Central Kids Tokoroa is an inclusive, multi-cultural early learning centre at 97 Grampian Street, on the south side of Tokoroa. It takes children from 0 to 6 years old. It is one of the 47 kindergartens that the non-profit Central Kids association runs in 26 towns across the central North Island, a group that has provided early childhood education since 1951. The centre's outdoor space is large and planted with shrubs and trees. It has a big māra kai, a vegetable garden the centre uses to grow food for itself and the community, and chickens that supply eggs. Children are encouraged to act as kaitiaki o te taiao, guardians of the environment, and to learn through play at their own pace.
Learning follows Te Whāriki, the national early childhood curriculum, and the centre is bicultural in its practice. The centre says its approach is unhurried and child-led, with plenty of music. Central Kids describes its fees as flexible and says it works to keep them low. To see the centre, families can come in for a kōrero, meet the team of kaiako and look around. For a family in Tokoroa who wants a non-profit centre with a large garden and outdoor space, this is a practical choice on Grampian Street.