Little Engines is a vibrant, homely and welcoming Montessori preschool for 2 – 6 year olds. Our daycare centre is located at 56 Surrey Crescent, Grey Lynn, just a short drive from nearby Westmere, Sandringham, Ponsonby, Newmarket and Mt Eden.
We operate a full-day daycare programme from 8:00am to 4:15pm. Our centre is licensed for 50 children in which we accommodates two rooms and provide a high teacher child ratio of 1:8. Our first room is set up purposefully as an induction to Montessori preschool for children aged 2 to 3 years, allowing children to learn the principles of Montessori and be well prepared for engaging in our Montessori curriculum. The second room at our Grey Lynn childcare is for children aged 3 to 6 years, this room is a fully equipped Montessori environment, led by experienced and long serving Montessori teachers.
Our calm and nurturing environment is managed by a team of highly experienced day care teachers, providing children a stable learning environment, which fosters their sense of belonging. We incorporate a diverse range of enriching early learning opportunities tailored to each child’s innate interests and abilities.
At Little Engines childcare, we love what we do, because we do what we love!
Little Engines childcare centre in Grey Lynn adheres to the broad principles of Maria Montessori and Te-Whāriki, New Zealand’s Early childhood curriculum.
Our holistic programme is designed with the aim to help every child reach their full potential and empower them as confident and competent life-long learners.
Our curriculum:
- Is child-focused and encourages self-reliance, develops children’s sense of self-worth and identity
- Aims to create independent learners for the future; by building children’s confidence and self-esteem, equipping them with the necessary skills for all social and educational experiences in life.
- Acknowledges children’s strengths and interests, and enables children to maintain focus and develop their concentration through working with activities of their choice, as well as instilling intrinsic motivation for a love of learning.
- Provides opportunities for children’s skills and knowledge to be extended, according to their individual needs and abilities.
- Recognises the importance of the intimate relationships required between the home and the daycare centre environments.
- A harmonious integration of active and exploratory play into the overall curriculum where kinaesthetic learning is truly valued.
- Seeks to further children’s knowledge of their own and other cultures in New Zealand, recognising beauty in diversity.
"We cannot recommend Little Engines highly enough. Our son started there when he was 2.5 and he has grown in so many ways as result of the excellent care, interaction and extension that he experiences there. He was very shy and unsure to begin with but his confidence has soared and he absolutely loves it. Thank you Little Engines for making his first experience of preschool such a positive one!"
"Our family could not recommend Little Engines highly enough. Our daughter has been through the school and our son is in his final year there. The teachers are fantastic. The place becomes a second home for your kids and it’s so nice to see how much they love it."
"Little Engines are truly unique in their approach and they are unwavering in their kindness. It was so clear from the very beginning that the teachers are absolutely dedicated to providing the best possible care. The nurturing way in which they foster learning is incredible. My boy’s imagination and social skills have grown so much since he started. It is with absolute confidence that I recommend Little Engines in the highest possible manner. We just love these guys!"
Contact us, book a tour of our childcare centre, or join our waiting list. We’d love to hear from you.
We understand that your child’s education & care is a priority and that choosing the right centre can be a big decision. We would be delighted to share in your child’s learning journey. Feel welcome to contact us in whichever way is most convenient for you, or visit our Grey Lynn daycare centre and meet our teaching team.