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At Busy Bees Greytown, we welcome children and families into a truly homelike environment, where relationships, community, and a deep connection to nature shape our everyday learning. Set within a charming villa in the heart of Greytown, our centre reflects the close knit community we are part of, creating a space where tamariki and whānau feel a genuine sense of belonging.
Our teachers are passionate about making a positive difference in children’s lives. By sharing stories and laughter, listening to their interests, and learning with families we foster trust and connection with not only our centre whānau but with the wider community, including local schools.
Getting to know our individual families so well, with kaiako and families interact as a wider whānau, sharing and laughing together forms strong trusting relationships, support happy and settled children who take on transitions with ease.
Our Rooms
Our centre is thoughtfully designed across dedicated learning spaces to support tamariki at each stage of their journey, a nursery, toddler room, and preschool room. Our infants and toddlers are nurtured in their own calm, responsive environment, where they can settle, explore, and build secure relationships. As children grow, they transition into age focused spaces, including our two to three year old room and our specialised four to five year old environment, where learning becomes more intentional in preparation for school.
Our Environment
One of the things we are most proud of is our expansive, natural outdoor environment, one of the largest and most engaging in the area. This space is at the heart of our curriculum, where tamariki are free to explore, take risks, and follow their curiosity through meaningful, hands on experiences.
Through active outdoor play, tamariki build strength, coordination, balance, and confidence in their bodies. These skills are important not just for play, but for everyday learning, supporting children to develop the stamina to sit, focus, and take part in group experiences as they transition to school. In this way, our outdoor environment plays a vital role in preparing tamariki for their next steps, while still honouring the importance of learning through play.
Tamariki are nurtured and supported through responsive care, empowering them to grow with confidence, curiosity, and compassion. We encourage them to explore, wonder, and take risks in their learning, fostering a deep understanding of themselves, their abilities, their connections with others, and their connection to their learning environments and Papatūānuku.
Healthy Heart Awarded
We are extremely proud and excited to announce that we have received a Rito Tohu Manawa Ora | Healthy Heart Award from the Heart Foundation for the amazing things we do here at Busy Bees Greytown to promote healthy food and physical activity. We are helping our tamariki to have healthy habits and healthy hearts for life.
Across morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea, our Nourish menu provides foods that are minimally processed, avoiding recipes that are high in added sugar, instead using fresh, real and wholesome ingredients.
From wholesome ingredients to balanced portions, every meal is thoughtfully crafted to support healthy development and foster good eating habits from an early age.
Fostering a Culture of Sustainability
Here at Busy Bees Greytown we engage children in activities like gardening, composting, and understanding the lifecycle of plants which not only promotes environmental awareness but also inspires important life skills and values.
Lunchbox – Transition to School
Once every couple of weeks our 4 year old children have a lunchbox day and we supply the food. The children fill their lunchboxes and practice eating from them, learning to ration their food instead of eating everything at once. This helps them develop important skills for their transition to school, where they will need to manage their own lunches.
Our curriculum is thoughtfully designed to reflect the values of connection, curiosity, and holistic development. It weaves together play based learning, strong relationships, and meaningful real world experiences to support each child’s growth and identity. Guided by Te Whāriki, our approach ensures that learning is responsive to tamariki interests and strengths, while also fostering confidence, independence, and a deep sense of belonging. Every experience, from indoor exploration to outdoor discovery, is intentionally connected to support children as capable learners within their whānau, community, and the natural world.
Our garden to table approach is a key part of this learning. Tamariki are actively involved in growing, harvesting, and caring for our gardens, developing an understanding of where food comes from and the importance of sustainability. Through these experiences, children build a strong sense of kaitiakitanga, learning to care for the land, for living things, and for each other. Everyday moments outdoors become rich opportunities for discovery, problem solving, and connection with the natural world.
Learning at our centre is grounded in strong, respectful relationships and enriched through child led, play based experiences. Our kaiako take the time to truly know each child and their whānau, creating a foundation where children feel safe, valued, and confident to learn. Through tuakana teina relationships, tamariki learn alongside and from one another, building social competence, resilience, and a sense of responsibility.
We also place a strong focus on supporting a smooth transition to school. In our older children’s space, intentional teaching strategies foster independence, practical life skills, and self confidence.
Our Bee-ginnings programme plays a key role in this journey, providing more structured, small group learning experiences that support early literacy, oral language, and mathematical thinking. Through a balance of guided activities and play based learning, tamariki build the skills and confidence they need for their next step.
Everyday experiences such as managing their own lunchboxes, participating in group routines, and taking responsibility for their belongings further prepare children for the expectations of school. Alongside this, our strong connections with local schools help ensure each child’s transition is familiar, supported, and positive.
What truly sets us apart is the way we celebrate everyday learning, from moments in the garden to shared discoveries and contributions from whānau. Busy Bees Greytown is a place where tamariki are encouraged to explore, connect, and grow, developing not only the skills they need for school, but a strong sense of who they are and where they belong.
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