Tiddlywinks Preschool is a small, homely preschool at 7 Roxburgh Place in Tinwald, Ashburton. Its main feature is its outdoor, nature-based play. The website says children use logs, driftwood, shells, grass, sand, mud, stones and water in their play, and the centre takes them to the forest by the river walking track as often as it can. It keeps pets as part of the centre, and the website says caring for animals teaches respect, responsibility and empathy.
The preschool follows Te Whāriki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, and its programme aims to build imagination, problem solving and negotiation skills through play. It has a staff of 12, and the website says teacher-to-child ratios are low, which allows regular outings into the community and walks to the local playground and garden centre. Parents are kept informed through profile books, notice boards and daily information. For a family in Tinwald or Ashburton who wants a preschool that spends a lot of time outdoors, that nature focus is the practical reason to look at it.