Best for under-2s — national top-50

1. 1

   BestStart Taradale

   Taradale · Hawke's Bay · Education And Care

   C A W A Wh A B A H A L A ERO: Not well placed

   Roll 67
2. 2

   Te Kōpae Piripono

   Bell Block · Taranaki · Education And Care

   C A W A Wh A B A H A L A

   Roll 55
3. 3

   Dunsandel Childcare and Preschool Ltd

   Burnham Camp · Canterbury · Education And Care

   C A W A Wh A B A H A L A ERO: Not well placed

   Roll 44
4. 4

   Lollipops Millennium

   Ellerslie · Auckland · Education And Care

   C A W A Wh A B B H A L A ERO: Not well placed

   Roll 85
5. 5

   BestStart Johnstones Road Kindy

   Otara · Auckland · Education And Care

   C A W A Wh A B B H A L A ERO: Not well placed

   Roll 80
6. 6

   BestStart Motutaiko Street

   Taupō Central East · Waikato · Education And Care

   C A W A Wh A B B H A L A ERO: Not well placed

   Roll 61
7. 7

   Conductive Education Canterbury Inc

   Addington · Canterbury · Education And Care

   C A W A Wh A B B H A L A ERO: Not well placed

   Roll 16
8. 8

   Rainbow Bears Preschool

   Henderson · Auckland · Education And Care

   C A W A Wh A B A H A L ERO: Not well placed

   Roll 50
9. 9

   The Cats Pyjamas Preschool

   Rolleston Tauwharekākaho · Canterbury · Education And Care

   C A W A Wh B B H A L A ERO: Not well placed

   Roll 70
10. 10

    Playhouse Early Childhood Centre

    Green Bay · Auckland · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh A B B H A L ERO: Not well placed

    Roll 49
11. 11

    BestStart Dannemora

    East Tamaki · Auckland · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh A B A H B L A ERO: Not well placed

    Roll 105
12. 12

    Colenso Early Childhood Centre

    Marewa · Hawke's Bay · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh A B A H B L A ERO: Not well placed

    Roll 38
13. 13

    BestStart Havelock North

    Havelock North-Central · Hawke's Bay · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh B A H A L ERO: Not well placed

    Roll 25
14. 14

    Te Kōhanga reo o Kawakawa Mai Tawhiti

    East Cape · Gisborne · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh A B A H B L A

    Roll 20
15. 15

    Kindercare Learning Centres - Avonhead (211)

    Avonhead · Canterbury · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh B B H A L ERO: Not well placed

    Roll 100
16. 16

    BestStart St Andrews

    Te Rapa · Waikato · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh A B B H B L A ERO: Not well placed

    Roll 92
17. 17

    Little Einsteins Montessori (MacDonald Street)

    Mt Maunganui · Bay of Plenty · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh A B A H B L B

    Roll 75
18. 18

    Pakuranga Baptist Kindergarten

    Pakuranga · Auckland · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh A B B H B L A ERO: Not well placed

    Roll 40
19. 19

    Twizel Early Learning Centre Inc

    Twizel · Canterbury · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh B B A H B L A ERO: Not well placed

    Roll 39
20. 20

    Active Explorers Highbrook

    East Tamaki · Auckland · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh A B H B L A ERO: Not well placed

    Roll 150
21. 21

    New Shoots Children's Centre - Whenuapai

    Whenuapai · Auckland · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh A B H B L A

    Roll 90
22. 22

    Active Explorers Blenheim

    Whitney East · Marlborough · Education And Care

    C B W A Wh B B A H B L A ERO: Not well placed

    Roll 83
23. 23

    My Treehut

    Mountview · Waikato · Education And Care

    C W A Wh A B A H B L A

    Roll 56
24. 24

    BestStart Kamo Central

    Kamo · Northland · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh A B A H B L ERO: Not well placed

    Roll 40
25. 25

    Glendowie Montessori Preschool

    Glendowie · Auckland · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh B A H B L A

    Roll 37
26. 26

    Tiaki Early Learning Centre

    Owhata · Bay of Plenty · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh A B H B L A ERO: Not well placed

