Find Our Kindergarten
188 Rutland St
Saint Albans
Christchurch
New Zealand
Why Choose Us
Kidsfirst Rutland Street’s iconic oak tree is a magnificent shelter that has witnessed generations of summer play, offering tamariki a cool sanctuary for outdoor discovery and play.
Day-to-day kindergarten life encourages risk-taking and supports the emergent interests of tamariki. Learning occurs in all spaces at the child’s pace, acknowledging the mana, wairua and mauri they bring to each kindy day. Tamariki are encouraged to be mindful of and inspired by the world around them, and respectful of the environment they play and learn in.
Inside our kindy, tamariki’s learning journeys are celebrated along our walls, allowing everybody to see their growth, while inspiring new explorations – we love to share our learning, and it’s important that whānau are involved every step of the way.
Our Big Backyard comes alive as the seasons change, with learning zones where children set their own challenges and develop confidence through appropriate risk-taking. The garden becomes a living laboratory where hands-on experiences nurture curiosity about the natural world.
Through regular community walks in St Albans, tamariki develop an understanding of their place in the wider world. Being so close to Paparoa Primary School gives older tamariki the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the school environment. This makes for a smooth transition when kindy kids are ready to take the next step in their educational journey.
Nau mai, haere mai – make a time to visit us and remember, you’re always welcome at Kidsfirst.
Why Kidsfirst Kindergartens
With over 100 years of proud legacy, Kidsfirst Kindergartens is a not-for-profit organisation that supports and leads kindergartens across Canterbury, the West Coast and Central Otago. Generations of South Island tamariki and whānau have passed through our gates, and we have strong ties to local communities.
Our kindergartens are down to earth places with warm, nurturing teachers with a rich range of resources and environments to explore.
One of the hallmarks of our kindys is that you’re always welcome here – whānau are encouraged to visit and stay, and take part in kindergarten life. We love it when families share their skills, and culture too – our kindergartens are some of the most diverse learning environments around, and children learn best when teachers and whānau work together.
Te Whāriki, the New Zealand Curriculum, guides our teaching and learning programmes, while the kindergarten philosophy underpins all we do. Tamariki learn through play in their own time, through their own interests, guided by trained teachers who are registered with the Teaching Council of New Zealand. You’ll often find our kindergartens located on, or near, local primary schools. Preparation for school and a smooth transition are a key part of the work for our kaiako.
Our kaiako are overseen by Professional Leaders with a focus on quality and ensuring the highest educational standards. Formerly known as the Canterbury Westland Free Kindergarten Association, Kidsfirst – and its kindergartens – consistently receive strong reports from the Education Review Office. You can read more about their assessment of our governing organisation here.
What Families Say
Latest News
Manaakitanga Lives at Rutland
Whanaungatanga and kotahitanga flourished over Term 3 at Kidsfirst Rutland Street through shared moments that brought everyone closer. From quiz nights with whānau raising funds for new resources, to disco dancing and watching construction magic happen outside the kindy gates, there’s been a lot going on. Elysse from Hato Hone St John visited to talk with tamariki about emergencies and how to call for help. There have also been weekly visits from nearby Paparoa Street School, with shared reading time keeping those all important connections strong. Everyone’s welcome at Kidsfirst and Rutland Street are living the manaakitanga ❤️
Seasonal science experiments
Kidsfirst Rutland Street tamariki are making the most of the change in season to learn more about the world around them. Tamariki used coloured dye drops to make some rain of their own in a seasonal science experiment. What a cool way to learn, Rutland Street – ka mau te wehi! ❤️🌧️
Lasting connections at kindy
For more than 110 years kindergartens have been at the heart of communities – places to learn and play and make friends that can last a lifetime. Many ‘kindy kids’ go on to primary school with the same tamariki they’ve got to know in Big Backyards just like the one at Kidsfirst Rutland Street, who were excited to welcome ākonga from the local Paparoa Street School for a visit this week. It’s always fun and makes for a smoother transition to school and a strong sense of belonging for all. Kei runga noa atu, Kidsfirst Rutland Street, what a great way to keep those connections alive
Getting creative with found materials
Tamariki at Kidsfirst Rutland Street have been getting creative over the past few weeks with a number of exciting projects. From recreating stained glass windows to building rocket ships out of cardboard boxes, there’s been no shortage of learning, fun and friendship at the kindergarten, and tamariki are do it all with a big smile – ka rawe! 😊❤️
Budding volcanologists bring the heat
They’re growing budding volcanologists at Kidsfirst Rutland Street, thanks to the inspiration of tamariki Solomon and Miller. The pair were wondering whether volcanoes could erupt out of two vent-holes, and wanted to test their theory. With the help of kaiako, they calculated just how much vinegar, dye, and baking soda it took to make the biggest eruption they could, and spent all morning putting their theory to the test, before they triumphantly proved their hypothesis to be correct. Ka mau te wehi – awesome mahi, Kidsfirst Rutland Street.
Special ANZAC Day visit from army family
While many of our kindergartens are on term break, ANZAC Day is still a significant part of their calendar. For Kidsfirst Rutland Street, where two of the kaiako come from army families, the day holds extra special meaning. This year, to remember, teacher Kylee Martin invited her dad, Gary Burt to come and play the bugle for tamariki. Kylee says this is a great opportunity to teach tamariki about the special day, and how different days can have different significance for people.
End of term excitement (doesn’t need to stop!)
While a number of our kindergartens remain open over the term break, many have their last day of Term One today. Being closed over the break doesn’t mean that the excitement stops, however – especially for Kidsfirst Rutland Street. They recently had a group of helpful whānau come in to dismantle their existing playground. Over the holidays, the area is getting a makeover, to turn it into an even better backyard. We’re sure the tamariki can’t wait to see it when they come back to kindy in two weeks time.
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A proudly New Zealand owned and operated not-for-profit kindergarten association with over 110 years of kiwi heritage
