Welcome to the wonderful world at BestStart Karaka, where the confident and quirky come alive. Our goal here is clear, to grow resilient children with a strong sense of who they are and what makes them unique. "This is me, I am proud" is what you'll hear our children saying out loud! We’re memorable, funny and one of a kind, and randomly quoting our favorite Dr Seuss rhymes.

This is me, I am proud!

Our journey begins with the Precious Gems' room, where our littlest people reside and resume. Our babies may be small, but their learning is mighty, they’re sassy and curious, lively and sprightly! Each baby is special, their learning journey unique, a Primary Caregiving system helps our teachers to teach all our movers and shakers in a personal way, showing them that it’s safe to explore, learn and play. For a person’s a person, no matter how small, and deserves love and trust as they learn how to crawl. Their wellbeing is nurtured as they get in their groove, in their own time and pace, with the freedom to move. Our teachers trust babies to learn what they need, they know they’ll meet their milestones with support and encouragement they’ll succeed. As their feet become stable and words start to form, it’s time to move upwards into our next room! For the more that you learn, the more places you’ll go, I wonder what’s next for our young ones to know?

Best be known that at any given moment you will have a very social toddler at your toes asking many things as their vocabulary grows. For our toddlers love talking with developing ease, their language and social skills blossoming. These conversations are witty with innovative flair (and a please and thank you is encouraged to share).

You’ll be hearing lots of different things while in this room, it may be uncontrollable laughter, music in the background or even sounds of cars on the imaginary highway as the children race around, but don’t worry because ‘these things are fun, and fun is good!’ But other things must be done and get done they should. As a teacher calls tamariki to come to the mat, you would be surprised to see the fun that is had! Our mat times contain many stories and songs, where children are invited to join in and sing along. With support and acceptance from teachers that care, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a lack of confidence here. For our toddlers know they belong, and they know of their place, as they take part in our daily routine, that is predictable and safe. 

Next stop on your journey is our Platinum Junior room, where a world of explorers are travelling to the moon. Here you will find some peculiar creations, which our inventors love making any time, in every station! For the unpredictable is fun for these little ones, who don’t care what it is, only what it can become! Things are put together, to be knocked to the ground (because they love building things up if they can smash them back down!). The children in this room are quite the problem solvers, with intelligence stretching to understanding emotions. For they understand how it feels to be in anothers shoes, and can think for themselves, knowing just what to choose, whether dressing in costume, or playing pretend, these wee thinkers will surprise you with their ability to create and extend.

Think left and think right. ‘Think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if you only try,’ our Platinum Juniors have lots of thinks to think at all times and their thoughts they run wild, their imaginations in their primes! Their sleeping is fewer, rest has been undercut, ‘you could miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut!’

Here in the Platinum Seniors’ room, we have innovators and dreamers. We have transformers to princesses and all sorts of creatures, with detail and skills to create and refine the features. From lego masters to constructors, we have all different schemas, from enclosers, to transporters to even destructors! We celebrate our differences in all sorts of ways, but the best way to do this, is to do this through play! 

Platinum Seniors are resourceful! We often see magic moments created by the children in this room… turning picnic tables and chairs into engines that can take you into out-of-space, so jump on board! 3,2,1, Zoooom!   We shape competent leaders, protective friends and responsible readers. Our brains are full of knowledge, from questioning and challenging to learning how to make porridge! Here we look, talk and think about not being the same, all alongside learning to write our name. But did you hear that rumour? These children are full of character, but also full of humour! They are proud of their achievements, and protective of their friends and they are well supported to take a challenge to all ends. You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way! 

And now you know what you know. You’re the one who’ll decide where to go… 

Come in and see for yourself because ‘I meant what I said, and I said what I meant’, here at BestStart Karaka we are unique 100%!  

For more information about the specific fees for your child or for this centre, please contact us directly (09) 296 2937 / You might be eligible for support paying their childcare fees. For more information click here.