Greenhithe Playcentre is a parent-run early childhood centre in the open space of Collins Park, at 15A Greenhithe Road in Greenhithe, on Auckland's North Shore. Parents come along with their children and take turns in the running of the centre as volunteers. The centre takes children aged 0 to 6, and it is one of the local centres of Playcentre Aotearoa, a charitable trust that is marking 85 years this year.
Children learn through free play, and the centre follows the Te Whāriki curriculum, with 16 areas of play set up for different interests and abilities. Some Playcentres run special infant sessions for newborns to one-year-olds and their parents. Greenhithe's website lists a Monday outdoor session from 9am to 12.30pm and a Monday space session from 12.30pm to 3pm.
For parents, the centre also runs a free, NZQA-approved adult education programme for enrolled families, with practical parenting strategies. Before enrolling, a family can make three visits to see the centre. The first step is to arrange a visit, and the second is to request to enrol.