    Roll 29
27. 27

    BestStart Palmerston North 1

    Palmerston North Central · Manawatū-Whanganui · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh B B H B L A ERO: Not well placed

    Roll 79
28. 28

    Te Rito, Te Whare Reo

    Kaitāia West · Northland · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh B B H B L A

    Roll 50
29. 29

    Taikura Rudolf Steiner Kindergarten

    Hastings Central · Hawke's Bay · Education And Care

    C W A Wh A B A H B L B ERO: Not well placed

    Roll 40
30. 30

    Te Kōhanga Amorangi o Whakawātea

    Deanwell · Waikato · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh C B A H B L B

    Roll 40
31. 31

    NatureSpace Early Learning

    Kelvin Grove · Manawatū-Whanganui · Education And Care

    C W A Wh A B H B L A

    Roll 72
32. 32

    Funhouse Learning Centre

    Whanganui Central · Manawatū-Whanganui · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh A B A H C L A

    Roll 50
33. 33

    Tikipunga Educare

    Tikipunga · Northland · Education And Care

    C B W A Wh B B B H B L B ERO: Not well placed

    Roll 50
34. 34

    Mokopuna ki Clendon Early Childhood Service

    Clendon · Auckland · Education And Care

    C B W A Wh B B H B L A

    Roll 45
35. 35

    Aspiring Beginnings Early Learning Centre

    Wānaka Central · Otago · Education And Care

    C W A Wh A B H B L A

    Roll 40
36. 36

    Daystar Early Learning Centre

    Mount Eden · Auckland · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh B H B L A

    Roll 35
37. 37

    Ngā Tamariki Childcare Centre

    Alicetown · Wellington · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh B A H B L ERO: Not well placed

    Roll 32
38. 38

    Gulf Harbour Preschool

    Gulf Harbour · Auckland · Education And Care

    C W A Wh B A H B L A

    Roll 30
39. 39

    Kindercare Learning Centres (10 P) Constellation

    Mairangi Bay · Auckland · Education And Care

    C W A Wh A B H B L A ERO: Not well placed

    Roll 30
40. 40

    Annabel's Educare - Somerfield

    Somerfield · Canterbury · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh B B C H B L

    Roll 100
41. 41

    BestStart Mount Eden

    Sandringham · Auckland · Education And Care

    C W A Wh A B B H B L ERO: Not well placed

    Roll 56
42. 42

    BestStart Morrinsville

    Morrinsville North · Waikato · Education And Care

    C B W A Wh B A H B L ERO: Not well placed

    Roll 50
43. 43

    BestStart Ngatai Road

    Otumoetai · Bay of Plenty · Education And Care

    C A W A Wh B B H B L ERO: Not well placed

    Roll 50
44. 44

    Te Atatu South Childcare Centre

    Te Atatu South · Auckland · Education And Care

    C B W A Wh B B C H B L B

    Roll 50
45. 45

    Te Puna Reo o Ngāti Toa

    Takapuwahia · Wellington · Education And Care

    C B W A Wh B A H B L

    Roll 50
46. 46

    The Treasure Cove Early Learning Centre

    Manurewa · Auckland · Education And Care

    C B W A Wh B B H B L B

    Roll 50
47. 47

    Second Home Early Learning

    Newton · Auckland · Education And Care

    C W A Wh B B H B L A

    Roll 23
48. 48

    Punahau Early Childhood Care Centre

    Levin East · Manawatū-Whanganui · Education And Care

    C B W A Wh B B H B L B

    Roll 15
49. 49

    Mini Thinkers

    Musselburgh · Otago · Education And Care

    C W A Wh B H B L A

    Roll 150
50. 50

    AoKids/Papakura

    Papakura Central · Auckland · Education And Care

    C B W A Wh B B H B L

    Roll 100

Showing top 50 of 1,580 eligible centres. Per-centre pages link to the source ERO review with full attribution.

How we score "Best for under-2s"

Education-and-care only (kindergartens are 3+, kōhanga reo vary). Score = health_safety × 1.5 + wellbeing × 1.5 + composite × 0.5 (so the two priority dimensions weigh roughly 3× the others).

See full methodology and the ERO source row.