Parent Information

Little boy stacking toys at highly rated Mangere childcare

Choosing the right preschool matters — and at Spotted Frog, we’re all about kind hearts, curious minds, and strong community connections.

Click through below to find everything you need to know, and feel free to get in touch if you have any questions — we’re always happy to chat!

Boys playing outside and having fun at Mangere childcare
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A light green abstract shape or blob on a transparent background.
Little boy walking across a balancing beam at Mangere childcare

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • We’re open Monday to Friday 8:15am – 4pm.

    We’re open during term breaks, and close for 2 weeks over Christmas/New Year.

  • Please click here for more details.

  • To help your little one settle in and have a great day at Spotted Frog, here’s a quick checklist of what to pack each day:

    A backpack that’s big enough to hold:

    • A lunchbox

    • A morning tea box

    • A drink bottle

    • 1–2 changes of clothes

    • A wet bag (for any wet or messy clothes)

    • Wet weather gear and warm layers in winter

    • Nappies (if needed)

    Please make sure everything is clearly named — this helps us keep track of all those tiny treasures!

    Sun hats sorted!
    No need to bring a hat during summer—we’ve got it covered. Your child will be given their very own named sunhat, and a small charge will be added to your account to cover the cost.

STRUCTURE OF THE DAY

Our Daily Routine

  • Exterior view of Spotted Frog Preschool with a teacher and two young children holding hands walking towards the entrance. The building has white siding, large windows, and a small ramp for accessibility.

    8:30am: Centre Opens

    Greet children and welcome whānau at the entrance to the classroom.

  • Three young girls playing in a sandbox outdoors, one holding a blue shovel and the other two observing, with rocks and trees in the background.

    8.15 - 11.00am: Activities

    Activities are set up to welcome the children and support fine & gross motor development, interests of the children and the current planning of the centre. Children can participate in these or choose to engage in child directed play. 

  • Children eating lunch at a table in a classroom, with lunchboxes and water bottles on the table.

    8.15 - 11.00am: Morning Tea

    Rolling Morning Tea. Children bring a morning tea box from home.

  • A qualified teacher sitting on the floor with three young children in a classroom, playing educational card games and with scattered game pieces.

    11.00 - 11.30am: Hui Ako

    Children work in small groups with a specific teacher. This is a time to build dispositional learning and develop social competence alongside peers of the same age or developmental stage. For older children, a focus on school readiness is included.

  • An ECE teacher and three children sitting on a red patterned rug, engaging with colorful, spiral-patterned paper craft projects, surrounded by paper, ribbons, and craft supplies.

    11.30 - 12.00pm: Activities/Learning Experiences

    Activities/learning experiences resume and children can participate in these or choose to engage in child directed play.

  • Three young children sitting at a table, eating snacks and drinking from water bottles, in a brightly lit room with colorful decorations on the walls.

    12.00 - 12.30pm: Lunch Time

    Children bring lunchboxes from home to allow them to select food in a nutritionally appropriate order, how to regulate their eating and how to open containers and packaging.

  • A qualified ECE teacher reading a children's book to a group of young children in a classroom with colourful decorations and photos on the wall.

    12.30 - 12.50pm: Mat Time

    This is a time to discuss current events, sing waiata (songs), take part in music and drama and read stories.

  • Three young boys sitting on a couch with pillows and blankets, resting in between play and learning.

    12.40 - 2.00pm: Nap Time

    Dedicated time and space for tamariki to have a sleep or rest if they need to.

  • Two young boys sitting on a white rug, playing with wooden building blocks, smiling and engaging with each other at childcare near Auckland Airport

    12.50 - 3.40pm: Activities

    Activities are set up to welcome the children and support fine and gross motor development, interests of the children and the current planning of the centre. Children can participate in these or choose to engage in child directed play.

  • A teacher reads a colorful picture book to a group of children sitting on the floor in a cozy, brightly decorated room.

    3.40 - 4.00pm: Reflections

    Reflection on the day’s learning and story time.

