Campus Creche Trust

You're invited to a Community Garage Sale!

We’re excited to open our gates and welcome the community to our Garage Sale at our Hillcrest site on Saturday, 23 May, 8:00am – 12:00pm.

Come along, grab a bargain.

All funds raised will go towards upgrading our playgrounds, helping us create even better spaces for our tamariki to learn, play, and explore.

Bring your friends, and whaanau, we’d love to see you there :)

🌿✨ Our Kauri Outdoor Space – A Place for Exploration and Fun! ✨🌿
Here at Kauri, our tamariki are lucky to have an incredible space to play, create, and explore! From the woodwork area, where little hands can build and problem-solve, to water play, where they can splash, pour, and experiment, every day is full of discovery.

The natural environment is at the heart of our space, tamariki can connect with Papatūānuku, exploring gardens, mud, plants, and the changing weather. Every puddle, patch of soil, and patch of sunlight becomes an invitation to play, wonder, and learn together.

It’s amazing to watch our tamariki collaborate, create, and connect, building friendships while engaging their senses and curiosity. Our outdoor space isn’t just a playground, it’s a place for growth, creativity, and joyful learning!

Come and see the fun in action, who knows what new discovery awaits today?

Happy Easter / Hari Aranga

Whekii tamariki enjoyed a fun Easter celebration at Whekii throughout the week! Everyone had the chance to choose and wear their own fluffy bunny ears, explore our Easter-themed environment, and share hot cross buns together. A lovely opportunity for the children, kaiako and whaanau to engage, connect, and learn through festive play and shared experiences.

Fun times in Koowhai

Come join us at the AGM

We warmly invite all our whaanau to join us for our Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, 8 April at the Maire Centre.

Light refreshments will be available from 5:45pm, followed by the meeting.

This is a great opportunity to connect, hear about what’s been happening at the creche, and be part of shaping our future together.

See you there.

At Campus creche, we are lucky enough to have the university right on our doorstep. The Kauri tamariki love visiting the university grounds and exploring everything this beautiful environment has to offer.

These excursions provide wonderful opportunities for the tamariki to connect with the natural world while extending their curiosity and sense of adventure. As we walk through the wide-open spaces, gardens, and forested areas, the tamariki naturally begin to observe, question, and investigate what they see around them. From spotting insects and birds, to noticing different plants, and the seasonal changes, every visit becomes a meaningful learning experience.

Through these explorations the tamariki are developing a deeper understanding of the environment and their place within it. They practice important skills such as observation, problem solving, communication, and collaboration as they share discoveries with one another and work together to explore new spaces.

Our Whekii tamariki have been enjoying time outdoors in our playground, exploring the obstacle course, practicing their early climbing and walking skills, and playing alongside one another. As they move their bodies, tamariki are building confidence, balance, and coordination, while also learning how to be with others. Through outdoor play, they are discovering new challenges, growing their independence, and becoming familiar with social play as they explore side by side.

In the Kauri whare at Campus Creche, we grow our understanding of the world through real, hands-on experiences.

Here, manaakitanga is not just a word, it is action.

With our new clutch of heihei (chickens), there is a natural excitement. Tamariki are curious. They want to reach out, to touch, to feel. But right now, our heihei are still settling in and do not yet feel safe enough for that closeness.

So we practise respect.

By giving them space, moving slowly, and observing carefully, our tamariki are learning that kindness sometimes means holding back. Each day, they feed the heihei, even bringing food scraps to contribute, and quietly watch as trust begins to build.

Through patience and presence, they are not only caring for these creatures but also learning to see the world through another’s needs.

Manaakitanga in action.

Over the weekend one of our kaikako Tahlia, alongside 3 others Armin, Timothy, and Cameron, completed an amazing 24-hour, 100 km walk to raise awareness for the Walk Without Fear Trust. Great work team!

Today we had the privilege of attending the Waka Ama Sprint Championships with our tamariki. It was a wonderful opportunity for our tamariki to experience an event grounded in te ao Maaori, celebrating culture, teamwork, and connection to the water.

Being able to take our tamariki out into our local community and events like this has always been important part of who we are in Maire. These experiences strengthen children’s sense of belonging, support their understanding of the world around them, and help bring learning to life in meaningful ways.

We may have also stopped at the park for a little kai and play on the way home.

Meri Kirihimete to all our whaanau and the wider community. Thank you for the aroha and tautoko throughout the year.

Wishing you a safe, restful, and joyful holiday season, filled with aroha and happiness. Kia tau te rangimaarie ki runga i a koutou katoa.

Ngaa mihi nui
Campus Creche