Our Story

Little Blue Penguin is owner-operated and provides a lovely home away from home environment for tamariki; where children, educators, parents, whānau and leaders will collaborate to co-design an exceptional programme with the same goal in mind: children who are comfortable in their surroundings, happy in their play and confident in their learning.

As Christchurch-based mums, passionate early childhood educators, and keen researchers we have a vision to create a truly exceptional and unique learning space for children to learn, grow, discover and develop in a natural, home away from home setting. Because of our dedication to early childhood advocacy, supportive learning communities and continual improvement, we decided that the best option is to create our very own evidence-based preschool and nursery.

Little Blue Penguin is dedicated to quality care and meeting the needs of each child and their whānau. This is achieved through our evidence-based and holistic approach to teaching and learning, as well as our core practice guidelines: calmness, closeness, consistency, curiosity and confidence.

Knowing each child, their whānau (who they are and where they come from) is crucial to the success of the programme, and in order to truly implement a holistic approach Little Blue Penguin provides nutritious home-cooked meals for children; caring for the children’s well-being first and foremost.

We employ a primary caregiving system known as the Key Kaiako approach. This approach ensures that each child has a designated Key Kaiako or pair of Key Kaiako to provide consistent support for their learning and developmental needs. By establishing this bond, we foster a sense of security and trust, enabling tamariki to feel confident in forming relationships and exploring their environment. This approach allows for personalised attention and care, creating a nurturing environment where every child can thrive.

Little Blue Penguin aims to foster a comfortable, homelike environment where children are encouraged to freely imitate and engage in creative play. The programme also encourages reciprocal relationships among children of different ages, where older children help younger ones master new skills. This not only supports social, communicative, and language skills, but also instills values such as kindness, humility, gratitude, and generosity.

Little Blue Penguin's early childhood curriculum draws inspiration from global best practices and evidence-based approaches, blending elements from educational philosophies like RIE, Montessori, Rudolf Steiner, and Gardner, with a core focus on aligning with New Zealand's early childhood curriculum document, Te Whāriki, ensuring that Te Whāriki remains at the heart of all teaching and learning practices.


- The RIE philosophy is incorporated into a our programmes by emphasising respect for infants and toddlers, providing them with a calm and unhurried environment, and encouraging secure, trusting relationships between the children and caregivers.

- The Montessori philosophy is integrated into our programmes by fostering a prepared environment with carefully selected materials that promote independence, self-directed learning, and individualised pace of development for each child.

- Rudolf Steiner's philosophy, known as Waldorf education, influences our programmes by emphasising holistic learning, integrating arts and practical skills into daily activities, and promoting a rhythmical and predictable daily routine.

- Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences is integrated into our programmes by recognising and nurturing diverse forms of intelligence, providing a variety of learning experiences that cater to different strengths and interests of each child.

The curriculum emphasises inquiry-based learning, nurturing the natural curiosity of young children as they actively explore their environment, make inquiries, and make discoveries. Teachers skilfully guide this process to support the children's ideas and extend their learning.

In addition to this, Little Blue Penguin bases the programme on the needs of their teaching and learning community, as well as current best practices. The teachers are dedicated to professional growth and learning and develop relationships with children and their whānau, tailoring a needs-based program through the use of individual and group learning plans.