is right for yours, we’d love to welcome you for three no-obligation visits. We run mixed-age sessions for tamariki aged birth to six years on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and on Wednesday our Pikopiko session is for tamariki aged birth to 2.5 years, and their families. All sessions run from 9am to 12pm.

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!