Stay and Play Successes

Kidsfirst Stay and Play sessions are fast becoming an institution, with over 39 kindergartens now running them on a regular basis. The sessions are promoted via Facebook Events, which means they also raise the profile of individual kindergartens.

The sessions are a great way to open the doors to the community and also for prospective parents to learn a bit more about kindy, get a feel for how we are different and get to know teachers and others in their neighbourhood. They are also one of the tools helping to drive enrolment and waitlist numbers across the network.

Stephanie Oliver, Head Teacher at Kidsfirst Linwood said that the sessions provide a great opportunity for prospective parents.

“I think for us it’s a good time and opportunity for people to come in and have a look. Sometimes, depending on the person, it can be awkward for whānau to just turn up somewhere. So having a set time means that they always have an invitation.”

There's another benefit that Stephanie has noticed, too.

“What we are also finding it that families that are due to start or are on the waiting list are getting to know each other before they start. So it’s building up those connections even before they start kindergarten which is an advantage as well.”

Stephanie says the sessions work well for whānau.

“I think it’s great because if you are a bit shy, you probably aren’t going to just rock up and visit, even though we encourage it. It’s a nice open invitation where people know they aren’t interrupting anything or anyone.”

“Today we had seven parents stay and play alongside seven children," says Head Teacher at Kidsfirst Hokitka, Ceridwyn Dimmick. "Often, they are waitlist families. I think they’re great in terms of giving both parents and tamariki a glimpse of what a kindy will be like before they start. Plus it’s really beneficial in getting children settled too.”

Ceridwyn says that even the bad weather doesn’t deter regular visitors - one session was attended by eight families, some waiting list some new, even thought it was a wild, wet West Coast day.

The team at Kidsfirst Sumner are Stay and Playing, despite a rush of enquiries lately.

"The phone is ringing off the hook– fortunately they are happy to wait and we are doing the best we can to accommodate as we get spaces," the Sumner team tell us. A recent Stay and Play resulted in two applications and another whānau interested in going on the waitlist.

Kidsfirst Karoro kaiako, Raelene Johnson, says the sessions at her kindergarten have brought back the odd familiar face that they’d thought had long gone elsewhere.

“We were so surprised to see one family we had been trying to get to kindergarten since the child was two - she's now four. We had pretty much given up hope of her starting, but yay – the mum saw the Stay and Play advertised in the school newsletter and she just turned up. It was so lovely, and, the child will be starting soon."