A BestStart early childhood centre on Lyttelton Street in Somerfield, Christchurch, with a large playground and a team of qualified teachers. The centre has earned the NZ Heart Foundation's Silver Healthy Heart Award, which it names as its Whānau Award.
The centre offers 20 free hours a week for children aged 3 to 5, and WINZ subsidies where a family qualifies. It is taking waitlist enrolments for 2027. Visits can be booked on the website, with set times offered from 9am onward.
The team works from a holistic approach that combines care, education, inspiration and connection, and it describes the centre as a home away from home. Parents praise the calm, settled children and a small number of children per room. One parent who has used the centre for seven years says the staff are warm and approachable, and that the daily handover and app updates keep them well informed. Another describes the staff as having low turnover.
Open Locally's figures show three other childcare centres within a kilometre: Cherrys on Maryhill, 0.7 km away, rated 4.9 from 9 reviews; Rosy Cheeks Early Learning Centre, 0.9 km away, rated 5.0 from 14 reviews; and Cashmere Early Learning Centre, 1.0 km away, which has no rating.
The centre is at 75 Lyttelton Street, Somerfield. Our pick in Somerfield for a family who wants a long-term early childhood home with a strong playground.