about te puawaitanga o atareta playcentre

Your local Playcentre serving families from
Remuera, Greenlane, Ellerslie, Meadowbank, Stonefields, Orakei and other communities

Playcentre is like

the village that helps to raise the child

It's a place for parents and children to learn, explore and play together

Messy Play

Welcome to Our Playcentre

A parent-run early chilhood education centre in Remuera

We are an early childhood education centre for children and parents/caregivers to attend together. Our welcoming Playcentre whanau includes children from birth to school age, and families from many parts of the world. You will know how true it is that it takes a village to raise a child (and a happy parent!). Playcentre is that village; a place for children and parents to explore, learn and play together.

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What You Get From Playcentre

It's a place for parents and children to learn, explore and play together

Connection

Bringing together people from different cultures and backgrounds, encouraging diverse ways of thinking and being. 

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Learning Together

Workshops, first aid training and an NZQA programme enabling you to be an educator on session

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Encouraging Emergent Leadership

You have the opportunity to take on new responsibilities,  learn new skills and feel part of bigger community.

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Playcentre is a uniquely New Zealand

early childhood education option

based on the belief that parents play a vital role as their children’s first educators. Our Playcentre is one of more than 500 throughout New Zealand. As parents, we are responsible for collectively running the centre, which means parental involvement is essential. It is so rewarding to be part of our children’s learning and development, and to be there as their play evolves and they master new skills. Parents are offered training in child development, early childhood education and aspects of running a centre through flexible evening and weekend courses.

Child-Initiated Play​

Our philosophy is that children learn best through play. At Playcentre our Tamariki make their own choices about how and when they play.

Ramps, water and balls

Mixed-Age Sessions​

Children have the benefits of older and younger children to learn from and to nurture, just as we experience in real life

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Family Co-operative

It's like being in an extended family. We offer a supportive environment as some of our children go through the early stages of life

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If you'd like to

Experience Playcentre

Arrange A Visit
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If you’d like to get a feel for what we do, have a look at our blog, join our Facebook page, or arrange a visit.

Our Playcentre sessions are as follows:

  • Monday 9.15am-11.45am
  • Wednesday 9.15am-11.45am
  • Thursday 9.15am-11.45am
  • Friday 9.15am-11.45am

Children attend at least two sessions per week with their parent or caregiver. Once they are settled in, some older children may also be able to attend a third session independently.

See our FAQs below to find out more. If you have a question that isn’t answered here, please feel free to get in touch!

There are a few differences:

  • Parents attend Playcentre alongside their children. Kindergarten tends to be something children attend on their own.
  • Parents with Playcentre-specific qualifications are the educators at Playcentre. At kindergarten, the educators are paid, formally qualified teachers.
  • The ratio of adults to children at Playcentre is at least 1:5 (and often 1:2 on many of our sessions). At kindergarten the ratio is 1:15, not including parent helpers.
  • The age range at Playcentre is 0-6. At kindergarten, sessions are most often for 3 and 4 year olds.

You can read more about Playcentre here at the Playcentre NZ website.

Simply put:

  • Attending two sessions per week with your child or children. On one of those sessions you will be part of the ‘duty team’ that arrives 15 minutes early to open up the centre and set up activities.
  • Attending a monthly business meeting, where we discuss and make decisions on operational matters essential to running the centre. Our business meetings take place at the centre at 7.30pm, most often on a Monday evening.
  • Attending one ‘Planning and Evaluation’ each term, where we collaboratively evaluate the previous term’s programme and plan for the next term.
  • Taking part in Playcentre education programmes. Our licensing agreement with the Ministry of Education means that Playcentre-qualified parents are essential for running sessions.
  • Taking on an office-holder role. There are a range of these within the centre and descriptions of what they involve. This system ensures the workload of running the centre is shared equitably amongst families. Each member takes a role that works for their family.

There are ad hoc working bees and fundraising activities you can also take part in.
Parents in their first term of Playcentre are not expected to be part of a duty team, take on an office-holder role. For you and your child, settling into our centre and finding your feet are your focus to start off with.

Yes. Many of our children attend daycare or kindergarten on the days they are not at Playcentre and find the combination works really well. As long as they (and you) are able to attend two sessions each week, it is no problem.

Absolutely! Some families have one parent attending each of the two sessions every week and there is no reason an aunt, uncle or grandparent couldn’t do similar. Grandparents often come along as extra caregivers too, especially if they are visiting from out of town. It is important that at least one parent is consistently involved in meetings and education, and is an office-holder. We can discuss this with you.

At Te Puawaitanga O Atareta Playcentre we ask for a $50 donation per family each term.

Ask Us A Question