Old MacDonald’s Rural Education and Care Centre – COVID-19 response
Child care and education based on the natural world, early childhood development needs, and good old-fashioned Kiwi values
These days child care is a necessity for most parents, but that doesn’t make it any easier to leave the care and education of your precious child in the hands of somebody else each day.
Old MacDonald’s was born from a dream to make a difference in childcare for Hamilton families. We want to provide a home-away-from-home in a wholesome natural environment with lots of fresh air, running around outside, and the freedom for children to express themselves and be loved and supported for who they are.
We are a Hamilton early childhood education centre with a highly experienced and professional teaching staff. We have the facilities, teachers and resources to encourage children to reach their full potential as life long learners, contributing to the next generation of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Discover how we can help maximise your child’s learning potential.
Families First
Old MacDonald’s, while a big dream of ours was not created for us, it was created for you and your child. The needs of children and parents are always our biggest priority, with close collaborative communication with you, as the parents/caregivers, the key to care and education that empowers your child to thrive. We welcome your whole family to be a part of Old MacDonald’s, and we hope you feel at home with us.
Rural Childcare
The rhythms of our day see children engaged in the kiwi backyard experience; fresh air, sunshine and sloshing in puddles under a surprise rainbow are all part of what makes Old MacDonald’s a special childcare experience. Encouraged to become the next generation of kaitiaki (guardians) of our land, your child will be involved in the care and handling of animals, growing vegetables and fruit, bottling, preserving, cooking and eating the produce we grow. Feeding food waste back to the animals and being involved in sustainable practices supports our children to further develop their understanding of caring for our environment and how nature relates to their daily lives.
Early Childhood Education
The early years of life are the foundation for the person that your child will become. During this key developmental time, children need lots of space, a slower pace, the natural world and kind, unconditional nurturing. They need the outdoors more than television, crayons more than ipads and animals more than toys. Most of all, they need to know they are loved and valued for who they are, not their ability to play by rules made by and for grown-ups. At Old MacDonald’s our curriculum design is backed by research and ensures they are supported to recognise their own urges and needs through the freedom to play and the gentle guidance of old-fashioned values.
What follows is a piece of documentation, written by Ella that exemplifies the work of Old MacDonalds teachers during the Covid_19 Lockdown. It is story of connection, commitment and compassion.
(click the images to view the original story)
