Welcome to Miniwhais
MANGAWHAI’S EARLY LEARNING & CARE CENTRE
Miniwhais’ lake and bush setting provides an incredible platform for learning and is the foundation of our philosophy. We are licensed for 50 tamariki between 0 and 6 years old and have two rooms, our Minis and Whais rooms. Our Minis room has 12 tamariki, aged 0-2.5 years, and our Whais room has up to 38 tamariki aged 2-6 years.
We pride ourselves on high-quality care and education that far exceeds regulatory standards in all aspects of our education, care, and environment.
If you think Miniwhais could be for you, don’t wait, please make contact now.
Come Join Us at Miniwhais Early Childhood Education & Care Centre in Magical Mangawhai!
Bush Kura (School)
Our Bush Kura program is for tamariki 3.5 years+ and is set in 71 hectares at the base of Piroa or the Brynderwyn Range.
Three times a week we take a group of 10 to Bush Kura, where the bush becomes their classroom. Bush Kura empowers tamariki to explore tactile experiences of the soil, mud, water, leaves, and bark and reinforces a sense of unity, and connectedness, with nature and provides opportunities for real, authentic learning like nothing else can. Because, unlike the classroom, the ground isn’t flat or perfectly designed just for tamariki.
As tamariki navigate the natural environment, they take risks, try and fail, and try again, developing resilience, perseverance, and confidence. Research shows that there are numerous psychological, emotional & developmental benefits for tamariki with regular access to nature.
Bush Kura supports and extends on learning dispositions such as curiosity and persistence, being in nature provides tamariki with countless opportunities for discovery, creativity, and problem-solving, to learn by doing and experiment with ideas.
Miniwhais Meals Prepared by Steph the Chef!
We are very proud to have achieved the Gold Healthy Heart Award, the highest award awarded by the Heart Foundation.
Miniwhais meals are made daily onsite and are designed by a qualified chef with many years of early childhood nutritional experience.
We provide morning tea, lunch (usually cooked), afternoon tea and late snack. Our daily menu contains all the food groups fruit & vegetables, bread & cereals, milk & milk products, lean meat, chicken, seafood, dried peas, beans, and lentils, so you know when your tamariki has been at Miniwhais for the day, their nutritional needs have been taken care of!
But its not just about the food, our Active Movement & Nutrition Policy that provides opportunities for tamariki to garden, harvest & cook, learn about nutrition, keeping themselves healthy through healthy choices, and being active.
Spending the day learning and playing with good nutrition on board leads to better concentration, improved learning and healthy growth and development.
We are very experienced in managing and catering to all food choices, including intolerances, allergies, or beliefs and will create an action plan and alternatives in partnership with you.
