Home · Rankings · Best playcentres

Best playcentres — national top-50

Whānau-led playcentres, ranked on whānau partnership and curriculum — the two dimensions that reflect the cooperative model.

305 centres eligible nationally. Source: Education Review Office, licensed CC-BY 4.0.

1

Kerikeri Playcentre

Riverview · Northland · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
2

Dinsdale Playcentre

Frankton · Waikato · Playcentre

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

Roll 25
3

Titirangi Playcentre

Titirangi · Auckland · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
4

Waikanae Playcentre

Waikanae East · Wellington · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
5

Eden/Epsom Playcentre

Mount Eden · Auckland · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
6

Prebbleton Playcentre

Prebbleton South · Canterbury · Playcentre

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

Roll 29
7

Bombay Playcentre

Bombay Hills · Auckland · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
8

Deanwell Playcentre

Deanwell · Waikato · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
9

Tomarata Playcentre

Cape Rodney · Auckland · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
10

Morningside Playcentre

Western Springs · Auckland · Playcentre

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

Roll 29
11

Houghton Valley Playcentre

Houghton Bay · Wellington · Playcentre

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

Roll 25
12

St Andrews Playcentre

St Andrews-Hamilton · Waikato · Playcentre

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

Roll 20
13

Blockhouse Bay Playcentre

Blockhouse Bay · Auckland · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
14

Peachgrove Playcentre

Hamilton Central · Waikato · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
15

Terrace End Playcentre

Terrace End · Manawatū-Whanganui · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
16

Tawa/Linden Playcentre

Linden · Wellington · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
17

Te Kauwhata Playcentre

Te Kauwhata East · Waikato · Playcentre

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

Roll 27
18

Maungawhau Playcentre

Mount Eden · Auckland · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
19

Pirongia Playcentre

Pirongia · Waikato · Playcentre

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

Roll 26
20

Opoho Playcentre

Opoho · Otago · Playcentre

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

Roll 25
21

Hanmer Springs Playcentre

Hanmer Springs · Canterbury · Playcentre

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

Roll 25
22

Leamington Playcentre

Leamington · Waikato · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
23

Redwood Playcentre

Redwood · Canterbury · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
24

Titahi Bay Playcentre

Titahi Bay · Wellington · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
25

Kaikoura Playcentre

Kaikōura · Canterbury · Playcentre

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

Roll 25
26

Greenhithe Playcentre

Greenhithe · Auckland · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
27

Normanby Playcentre

Normanby (South Taranaki District) · Taranaki · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
28

Onga Onga Playcentre

Makaretu · Hawke's Bay · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
29

Opotiki Playcentre

Ōpōtiki · Bay of Plenty · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
30

Whitford Playcentre

Turanga · Auckland · Playcentre

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

Roll 25
31

North Beach Playcentre

North New Brighton · Canterbury · Playcentre

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

Roll 24
32

Karatia Bilingual Playcentre

Hokianga South · Northland · Playcentre

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

Roll 20
33

Beachlands/Maraetai Playcentre

Beachlands · Auckland · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
34

Dargaville Playcentre

Dargaville · Northland · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
35

Glendene Playcentre

Glendene · Auckland · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
36

Inglewood Playcentre

Inglewood · Taranaki · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
37

Kaiti Playcentre

Kaiti · Gisborne · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
38

Kumeu Playcentre

Kumeū-Huapai South · Auckland · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
39

Lynmore Playcentre

Lynmore · Bay of Plenty · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
40

Manukau Peninsula Playcentre

Matakawau · Auckland · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
41

Marsden Playcentre

Ruakaka · Northland · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
42

Nawton Family Playcentre

Nawton · Waikato · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
43

Otorohanga Playcentre

Ōtorohanga · Waikato · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
44

Parklands Playcentre

Otangarei · Northland · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
45

Ranui Playcentre

Ranui · Auckland · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
46

St Albans Playcentre

St Albans · Canterbury · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
47

Taupō Family Playcentre

Hilltop (Taupo District) · Waikato · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
48

Toko Playcentre

Toko · Taranaki · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
49

Waverley Playcentre

Manutahi-Waitōtora · Taranaki · Playcentre

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

Roll 30
50

Huimai Playcentre

Whitikahu · Waikato · Playcentre

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

Roll 29

Showing top 50 of 305 eligible centres. Per-centre pages link to the source ERO review with full attribution.

Best playcentres by region

Auckland (50) Canterbury (45) Waikato (43) Wellington (34) Bay of Plenty (15) Manawatū-Whanganui (15) Hawke's Bay (11) Northland (26) Otago (19) Taranaki (12) Southland (10) Gisborne (3) Tasman (10) Marlborough (5) Nelson (3) West Coast (4)

How we score "Best playcentres"

Playcentre service-type only. Score = whanau_partnership × 2 + curriculum × 1.5 + composite × 0.5.

See full methodology and the ERO source row.

Other rankings

Best-rated by ERO Best for under-2s Best kindergartens Best kōhanga reo Best home-based networks Largest centres by current roll Best 20 Hours ECE centres Best for te ao Māori + bicultural practice Best curriculum (ERO) Best for child wellbeing (ERO) Best leadership (ERO)