Having fun riding an imaginary horse - l-r: Brax Langlands, Reef Smith and Aurora Venables.
Having fun riding an imaginary horse - l-r: Brax Langlands, Reef Smith and Aurora Venables.
Stratford Playcentre has been operating in the town for over 45 years and has no plans for stopping anytime soon, says Emma Garlick, current president of Stratford Playcentre.
Emma says the recent $3.7 million emergency funding boost given to New Zealand's playcentres is great news for all playcentres, including the Stratford one.
"Playcentres are a great way for parents to make connections in their community and to meet other parents, while also giving the children lots of opportunity to learning as they play. It would be terrible for any town to lose its Playcentre."
Two-year-old Oscar Robertson enjoys exploring a book.
Emma says she and her daughter Quinn joined the Stratford Playcentre when they moved to the town from Auckland in 2018.
"We had been to Playcentre in Auckland so knew it was a good way to meet people, both for myself and for Quinn."
Playcentres are focused on child-led learning through play, says Emma, and parents stay with their children rather than just dropping them off.
"We learn together and it is focused on what interests the children at the time. So they might play in the toy kitchen or they might decide they want to paint something. Children learn best by exploring the world they live in, and this type of play facilitates that."
Ellie Hall is all smiles as she has plays with the building blocks.
When the Stratford Press visited, the children were all happily enjoying a range of activities and games, with the children themselves clearly deciding what to do and how to do it. From making and painting cardboard cars, to turning a sofa seat into a pretend horse, playing doctors or shop with some of the toys, and building out of wooden bricks, the children were a hive of activity the entire time.
The Stratford Playcentre opened in 1974, and 30 years later has 12 families enrolled who attended three sessions a week. In 2020 there are still 12 families enrolled, but the sessions now run just once a week, says Emma.
"We have dropped session numbers when we have been down on families enrolled. Until recently we had just eight families enrolled, but have had four new families join in the past few months."
Brax Langlands plays at being a doctor in the dressing up corner of the Playcentre.
Emma says parents and children interested in finding out more about Stratford Playcentre are welcome to come and visit and see for themselves what makes Playcentre special.
"For me, it's the focus on play that is so good. I love watching Quinn and the other children come up with their own games and ideas in a safe environment."
22-month-old Lily Hall explores the play shop and kitchen at Stratford Playcentre,
Quinn says she enjoys coming to Playcentre to play with her friends.
"I really like doing painting here."
That's another advantage says Emma - being able to access activities without needing to have all the ingredients for everything at home.
"Especially glitter and paint! It's great, they can come here and do the messy art things, not at home. That certainly is a win for me."
Aurora Venables (3) works on making a car out of cardboard and lots of paint.
