Koutu Playcentre

It's National Volunteer Week this week!

Since Playcentre is parent run, all of our parents are volunteers.

So, pop into Koutu Playcentre on Friday morning (9 - 12:30) to see how much fun it is to volunteer by playing with your children. 😃

Our tamariki love to create.

This “house” has cement made from sand and water and is painted in the most brilliant colours. I’d certainly love to live there!

What have your children created lately?

At Playcentre we don’t just have toys, we create invitations to play.

Today, we made two lots of playdough to explore on this rainy day. One had a construction them, the other had sequins and cupcake liners. Our tamariki mixed them up and decorated their playdough, shared their ideas and practiced new fine motor skills.

Reminder to all members and potential visitors that the centre will be CLOSED for King's Birthday on Monday!
Looking forward to seeing you all on Tuesday when we have a sensory play activity planned with different scents and textures - bigger kids will be able to make sensory pouches for babies to explore.
If you have any natural scented materials which are taste-safe feel free to bring them along, either way come see us and join in the fun 🥰

Did you know Playcentre can help you work towards ECE qualifications for FREE, while you're here with your tamariki? This messy play experience using rainbow goop was set up by one of our members working through her PIA qualification.
Kids love messy play!

“I be builder!”

Block play offers so many learning opportunities: how to balance blocks, sharing with others, cause and effect, how to create the ideas in our heads and more.

Our tamariki have been enjoying constructing and dressing up as builders lately. It’s amazing to see what they can come up with. Ka rawe!

A huge thank you to Mitre 10 Mega Rotorua for their incredibly generous donation of a vegetable pod, complete with soil and thriving plants for our tamariki to enjoy 🌱

This beautiful new space will create so many hands on learning opportunities, from caring for living plants to exploring where food comes from and getting our hands dirty in the garden.

We are so grateful for the support from local businesses who help make experiences like this possible for our whānau and community.

We can’t wait to watch it grow 💚

A huge thank you to Boost Promotions for bringing our new Koutu Playcentre shirts to life 💛

They’ve arrived and we are so excited to finally see them in person. The shirts look amazing, and we can’t wait to wear them out and about on excursions, community adventures, and Playcentre events.

A special thank you also goes to everyone who supported our fundraisers to help make these shirts possible. Your support means so much to our centre and our whānau. Seeing it all come together is incredibly special, and we can’t wait to wear them with pride out in our community ✨

We had so much fun at the Rotorua Lakefront playground last year that we are going again!

Koutu Playcentre will be on an excursion tomorrow from 9am, ready to ride bikes, swing high and play in the autumn sun 🌞

Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing mums, mother figures, grandmothers, and caregivers in our Playcentre whānau 💛

Today we celebrate the love, patience, encouragement, and countless little moments that help our tamariki grow and thrive. From messy play and morning teas to cuddles, creativity, and community, Playcentre is built on the care and connection families bring each day.

We hope today brings a moment to slow down, feel appreciated, and know just how valued you are, not only by your own whānau, but by our wider village too.

Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at
Koutu Playcentre 🌿