Ok, now it is a few years since my children were preschoolers, but I think I still have the…read moreauthority to rave about Titirangi Kindergarten. This is based on my own experiences and on chatting to friends who have youngsters attending, all who share the same sentiments as me. Which is a glowing 5 Star endorsement. From day one, each and every one of my three children (and all of our neighbourhood friends who attended) fell in love with this relaxed kindy, their great facilities and mostly the lovely teachers. Here's what is so awesome about the kindy: their nature table and their woodwork area get top marks. A sandpit to envy other kindergartens, complemented by a great adventure playground which is nestled in the Titirangi bush. Cool books and an even cooler Lego collection. There was not a day that went by that the kids didn't bring home a colourful artistic creation of recounted yet another adventure at Titirangi Kindy. Well prepared for school years after a stint at this kindergarten.

We discovered this local preschool was an eight minute walk from our house and enjoyed many a happy…read moretime nurtured by the staff of what I think is one of Auckland's best preschools. Parents are encouraged to come along with your littlies when they start which eases the separation guilt thing, soon enough you realize that your children crave the interaction with others of their age and as parent you can quietly step away for a few hours in a day. My children loved the dress-up corner which had quite a selection of princess and fairy dresses, batman, spiderman, Harry Potter outfits and enough animal ensembles for the whole bunch. The garden is their pride and joy and lots of fundraising went into the shade sails and various landscaping elements to make this garden adventure playground a cool place to hang out. Inside the large hall is separated into many different areas of discovery and mat time is in the quiet back room. This is where my kids experienced their first after-hours disco, lots of fun and thanks to the team who make it all happen!

From the beginning we were warmly welcomed by the staff and other families at Kaurilands Kindy…read more This kindy is a respectful and nurturing environment, where children are encouraged to be independent and capable learners. The teachers are highly experienced and are always observing the children and their interests and adding activities to suit. There is a wide range of activities for the children to take part in and the teachers see learning opportunities in everything. I cannot recommend this kindy highly enough.

I cannot recommend Oaktree Kindergarten highly enough. From the moment my daughter, Felicity,…read morestarted here, the teachers have gone above and beyond in creating a safe, loving, and inspiring environment. They are not only highly professional and experienced but also genuinely warm, patient, and attentive to each child's individual needs. What stands out most is how incredibly supportive and nurturing the teachers are. They truly see Felicity as a whole person -- encouraging her confidence, creativity, independence, and social skills. Whenever I drop her off, I feel reassured knowing she is surrounded by such dedicated and caring educators. The activities are also exceptional. From hands-on science experiments (like making "dinosaur eggs" fizz open with hidden surprises inside) to imaginative play, music, art, and storytelling, every day is filled with rich opportunities for learning and discovery. I've seen Felicity grow in confidence, curiosity, and joy since joining Oaktree, and she now comes home excited to share what she's learned. It is the greatest feeling as a parent to see my daughter run to her teachers with unconditional hugs and to know that she has a special connection with each and every one of them. That bond is priceless, and it speaks volumes about the heart this team puts into their work. A special thank you to Jane, Lucy, Jenny, Vanessa, Amy, and Natalie -- you are an incredible team, and I am deeply grateful for the love and dedication you show every single day. If you're looking for a kindergarten that is more than just a childcare centre -- a place where your child will be truly valued, guided, and inspired -- Oaktree Kindergarten is the best choice you could make.

Technically a child should be writing this review. I think if a four-year-old could type it would…read morego something like this... "I like going to kindy here because there is a fun playground with a slide and I can climb up on it with my friends. I like going on all the swings too! Inside there are toys everywhere I can play with and we also do painting and make cool stuff. I learnt to count in Maori and now I know all about fire trucks and police cars." But that's just a guess... I went to a four-year-old birthday party here in the weekend and it was the perfect venue for this event. The kids were set free on all the play equipment outside so there were no issues with keeping them entertained. There was a kitchen to prepare the party food and lots of nice shady areas for the adults to sit. I heard it was really inexpensive too with a small fee to be paid for birthday parties of any child enrolled in the kindy. My nephew comes here a few times a week and he absolutely loves it. He calls it "big boy kindy" and has made some wonderful friends here. The stories I hear about his adventures at Oaktree make me wish I could take a day off from my life to build sandcastles and paint pictures with the carefree kiddies.

