Fundamentals Preschool & Nursery is a preschool and nursery in the Merivale area of Christchurch, with a Merivale site on Innes Road in St Albans. It runs two preschools, Marshland and Merivale, and describes itself as a home away from home for children. Its distinctive feature is onsite gym rooms with a large range of gymnastics equipment, staffed by teachers the centre describes as highly skilled and trained.
The programmes include gym, numeracy and literacy, and extension groups, which the centre says balance the body and the brain. The indoor and outdoor areas are spacious, and the curriculum follows Te Whāriki 2017. The centre takes part in a Community of Learning and builds links with local schools. It offers the Ministry of Education's 20 hours of free early childhood education. Families can visit at any time. Within a kilometre there are five other childcare centres on Open Locally, including BestStart Merivale, rated 5.0 from 11 reviews, and St Albans Nest, rated 5.0 from 20 reviews. For a family in Merivale who wants a gym-based preschool, this centre is worth a visit.