Little Wonders Early Childhood Centre, Oamaru

Little Wonders Early Childhood Centre, Oamaru We believe Te Whāriki the Early Childhood Curriculum Document is the foundation of our philosophy.

Diverse in nature Little Wonders treasures the individuality of all learners and guides children’s learning through meaningful play and fun experiences.

Friday Explorers Risky & Physical Play – Learning Beyond the Classroom What an incredible adventure at Hurst’s Property!...
11/09/2026

Friday Explorers Risky & Physical Play – Learning Beyond the Classroom

What an incredible adventure at Hurst’s Property! Our tamariki immersed themselves in nature as they journeyed through the natural forest, climbed through tunnels, scrambled over fallen trees and explored the world around them.
There were daffodils to stop and smell, hidden pathways to discover and, of course… a very important secret search for fairies!
These experiences reflect our philosophy of embracing active movement, joy, exploration and risk-taking, while trusting tamariki to challenge themselves, build confidence and develop as capable, independent learners.
Through these adventures, tamariki are not only moving their bodies but developing resilience, problem-solving skills, confidence and a deeper connection with Papatūānuku and our natural world.

Wonder, exploration, risk and a little bit of fairy magic – learning really does happen everywhere!

Our Porowhita and Porowha children have had the opportunity to engage with Rākau sticks, poi, Korowai, and piupiu. This ...
04/09/2026

Our Porowhita and Porowha children have had the opportunity to engage with Rākau sticks, poi, Korowai, and piupiu. This shows the commitment that we hold to Te tiriti O Waitangi through the value of Kia Manawanui. Kia Manawanui can be defined as growth and commitment to our mahi. Kia Manawanui is also a driver to learn and grow as we look at the ways that we can incorporate bicultural resources in an appropriate way. These photos show that the enjoyment of these items can start even from our youngest of ages.

WE’RE HIRING! | NON-CERTIFICATED KAIAKOAre you passionate about making a difference in the lives of tamariki? Come and j...
02/09/2026

WE’RE HIRING! | NON-CERTIFICATED KAIAKO

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of tamariki? Come and join the Little Wonders Oamaru whānau!

We’re looking for a caring, enthusiastic and reliable Non-Certificated Kaiako to join our passionate team. At Little Wonders, you’ll be part of a beautiful, nature-inspired environment where Reggio Emilia, sustainability, meaningful relationships and connection to Papatūānuku are at the heart of our learning.

With our Trent Street Wilderness Garden, supportive team and opportunities for professional growth, this is a wonderful opportunity to grow your teaching journey while helping tamariki explore, discover and thrive.

30 hours per week | 5 days | Oamaru

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you! Apply via the link below.
http://careers.evolveeducation.co.nz/cw/en/job/494052?lApplicationSubSourceID=

Spring at Little WondersChildren love a project. Getting into the garden or fixing something and they want to help. One ...
02/09/2026

Spring at Little Wonders

Children love a project. Getting into the garden or fixing something and they want to help. One of the best ways we can grow young minds is through offering them experiences and gardening is one of them. This week at Little Wonders we have been weeding our raised garden beds and planting some foods our Guinea pig loves like lettuces and broccoli. The learning from this has ranged from the value and excitement gained from working with others to the enjoyment of growing food for ourselves and our preschool animals. Our children are looking forward to feeding our Guinea Pig the food they helped grow for her.

Friday Explorers: A Visit to Waitaki Resource Recovery ParkYesterday our Friday Explorers headed out to Waitaki Resource...
28/08/2026

Friday Explorers: A Visit to Waitaki Resource Recovery Park

Yesterday our Friday Explorers headed out to Waitaki Resource Recovery Park for a fantastic morning of learning about recycling, waste and caring for our environment.

We discovered that when we look closely at our packaging, we can often find a recycling triangle with a number inside. We learned that numbers 1, 2 and 5 can be recycled, and that many of the soft plastics we use every day, such as chip packets, bread bags and some dish tablet packaging, can also be recycled through the appropriate soft-plastic recycling system.

We enjoyed exploring the recycling centre and learning what happens to the things we bring in. We also discovered that batteries can be recycled, and an important safety tip we learned was to place cellotape over both ends of batteries before taking them in.

