“Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child’s soul.” – Friedrich Froebel

At Play to Learn, we value the importance of play in early childhood.  This creates numerous opportunities for children to explore the world and develop their sense of self and personal identity through meaningful, hands-on experiences.

We are a mixed-age childcare centre that encourages strong family values through ‘tuakana-teina’ (young children learning from older children and older children taking care and responsibility for younger children) as they would naturally at home. We strive to create a family-friendly environment where children always feel loved and cared for.

Why is a play-based approach important?

When children play, they:

• Explore the world – natural and social
• Develop and practice social and language skills that may be more complex than in everyday activities.
• Expand and challenge their physical skills.
• Experiment with new ideas, including symbolic competence required for formal learning
• Enhance their self-confidence
• Think and express themselves creatively
• Respond to experiences with or without language
• Develop their sense of self and identity.

Under Two-year Olds

The primary caregivers in our under two area are influenced by the Magda Gerber Approach. It is an approach of love and respect where each child develops authentically without intervention, at his or her pace. Children have the freedom to “do their own thing” and “be who they want to be” in a carefully structured environment.

“Childhood is not a race to see how quickly a child can read, write and count. Childhood is a small window of time to learn and develop at a pace which is right for each individual child.”

Magda Gerber

They get security from permanency, consistency and anticipation: time to sleep, time to eat, time to explore inside and time to be outside. Within this predictable rhythm of centre life children have time for uninterrupted exploratory play, which is encouraged through the use of treasure baskets and heuristic play.

Over Two-year Olds

Play to Learn Early Learning Centre prides itself as a mixed-aged centre catering for children from birth to school age, we have two rooms, the Kiwi Room caters for 32 children over the age of two years old.

Activities include family play, construction and carpentry play, science and nature, puzzles, transport and messy play.

We know that our childcare centre in Hamilton will be a home away from home for your child.

Families provide their child’s lunch each day. We provide morning and afternoon tea. 

Yes, we offer Story park e-portfolios.

Storypark is a secure online network where photos, videos and observations can be posted in a child’s e-portfolio within a private and safe learning community.

Storypark helps parents/whānau become more involved in their child’s learning by linking learning activities during the day in the centre with the home environment.

Storypark is a shared learning tool that helps develop strong relationships. It’s great for busy working parents and far-away grandparents and other family/whānau, because it enables all the important people in a child’s life to be more included in the child’s learning and discovery, no matter where they are in New Zealand or elsewhere in the world. It also offers a lifetime platform where you can revisit your child’s learning years even when they are grown-ups.