Eastside

Haere mai and a very warm welcome to Eastside Playcentre
The proverbial village is not dead – it’s alive and well at your second home – PLAYCENTRE!

Playcentre is unlike any other early childhood education organisation. At Playcentre, parents attend and PLAY alongside their children whilst coming together with other parents to plan with the specific interests, personalities, ages and passions of that specific group of children.  

Each child is given the chance and freedom to explore, create, climb, read, sing, experiment, play music, wear costumes, paint, garden, bake and cook, build sandcastles, swing, slide, dance, spend time in nature and best of all – get messy!! The areas of play are inviting and encourage children’s participation. Children are able to freely choose how, where, with what and for how long they play.  This has been described as child-initiated play or self-directed play.

Eastside Playcentres unique features are a shared morning tea and loved traditions like our karakia, visits from Mr Whitlock an elder in our community, treasure bag at the end of session, birthday and graduation celebrations and a special portfolio scrapbooking your child’s Playcentre journey. 

The wonderful activities Eastside Playcentre offers changes every single day. Playcentre parents all bring different skills, interests, and cultural backgrounds to add to the rich learning environment. We go on exciting trips to extend learning, and also welcome guests to speak or teach us new skills at centre. We mark important occasions for example; Matariki, Christmas, Fathers and Mothers Day and we are very open to learning about new traditions.  We embark on fun fundraising ventures throughout the year as well which gives us the opportunity to connect with our wider community.

Playcentre welcomes families with children aged 0 – 6 years. Mixed age play allows children to engage with others older and younger than themselves creating a unique family to belong to. Tamariki learn how to communicate, share and negotiate with empathy for their peers.

Parents are the first educators of children, and Playcentre fosters and nurtures the involvement of whānau through this very special environment. Children can attend with a parent, grandparent, or caregiver and extended family are welcome to visit anytime.

Becoming a member of Eastside Playcentre means becoming a member of a TEAM, chipping in to help share the load. It requires commitment, dedication and responsibility.  These things are vital to the long term running of the Centre.  We are a licensed Early Childhood Education Centre, funded by the Government, which means we must achieve and maintain Government standards and procedures.

As a family, and as a community, you’ll build your own village with Playcentre, and you are guaranteed to make life-long friends along the way. Passion and commitment is required, but the reward is huge for this quality time in the early years! 

Enquire today!