The children come to experience & know Āwhina’s healthy rhythms, which bestows a sense of comfort and security in understanding what is to happen next. Each child is therefore nourished, well-rested, happy, and able to transition back into their home environment.

Each child enters their day at Āwhina, being lovingly received by our teaching team. We like to ask each parent/caregiver in the morning to tell us about your child and their general demeanor. This helps us to know the child, build solid relationships, and support the child during their day with us.

The morning is set for play, art & imagination! A familiar song gently persuades the children to welcome them to the dining table for a delicious morning tea. Followed by a late morning exploring, playing & dreaming in the garden. Lunch is then served to be enjoyed at a slow pace so the children can enjoy & digest. The children are then invited for their afternoon sleep - a time for quiet peace and restoration.

Our beautiful environment reflects our beliefs about providing a home-like space for children to learn & develop at their own pace and time. Āwhina’s daily rhythms are pivotal to the tamariki in our care, and our carefully planned environment reflects this while evoking a feeling of beauty & comfort.

Our indoor environment offers specially selected, high-quality furniture (new and repurposed treasures), play resources made from beautiful natural materials, loose parts, creative arts & crafts, and wider equipment and resources.

Our outdoor space is filled with trees, flowers, herbs, vegetables, and fruits. The children can play & feel the grass under their feet, touch the bark of the persimmon tree, see the raspberry vines climbing the sunny wall, smell the lemon verbena, watch the chickens foraging, and be surrounded by Āwhina’s natural beauty. These everyday experiences will enhance and strengthen their connection & respect for nature. We also have a large deck where the children can enjoy meal times & crafts under a canopy of nature's beauty.

The Āwhina garden’s fruits, vegetables & herbs regularly enter the kitchen. The flow of the garden and grounds provides a peaceful and inspiring space for children to learn and safely explore. Sandpits, slides, climbing, and building materials blend into the natural structure of the trees, plants, and magical pathways. We also have chickens, and the children are encouraged to help look after and gain an appreciation for the natural world.

The children have access to the garden all year round, in all seasons.

At Āwhina we believe that nutrition is the foundation of a healthy, happy child. We provide nutrient dense, organic (where possible), whole-food vegetarian meals that are prepared lovingly in the Āwhina kitchen by our passionate cook. The meals are prepared using organic (where possible) and local (where possible) produce, including seasonal fruits, vegetables, and herbs harvested from the Āwhina garden as well as eggs from our happy chickens.

The children’s menu offers nutritional and seasonal variety, and is thoughtfully planned using wholefoods, whilst also catering for any dietary requirements of our whānau. Our tamariki play a large role in helping with all our meals from growing, harvesting, and then participating in our kitchen preparations. Our meal times involve all our tamariki and are a vital part of our unhurried daily rhythm where we enjoy each other’s company with kai that has been lovingly prepared. The menu also incorporates foods prepared in celebration of special events, such as a child or staff birthday, or much-anticipated festivals.

We do cater for children with food intolerances including gluten, dairy, and egg free options.