To flourish, children need to feel safe and secure
As well as the relationship with their primary caregiver, the environment is critical for them. A child thrives at home, so we’ve made Gem’s a natural extension of home for them. This is central to our underlying philosophy.
Our Mission
We provide authentic and wholesome educational childcare in a beautiful, natural environment. Our child-led, emergent education curriculum is facilitated through a fun, outdoorsy, creative and committed team of educators. We aim to bring out the best of everyone we are involved with... especially the children in our care.
Our Inspiration
Our curriculum is inspired by the theories of Pikler and Reggio Emilia where the environment is considered the third teacher. We believe that children will develop as independent thinkers and learners through a play-based programme where children are free to explore, socialise, communicate and investigate. In other words, a “natural start in life”.
We want to offer more than stories and sandpits. One of the things we’re most proud of is our unique Gem’s Nature Play where 4-year olds experience the joy of connecting with nature and the real life of a working farm.
Our Kowhai and Rata offer home cooked food as well as a kitchen garden where the children grow the food they eat. Our kitchen philosophy is based on ‘Grandma’s Kitchen’ where everything is prepared from scratch, good old nutritious home-style food! Our lunches are usually cooked, taking some pressure off your family at the end of the day.
under 2’s
The Nest
2–6 years
The Hive
The Pikler Approach
The principles of Dr. Emmi Pikler’s approach to raising healthy babies: This approach is based on renowned Hungarian paediatrician Emmi Pikler’s research into gross motor development and emphasises treating babies with respect by telling them what you are going to do before you do it, encouraging them to participate in their own care and supporting them to solve their own problems…
Reggio Emilia Philosophy
The Reggio Emilia Approach is an educational philosophy focused on preschool and primary education. It was developed by Loris Malaguzzi, who was a teacher himself, and the parents of the villages around Reggio Emilia in Italy after World War II. After such a great and destructive event, people believed that children were in need of a new way of learning…