Lucknow Kindergarten is a kindergarten at 102 Lipscombe Crescent, Havelock North, in Hastings, Hawke's Bay. It is one of the Heretaunga Kindergartens, run by an incorporated society. The setting is natural and outdoors-focused: children feed leftovers to the resident animals, including chickens, collect eggs and harvest worm castings for the garden, and play with water, sand, mud and climbing. There are regular small whānau group times with storytelling and pepeha. Creative learning covers visual arts, dance, music and clay. Children learn in te reo Māori, English and sign language, and each child keeps a learning portfolio with an individual plan on file.
The kindergarten has zero fees (with conditions), and 30 hours of free early childhood education are available. It is open during school term breaks, excluding summer holidays. Families are welcome to pop in at any time to see the learning space and meet the kaiako. The kindergarten describes its work as bicultural, framed around Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and focused on close parent partnership. Our pick in Havelock North for a nature-based kindergarten with a strong bicultural base.