Gwen Rogers Kindergarten is a donation-based kindergarten in the central Mount area of Mount Maunganui, next to Omanu Primary School. It has been part of the local education community for over 45 years, and it cares for children aged 2 to 6 under the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki. The kindergarten describes its name as meaning the children's garden, and its large outdoor natural space is central to that. Children play, explore and take on challenges through their own play, at their own pace. In 2014 the kindergarten won the Enviro Schools Green Gold award, shared with Omanu School, and it aims to raise children who think and act sustainably.
Sessions run from 8:30am to 12:30pm, or from 8:30am to 2:30pm, Monday to Friday. Holiday programmes run after Terms 1, 2 and 3. The group offers up to 30 free hours a week, and says this applies to some of its kindergartens only. Families who want to know more can read about the average donations the kindergarten receives. The teachers are fully trained and registered, and the group's stated focus is on relationships and on a sense of belonging for each child. The kindergarten sits in a neighbourhood where many families walk or drive to a school in the same block, which suits parents with older children at Omanu.