One of the highlights was exploring the amazing Resource Shop, which was full of treasures and wonderful possibilities for giving items a new life. We also visited the garden centre, where we were very generously given some vegetables to take back and plant in our own garden at Little Wonders.

What a wonderful hands-on learning experience — helping our tamariki understand that the choices we make with our waste can make a difference to our environment.

A huge thank you to Trish and the team at Resource Recovery Park for welcoming our Friday Explorers and sharing your knowledge with us. We loved our visit!

Heuristic play provided infants and toddlers with opportunities to explore, investigate, discover and problem-solve usin...
27/08/2026

Heuristic play provided infants and toddlers with opportunities to explore, investigate, discover and problem-solve using a collection of safe, everyday objects. Rather than showing tamariki how to use the materials, we allow them to explore at their own pace and develop their own ideas.

Combining Pikler principles with heuristic play this supports independence, fine and gross motor development, problem-solving, curiosity, concentration, confidence and respectful relationships.

We are so proud to be holding our Rito Healthy Heart Award and celebrating the importance of healthy, nutritious choices...
23/08/2026

We are so proud to be holding our Rito Healthy Heart Award and celebrating the importance of healthy, nutritious choices for our tamariki! 🥰

One of our cooks’ favourite recipes is her **basic mini muffin recipe** — it’s so versatile and perfect for getting creative in the kitchen! You can hide so many delicious and nutritious ingredients inside and change the flavour to suit whatever you have at home.

Ingredients:

* 4 cups self-raising flour
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 1 cup sugar
* 4 eggs
* 1 tsp salt
* Approximately 2 cups milk

Method:
Beat the oil, sugar and eggs together until thick. Add the milk and flour and mix until combined.

Then comes the fun part! Add your favourite flavours such as:
Banana, Cocoa, Blueberries, Cranberries, Cinnamon & Vanilla
For a healthier option: Replace 1 cup of sugar with ½ cup sugar and 1 banana.

Bake at 170°C for 12–15 minutes, or until the muffins spring back when gently touched.

A simple recipe with so many possibilities — and a great way to get your tamariki involved in preparing, mixing and creating!

Healthy hearts start with healthy choices — and happy memories are made in the kitchen.
Enjoy making these with your tamariki at home!

Nature painting from start to finishToday the Porowha children enjoyed painting with nature. They selected what colour t...
20/08/2026

Nature painting from start to finish
Today the Porowha children enjoyed painting with nature. They selected what colour they wanted to use and their stick paintbrush and enjoyed painting with nature on the paper. This sensory experience meant that they could smell the lavender and leaves as they were painting with it. Here they got to experiment how they could get the paint onto the paper, by dabbing, or sweeping the brush across the paper. The most important part is that they got to have fun and enjoy the process. This activity was revisited throughout the morning and the children kept coming back for more.
He maha ngā tae, pērā ki te āniwaniwa. There are a lot of colours just like a rainbow.

Messy play fun at Little Wonders: Messy play is a provocation Kaiako set up in various forms as an invitation to explore...
18/08/2026

Messy play fun at Little Wonders:
Messy play is a provocation Kaiako set up in various forms as an invitation to explore and engage. We have this available to our children every day. It benefits our children by engaging multiple senses, strengthening fine motor control, and encouraging creative problem-solving. It promotes brain development through open-ended exploration with no right or wrong outcome. Messy play is a space where social competence is increased as children connect with each other through this fun shared experience.

In our under two learning space we provide free movement, creating an environment where infants can move, explore and d...
13/08/2026

In our under two learning space we provide free movement, creating an environment where infants can move, explore and develop their physical abilities at their own pace without unnecessary restriction.

We provide open uncluttered spaces, freedom to move at their own pace, safe and accessible resources, opportunities for floor play, respectful caregiving, support for individual development, safe challenges, responsive kaiako and a calm environment.

The child is viewed as an active, capable learner and is given time, freedom and trust to develop their movement naturally.

Address

303 Thames Street
Oamaru
9400

Opening Hours

Monday 7:30am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 7:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 7:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday 7:30am - 5:30pm
Friday 7:30am - 5:30pm

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