Donna Smith

Somerfield
(Fully booked until the end of 2026)

Hi my name is Donna and I live in Somerfield with my husband Steve, adult daughter Stevie and 2 little dogs Syd and Dio. I became a home based educator 25 years ago when traditional centre based childcare wasn't a good fit for my son. As I watched my son grow and become a confident, caring learner, leader and friend to our care family, I became a passionate advocate for home based care. 25 years later I'm still loving being a part of my care children's journeys.

I offer a safe, supportive and loving environment where children and their families become part of my whānau. It is important to me to provide a space where you feel that you can play a part in your child's day and we work together to best support your child in their learning and development. I welcome opportunities to learn about other traditions and cultures alongside the children. Child led open-ended play is an important part of my programme- laying the foundation for children to become curious and excited learners later in life.
I believe play based learning helps children develop language, numeracy and social skills while learning about the world around them. I provide the children in my care with opportunities to explore and be challenged by offering a mix of structured activities, such as music group, storytimes, playgroups etc with free play and exploration at home and in parks and reserves in the community.

By providing a safe, respectful and stimulating home learning environment, children are able to build on their individual strengths and interests which in turn empowers them to become confident, competent learners where they feel nurtured and have a sense of community and belonging.