Maungaraki

In the heart of the Maungaraki Community on Cedar street, Maungaraki Playcentre is a quality ECE service for you and your child.

Maungaraki Playcentre is run by parents, we believe that parents are the first and best educators of their children. At our Playcentre, the parents of the children attending teach our children and manage the running of the centre. Playcentre ratio is one adult to five children and is more often one adult to three children.

Playcentre offers free Parent Education (including an NZQA recognised programme) to all participating parents.

At Maungaraki Playcentre children learn:

– the ability to play, to have fun, to be engaged in the world around them, to be learners

– social and communication skills with other children and especially with adults

– self-help skills such as asking for directions,

– group skills working with other children and adults

– the ability to concentrate on something, and to be absorbed

– the ability to be fascinated in the world around them

– a sense of belonging in their families, in the local community

– the ability to express themselves creatively

– the ability to choose for themselves an activity

– increasing independence at their own rate

– to respect others, and that they in turn are respected

– foundations to reading, mathematics, physical etc skills through play and opportunities offered to them.

What type of people join Playcentre?  All types!!  From many cultures and socio-economic and educational backgrounds.  Playcentre people typically are interested in the best education for their children and can commit some time during the week to ensuring a hands-on education for their children. They join because they believe that parents are the first educators of their children – and they want to do it as well as possible by being involved themselves. Being a Playcentre parent is a social role.

There are three rules at Playcentre, and they effectively cover all situations for both adults and children. They are:

– Respect other people (i.e. no hurting other people).

– Respect the work of other people (i.e. no interfering in the play of others).

– Respect property (i.e. no breaking things).

We look forward to hearing from you to arrange your three free visits!!

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.

We also offer more specialised sessions where there is a real focus on the needs of newborns to 1 year olds, as well as the support and friendship of other new parents at our Space sessions.  

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!