CONTENTSA playgroup is defined in Section 10 of the Education and Training Act 2020 as a group that meets on a regular basis to facilitate children's play and in respect of which:
- no child attends for more than 4 hours on any day and
- more than half the children attending on any occasion have a parent or caregiver present in the same play area at the same time and
- the total number of children attending on any occasion is not greater than 4 times the number of parents and caregivers present in the same play area at the same time.
Education and Training Act 2020, Section 10 – New Zealand Legislation
Playgroups include puna kōhungahunga, cultural playgroups and community language playgroups.
Playgroups are certificated in accordance with the Education and Training Act 2020 under the Education (Playgroups) Regulations 2008, which prescribe minimum standards that each certificated playgroup must meet. Certification criteria are secondary legislation that are used to assess how playgroups meet the minimum standards required by the regulations.
Education (Playgroups) Regulations 2008 – New Zealand Legislation
You can find a copy of the Certification criteria to download or print below.
The certification criteria were last updated on 1 September 2026.
The changes reflect the transfer of regulatory functions for early childhood education from the Secretary for Education in the Ministry of Education to the Director of Regulation in the Education Review Office.
You can find a comparison tables showing these changes below. You can find a comparison tables showing these changes below.
You can find information on the prescribed curriculum framework you must follow on our website.
From 1 September 2026, the Education Review Office (ERO) is responsible for certifying and regulating early childhood education services. You can find guidance to help playgroups meet the required standards as well as how to apply for a certificate on the Education Review Office’s website.
Mōhiohio anō
