Our Day
Calm teachers, calm kids...the backdrop for open-minded and courageous learning
Learning through Purposeful Play from 8am to 4.30pm
Time | Activity |
8.00 | Children begin to arrive |
10.00 | Group mat time/whanau hui |
10.10 | Morning tea |
| Play, planned and free activities |
11.45 | General tidy up before lunch |
11.50 | Group mat time/whanau hui |
12.00 | Lunchtime |
| Play, planned and free activities |
3.10 | General tidy up |
3.15 | Group mat time/whanau hui |
3.30 | Afternoon tea |
| Play, planned and free activities |
4.30 | End of the day |

A day at The Cottage
We value the time to stop and share our meal times together as children have the opportunity to recharge, while balancing this with minimising interrupting play.
Please provide morning tea and lunch for your child. We will provide afternoon tea around 3.30 pm. This is usually seasonal fruit and plain crackers (gluten and dairy free).
We welcome you to join with children during play, or whanau hui/mat time. We ask that you support us as we promote an atmosphere of quiet and calm for children.
Attendance Hours
We aim to give flexibility around the hours of attendance to accommodate family requirements. Talk to us about our morning sessions, part day or full day attendance.
We recommended minimum 6 hour day for children 3 years and over.
We require a minimum attendance of twice a week, this is so children are able to establish a strong sense of belonging, and make the most of the learning opportunities here at The Cottage.

What to Bring
Provide your child with a bag large enough to fit everything in. Within the first few days we will provide a name tag that can be attached.

Clothing
Children get dirty here. There is always paint, water and goop or dirt about somewhere as part of our learning experiences. Old clothes are recommended.
Due to the harsh sun in Aotearoa, hats are worn throughout the year whenever children are playing outside. We also recommend the best protection against the sun is clothing, and prefer t-shirts to a singlet or strappy dress.
Please click below to see our Sunsafe Policy. Please pop in a change (or two) of clothes. We do our best to keep track of clothing and having named clothing assists us hugely.
We use reusable bags to return soiled or wet clothes home and ask that these are returned. A $3.50 fee is charged of non-returned bags.
Morning Tea and Lunch
Parents are asked to provide a "snackbox" morning tea and "lunchbox" lunch for their child. These can be in seperate boxes if you wish. We feel that this best accommodates the individual dietary requirements for your child.
While it is an individual choice of what to provide for your child to drink, we recommend that drink bottles are provided with water only. Water will be available to children at all times during the day.
We encourage healthy eating and follow the guidelines set out by the Heart Foundation. We ask that families refrain from adding sweets/chocolate to children’s lunch boxes. We are more than happy to reheat food as required.

Toileting
If your child requires nappy changes we have a nappy change space to easily change nappies. Please provide enough nappies for the day.
When toilet training begins let us know. We are here to support toilet transitioning that is happening at home. We encourage children to use the toilet at routine toilet times throughout the day, and remind children at meal times to try on the toilet.
Pack extra changes of clothes during this time as accidents are unavoidable and a very normal part of the toilet training process. Information of nappy changes and toileting is recorded during the day and is available at any time.
Toys from Home
An item of comfort from home can help children considerably if they are unsettled when it is time to say goodbye or if they become upset during the day. We know it is sometimes helpful for children to settle with a cuddly or treasure from home, however once children have settled we do ask children to put their treasure/cuddly in their bags.
We do ask that children refrain from bringing toys to The Cottage. We try our best to keep toys safe, but they can get lost or broken despite our best efforts. This can cause children distress when they go missing or other children want to play with them.
We are a well-resourced centre, with careful consideration to the materials and activities made available. Toys from home can become the focus more than the activities we have planned as provocations for learning.
If children would like to bring something from home, suggest they bring an item of interest to share for news at mat time. Please remind your child to let the teachers know so it is not forgotten.


Nature teaches us to appreciate all life...

Call Sara Now
Click to call on your mobile
Drop in
Our door is open from 8am - 4.30pm. Only 2 minutes drive from Waimauku off SH16.
181 Taha Road
RD 1
Waimauku
Auckland 0881
Map
Messenger

Call Sara Now
Click a button call on your mobile
Drop in
Our door is open from 8am - 4.30pm. Only 2 minutes drive from Waimauku off SH16.
181 Taha Road
RD 1
Waimauku
Auckland 0881
Messenger
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