Otumoetai Playcentre

Ngā mihi nui to everyone who voted for our Shady Tree project! 👏 Bay Of Plenty Council has confirmed that our project has been successful and we will receive funding through the School Sustainability and Resilience Fund.

Big shady tree is coming to Ōtūmoetai Playcentre!

What a special moment for our tamariki this morning! 🤩 Ruben the Road Safety Bear has visited our Playcentre to practice road safety skills and do some dancing. Everyone had so much fun!

Playcentre Aotearoa

Ōtūmoetai Paycentre weaves pakiwaitara into art and play

"At Otumoetai Playcentre, a new mural is doing more than brightening a wall. It's helping tamariki step into local stories, sparking language, curiosrity and a deep sense of belonging"

Read the full story in the latest Education Gazette: https://gazette.education.govt.nz/articles/issue-4-2026-building-belonging/

Image description: Front cover of the Tukutuku Kōrero, Education Gazette.

It's Te Wiki o Te Wāhanga Mātauranga / Playcentre Education Week! 📚

Did you know that our enrolled members can complete a free NZQA approved NZ Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 4), building skills in parenting as well as developing capacity as an early childhood educator at Playcentre and beyond?

Keen to join? Email us at [email protected] or fill in a short form at https://www.playcentre.org.nz/centre/otumoetai/ to book your three free visits.

For every printer installed through BDL, native trees are planted by Trees That Count. So far, 48 trees have been planted on behalf of Playcentre Aotearoa! Supporting regeneration projects across Aotearoa - including Two Loops Catchment, Aureate Reforestation, and the Mt Pirongia foothills.

The same printers that help us share the stories of our tamariki, our centres, and our whānau are also contributing, in a small but real way, to restoring the environments those tamariki will grow up in.

It’s a simple example of how our Procurement team work to align with our Playcentre values, creating impact beyond the immediate need 💛

www.treesthatcount.co.nz

Image description: Trees That Count tile showing that they've planted 48 trees on our behalf.

So proud to have our beautiful Taurikura mural painted by Murals by Millie and our beautiful OPC tamariki in The Education Gazette ❤️

This mural was such a big and important project for our Playcentre and it's so nice to see it celebrated in media.

Check out the issue here: https://gazette.education.govt.nz/articles/issue-4-2026-building-belonging/

Our member, Vanessa De Carvalho, signing the first copy of her novel, The Mother Hood (coming May, 1st).

If you want to pre-order a copy for yourself, you can do it here: https://vdcwriter.com/pre-orders/ (10% from the sales of the author copies will go to our Playcentre!)

Our talented member Vanessa De Carvalho is releasing her debut novel on May, 1st 👏 And 10% of pre-order sales will go to Otumoetai Playcentre ❤️ Support Vanessa and OPC by pre-ordering your copy today: https://subscribepage.io/f9FoYl

BLURB:

Let’s meet in The Mother Hood – because we were never meant to do it alone.
What happens when motherhood isn’t what you expect? When it’s not instinctual and feels impossible to handle on your own?
Saffi struggles to balance work, family, and her relationship—until an unexpected attraction forces her to confront what she truly wants.
Lena, a stay-at-home mother of one, yearns for more children. Her growing envy impacts who she is as a parent, partner, and friend.
Violet cruises through pregnancy only to be blindsided by the isolating fog of postnatal depression, struggling to bond with the baby she thought she was ready for.
The friendship has survived despite the women’s differences, but will they support each other as their challenges intensify? Or will the village they’ve built start to crumble?
Vanessa De Carvalho’s debut novel is perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes.

*For Tauranga residents only. Vanessa will get in touch with you to confirm delivery/pick-up details.

The Mother Hood Pre-Orders If you are a Tauranga resident and would like to pre-order a copy of The Mother Hood (release date May 1st), please fill out this form.

WE'RE CLOSED FOR HOLIDAYS!

Otumoetai Playcentre is closed for holidays on Friday, April 3rd - Sunday, April 19th. We'll be back for Term 2 starting Monday, April, 20th.

If you have any questions, please, email us at [email protected]
If you'd like to book a guest visit, you can do it online and we'll get back to you asap: https://www.playcentre.org.nz/centre/otumoetai/ (please, notice that we don't have guest visits on the first week of the term).

Kia pai ngā hararei! Have a great holiday!