  • "I had an immediate warm and welcoming feeling at Spotted Frog. The Kaiako are incredibly loving, patient, and truly dedicated to helping each child thrive. The facilities are fantastic, and the range of activities—especially those involving trucks, diggers, and outdoor play—always keep Caleb engaged and excited to return each week. He’s made so many friends, and we’ve seen amazing growth in his confidence since he started. We’re so grateful to be part of such a caring and supportive preschool community."

    Natalie

  • "The teachers are just incredible, so warm, gentle and caring. You can really tell they love what they do and genuinely care about each and every child. As a parent, it’s so reassuring to know your child is not only learning but also truly loved and nurtured every day. The learning programs are fantastic, well thought out, engaging, and gently preparing the kids with the skills and confidence they’ll need for school, all while allowing them to learn at their own pace."

    Alecia

  • "Our little girl is thriving at Spotted Frog. The teachers are just terrific! I am always grateful to walk in to see content children, engaged in an inside activity or playing outside, and the teachers fully present. The communication is excellent; regular updates on what is happening, the wall displays show current richness of a fun learning environment, and passing comments of my child, at the end of the day, shows how attentive staff are to the children."

    Claudia

  • "Before my daughter joined Spotted Frog at 2.5 years old, she was quite shy and reserved. In the early days, she would cling to me and preferred to play with only one or two familiar children. However, after a year at Spotted Frog, the transformation has been incredible. Now, the entire classroom feels like her group of friends. She has become confident, sociable, and happily engages with others. She has learned to be polite, friendly, and respectful, and has developed a strong sense of social responsibility."

    Vinu

  • "The activities and motivational, supportive learning opportunities at Spotted Frog have helped Penelope evolve into a confident, kind and articulate pre-schooler. She went from being shy and nervous, to a self assured and independent kid in less than a year. The kaiako are extremely supportive, kind, fun and excellent communicators. It’s a joy-filled, educational, creative and clean school - I actually wish I could attend Spotted Frog myself!”

    Eve

What we get up to at Spotted Frog

  • Young children sitting at a table at Mangere kindy, drawing with markers on paper, with a stuffed animal on the table and colorful bulletin boards in the background.
  • A qualified ECE teacher is sewing on a machine while two children watch at a table in a classroom setting.
  • Two young children, a boy and a girl, cutting pictures from magazines at a table in a classroom, practising their fine motor skills.
  • Group of young children and two qualified teachers crossing the street during an excursion, wearing orange safety vests, with children waving.
  • Three young boys playing with water in a blue plastic container outdoors, sunny day, wooden fence background at childcare near Auckland Airport.
  • A teacher and three children gardening in a backyard, wearing gardening gloves, planting or tending to plants with gardening tools around.
  • Two young children playing outside in a backyard, one jumping off a wooden balance plank and the other swinging on a swing set, with a garden and wooden fence in the background.
  • A young girl with blonde hair swinging happily on a backyard swing, with a wooden fence and bushes in the background.
  • A young boy and girl sitting on the floor, playing with a puzzle. The boy is holding a smartphone and the girl is focused on the puzzle pieces, with a book nearby.
  • A young boy playing with wooden peg-based toys at a table inside a bright room at South Auckland kindy
  • Four young girls leaning out of a wooden playhouse window, smiling and looking at the camera at Spotted Frog Preschool
  • A young girl stacking wooden blocks and toys at ECE centre near Onehunga
  • Qualified ECE teacher and two boys playing with wooden blocks on a rug at Auckland childcare near Onehunga
Little girl playing with toys at Spotted Frog childcare centre
Qualified ECE teacher painting with a little girl at Spotted Frog
Boys playing in the mud kitchen outside at Spotted Frog
  • Enriching learning environment at Spotted Frog Preschool

    Enriching Learning Environment

  • Mixed age learning at Spotted Frog Preschool

    Mixed-Age Learning

  • Strong community focus at Spotted Frog Preschool

    Strong Community Connections

  • Family owned and operated childcare centre based in Mangere Bridge, Auckland

    Family-Owned

Qualified ECE teacher playing guitar with tamariki

Your child’s journey starts here.

We welcome all enquiries and invite you to come see our centre in person.