What can I say about this amazing new centre. I had the pleasure of being shown around this amazing…read morecentre (just out of interest) and I'm very impressed, not only about the location, but the amazing space purpose built for kids in this great thriving community. The centre is large with ideal spaces for babies and a toddler areas too. Plenty of arts and creative space, kitchen, bathrooms and laundry area and also some beautiful outdoor play areas for the little ones. The centre director Cindy was excellent, very knowledgeable and passionate about her work. I would surely love for my kid to go here. I'm however confident in all other children's experiences and parents too as my child went to another centre of the same owner (Blue Frog) and I've also seen another Mangere Bridge Centre - Spotted Frog and all three are of high calibre and provides excellent teaching staff for all ages 0-6 years.

Sara Stewart owns this absolutely delightful kindergarten on the way to Muriwai Beach…read more Adjacent to her home and on her farm, she and her husband have created The Cottage Kindergarten. It's a small, homely early childhood centre surrounded by gardens and a lovely playground. The hurricane wire fencing is no accident but rather an invitation for children to be a part of their outside world and notice the comings and goings of the lifestyle property and change of seasons. Daily activities incorporate the slice of rural life, this may be a running race on the expansive lawn, excursions to feed the pet sheep, visit the horse or see the dog. When the children aren't playing outside they retreat indoors for a quieter place of reflection where there are plenty of peaceful spaces and a focus on New Zealand's natural world.

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.

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.

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.

My dad went here, I went here and while my kids aren't attending plenty of my nieces and nephews…read moreare carrying on the tradition. This is a friendly country school, very much in vogue as the suburb it resides in has elevated position out West. There is a sculpture of an apple tree with students standing under it on the school grounds which encapsulates the history of this, a school which served its community members many who were orchardists. Many other sculptures and artworks are proudly displayed around the school, such as a mural of an apple tree on a school building as you drive into the school. The teachers are reportedly still wonderful and caring about their students. A keen PTA seems to always be on board. Two main social events on the calendar include a country fair in March and the Stark Brown Picnic in November, both events to celebrate the community spirit through a great little school.

I finally got around to checking out my local Kindergarten for my son to be wait listed at by the…read moreage of two. Located just off the busy Onewa road on Nutsey Ave, is Northcote Kindergarten. The front door, leads you by the head teacher and administration office, where they greet you, and give you some pamphlet information on the center, and an enrollment form should you be interested. I asked lots of questions such as what age does my boy start, whats the transition like, do they proceed on to adjoining schools nearby, etc. The staff are all very helpful, and I was super pleased with the organisation. I was welcomed in, to look around and let my child play outside in the sandpit/playground with a group of children a year and a bit older; he absolutely loved the play time, the sand and water pit, the playground with hammock, and tunnels, and I was really pleased to walk out convinced I will be happy to have him learn in such an environment come 32-36 months of age. Its always great to look around, as North Shore really does have an abundance of fantastic kindergartens, and this one is a winner in my books.

I will always have a soft spot for Mt Eden Kindergarten. As the kindergarten I attended as a child,…read morethis place has been around for decades and still attracts hundreds of locals. Conveniently situated on Milton Road off Dominion Road, this kindy offers all sorts of fun games and activities for kids. Painting, dress ups, miniature houses, puzzles, building blocks, picture book, a sandpit, swings, lots of balls and a whole playground are part of this place. The children I babysit both went to this kindergarten, so while I haven't been enrolled there for over 16 years, I have visited in regularly in the past few years and the feedback from the kids has always been brilliant. The staff that work at this kindy genuinely love children and are very good at teaching them the basics - reading, writing, sharing - in a fun and innovative manner. Mt Eden Kindy is a small community - everyone there knows each other, and I actually found myself recognising many of the parents and being included in their conversations. An extremely friendly, welcoming kindergarten that I would happily send my own kids to!