The Te Akoranga Playcentre Association represents 11 Playcentres in West and North-west Auckland.

What is Playcentre?

Playcentre is a parent lead Early Childhood Education (ECE) service that is run by parents for parents and their children. We are a family organisation where:

• we empower adults and children to work, play, learn and grow together
• we honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and celebrate people's uniqueness
• we value and affirm parents as the first and best educators of their children

so that whãnau are strengthened and communities enriched.

We pride ourselves in leading our children's early education through their play, and believe that children learn best when they are free to follow their own interests within a supportive and inclusive environment. Our philosophy of enrolling from birth to school age means that children are able to learn in a natural environment, with opportunities to role model from older children, learn alongside their peers, and take on the role of leader and nurturer.

Playcentre is an alternative to teacher-led play where the children have freedom of choice in their activities with a large variety of play areas encompassing Physically Active Play, Sand and Water Play, Fantasy and Family Imaginative Play, Carpentry, Paint, Playdough and Collage, Messy Play and the list goes on!

Our role as parents is to play alongside our own and other children and to interact with them whilst providing them with nurturing support and guidance, and the encouragement to become independent individuals who belong to an amazing loving family within our Playcentre.

What can Playcentre offer you and your children?

• Free NZQA recognized parent Education Programme to be your child’s best and first educator.
• We empower parents and children to learn, play and grow together.
• Child-led play in an inclusive and supportive setting.
• Opportunity to learn new skills as part of the Playcentre parent co-operative.