BestStart Papamoa Plaza

At BestStart Papamoa Plaza, we empower our tamariki to become kaitiaki/guardians of our environment with genuine Manaakitanga relationships.

We foster the innate tendency children have to seek connections with nature and other forms of life. This happens through taking learning out of the classroom, re-introducing the outdoors whilst enhancing all areas of their development through a natural discovery approach.

Children enjoy the freedom of leading their own learning, exploring and discovering uninhibited in our environment. Children learn most effectively when they are connecting deeply with nature through play experiences. This is about creating interactions with people and the places where they play, being a kaitiaki of the land, learning to care for nature and the world in which we live.

The concept of sustainability is introduced through experiential learning. Being outdoors in a natural setting enables children to develop a connection with the natural world that can lead to long-term environmental awareness and understanding as well as positive outcomes for their developing views of the world.