I have loved my years with Meadowbank kindy for my two boys, and I highly recommend it to anyone…read moreliving in the area. It is so popular for a reason - the staff are great, so caring and friendly, and the facilities are quality. Also, the parents are a lovely bunch of people and many of us have stayed friends through school as well. The parent support group does a fantastic job of fundraising and arranging social events. Afternoon Kindy for kids over 3 is from 12:45-3:15, and Morning Kindy for kids over 4 is from 8:45-12:30 on Mon & Fri, and 8:45-11:45 on T/W/T. This has been a wonderful local community for us. If you have children who are 2 in Meadowbank, put them on the waiting list now!

I've had an unusual experience trying to enrol my son here because I am a student at AUT and it…read morewould obviously be super handy to have him at the campus daycare! I've been for a few visits and the place is great - clean and heaps of facilities and the teachers are actively involved with the children, who all seemed like they were having fun. I have had great communication from the manager there about my prospective enrolment. I would give it a 5 star rating if I was actually able to enrol there, but since they were very inflexible about their 2 day minimum policy, I was turned away and told to 'find somewhere else that better suited my needs'. Where else better suits than on campus??! I have 1 daytime class at uni and the rest of my classes are at night when the daycare is closed, so I only wanted to enrol for one day. They would rather have no enrolment than only one day. I was very disappointed.

My daughter only got to spend one term here as our circumstances changed and the short sessions…read morewere no longer possible. It was such a shame because it's a lovely kindy and she made some really good friends. Many of those friends went on to the same primary school as her which was a real bonus in terms of making her feel more secure and confident when she started school. When I was researching the public kindergartens available in my area, Lady Cobham was by far the best with wonderful caring teachers and a great community network of parents. The downside of course with any public preschool is that it feels like you just dropped them off before you have to go back and pick them up again as sessions are either morning or afternoon. Also, most people with preschoolers will know there are lengthy waiting lists but as long as you are ON the waiting list, the oldest children take priority, hopefully giving all the kids at least a couple of terms before they turn 5. Kindies are a great option if you can make the timings work with your routine and Lady Cobham is one of the best.

My eldest went to Epsom South Kindergarten (formerly known as Lady Cobham) and my youngest is on…read morethe waiting list to attend. Although we now live outside the local area, it was and is easily the best kindy I have visited. The staff there are supportive and welcome all cultures with open arms. I really enjoyed all the celebrations shared with the kindy community (children and families) and they have a great open door policy with parents wanting to help out.

I really love the flow of the Northcote Community Crèche, the outdoor play area flows almost…read morecompletely around the crèche, allowing the children to spend lots of time playing in the sand pit, riding a scooter or pushing a cart. The staff are also wonderfully calm and helpful, and always attentive with the children. My first visit here was to have a look around and see what I thought about enrolling my child. Didn't take me long to realize, that the kids were happy, and there was so much to learn from and play with. A routine session, gave your child- indoor and outdoor play time, a sit down group meal, group book reading, and sing along/dance time. Organised and cheerful, this community crèche is a favourite of mine.

My nephew comes here and he absolutely loves it. The standard of childcare in New Zealand is high…read moreand this is one of its best centres. It's a Reggio centre whose principles concentrate on a child's development and many childcare centres in New Zealand are based on this. The children are catered for, getting a morning/afternoon tea and lunch. The parents of the children are emailed out an update every day on the activities of the children at the centre - this is great for parents and really keep them in the loop. The teachers in the school are all passionate about childcare and each child is given a lot of attention and care. I think what attracts a lot of young couples to come live in New Zealand is the emphasis on children and a child friendly environment. There are many good centres in Auckland but this is, by all accounts one of the best.