Kia Ora! I'm an experienced Home-Based Educator with a level 4 Early Childhood Education qualification, and I also hold a current first aid certificate. With many years working in early childhood both here in Aotearoa and in London, I'm passionate about creating a warm, nurturing home away from home for Tamariki here at Heather's House 🏠💖
Our home is a welcoming family environment filled with high quality resources for children of all ages. Providing engaging and meaningful play opportunities is something I'm truly passionate about. I love creating spaces and activities that reflect the children's interests - from puzzles, kitchen play, trains, cars and family play to quiet moments in a cosy corner to read or rest.
Outdoors tamariki can enjoy water play, sand, bikes, and ball games, with plenty of space to explore and have fun in the fresh air.
Each child also has their own comfortable sleeping area/room for rest or naps during the day, helping them feel settled and secure.
Our 2 very loved cats and our gorgeous cavoodle are part of our whanau and bring a sense of warmth and companionship to our home.
Together we create a calm, caring and joyful place where Tamariki can learn, play and feel part of the family
At home I provide a warm, engaging, and well resourced environment where children can follow their interests and learn through play. I offer a wide range of activities, including:
Quality resources and home made activities linked to each child's current interests.
Blocks and construction play for problem-solving, creativity and motor skills.
Loose parts play to spark imagination, thinking, and open ended exploration.
Kitchen play and family play for social learning, communication, and pretend play.
Musical instruments and singing for rhythm, expression, and joy. balls, bikes and out door play to support physical development and confidence,
When we head out into our community, we enjoy a variety of fun, engaging activities that support learning, social development, and exploration. We regularly visit library music and story time, where tamariki can sing, listen and be part of a wider learning/community.
We love going on nature walks, exploring local parks and playgrounds, and enjoying time outdoors to discover bugs, birds, trees, and all the wonderful things in our environment.
As part of Kids at Home we also attend the gym sessions, giving children opportunities to move, climb, develop motor skills and meet other children.
We often meet up with other educators and tamariki too - a great way for friendships to form, social confidence to grow, and for children to learn along side others in a relaxed, supportive setting.
I believe that children learn best through play - when they are interested, engaged and having fun, real learning happens naturally. I see play as powerful learning, where curiosity leads to growth and everyday brings new opportunities to learn about the world. When Tamariki feel loved, happy and secure they flourish - developing confidence, independence and a life long love of learning.
When tamariki feel safe, loved and supported to explore at their own pace. With only 4 children at a time, each child has the space and time to grow, problem solve. Guided by Te whariki I aim to nurture confident, happy learner who feel a true sense of belonging and well being 🌈
Heather is a longstanding Educator and has been fully safety screened including a face to face interview, police vetting, identity verification and has been fully inducted. A full risk assessment has been undertaken to ensure she is safe and suitable to work with young children. Heather holds the NZ Certificate in ECE levels 3 & 4.
I am so happy to write this reference for Heather, who cared for our children for seven wonderful years. From the very beginning, Heather was so much more than an educator to us - she became part of our family, and that says everything about the kind of person she is.
Heather has an incredible ability to create a true home-away-from-home environment. Her home always always felt, calm, and welcoming, and our kids were completely comfortable being themselves there. They felt heard, valued, and supported every single day. Heather genuinely cared about each child as an individual. She took the time to understand their interests and personalities and built learning experiences around them. Whether it was creative play, hands-on learning, or exploring new ideas, everything she did had purpose. She also placed strong emphasis on kindness, respect, good values, and positive behaviour - lessons that our children still carry with them today. One of the things our kids loved most was the adventures Heather planned. She was always organising fun and meaningful outings and activities, and our children would come home excited, full of stories, and eager to tell us all about their day. It was clear they were learning while having fun, without even realising it.
Thanks to Heather, both of our children transitioned into school confident, capable and emotional ready. We truly believe the strong foundation she gave them made a huge difference. Communication with Heather was always easy and open. We had regular, honest conversations, and we always felt involved and informed. There was a real sense of trust, which gave us complete peace of mind as parents.
I honestly could not be happier knowing our children were able to experience such a beautiful, nurturing, and enriching early childhood journey at Heathers' home. Any family would be incredibly lucky to have their children care for by her. I cannot recommend Heather highly enough - she is an exceptional educator and a truly special person. Claudia.
— Claudia C - Hamilton
