Our Environment - Central Park | Early Learning Centre

Central Park Early Learning Centre is licensed for a maximum of 82 children (including up to 25 under 2-year-olds).

We have 2 main rooms – the Ruru room for children over the age of 2 and a half years old and the Kereru room for children under the age of 2 and a half. The Kereru room has a dedicated fenced-off area specifically designed for infants under the age of 1.

Both the Ruru and Kereru rooms have dedicated outside play areas which have climbing frames, slides, sandpits, space for bike riding and other outdoor activities.

Linking the two outside play areas we have a working vegetable garden where the children help us to make compost, grow vegetables and flowers from seeds, water the plants and harvest our crops. These vegetables are incorporated into our Centre menu or eaten fresh from the garden by the children. Each room also grows herbs such as rosemary, sage and parsley so that the children can experience their lovely scents and flavours.

In the Piwakawaka & Kererū room, we are committed to creating an environment that empowers tamariki to lead their own learning experiences, while kaiako facilitate and build upon their interests, strengths, and skills. Our room is filled with a variety of resources and natural elements including gardens and fruit trees, allowing tamariki to explore and engage with the environment around them.

In the Ruru room, we are committed to fostering an environment that values independence and equality, while also emphasising the significance of harmony and incorporating the traditions of our community. We believe that our environment supports the inherent capability of tamariki enabling them to shape their own learning experiences, overcome challenges and take on leadership roles within our daily routines.

The Ruru outside area is a large open-plan space with a variety of resources and natural elements including a lazy river that trickles into the sandpit giving the children a safe opportunity to play with water. Additionally, we offer a secure space for children to participate in closely monitored woodworking activities.

Our indoor-outdoor flow encourages children to freely move between the indoor and outside areas (as weather permits).