We love to keep our centre healthy !
So once your child joins Honeybees you can be assured that we have taken every possible measure to minimize their contact with unnecessary chemicals and toxins. Here is a selection of a few of the things we paid attention to when designing our centre...
Food
Our carefully designed menu is like no other, unprocessed, natural healthy ingredients, and mostly gluten free; NZ grown, locally sourced and delivered daily. Whole nutrient rich foods are used; including meat, vegetables, fruit, polenta, chia, quinoa, buckwheat etc. We have reduced processed foods and instead focused on pure foods to optimise nutrition. |
Toiletries
We use only 'WaterWipes' to ensure gentler cleansing of delicate skin. WaterWipes are 99.9% water (specially purified and softened), and a drop of grapefruit seed extract (a natural skin conditioner) - with no chemical additives. WaterWipes are the only baby wipe to ever be approved by Allergy UK and The National Eczema Association of America. We just love them! We also use only the "Ecostore" range of skin care products, such as their nappy balm. |
Cleaning
We have carefully thought out cleaning systems in place to reduce your childs contact with toxins and chemicals. We use "Ecostore" cleaning, laundry and kitchen products, and natural beeswax polish for furniture. We also use our own vacuum cleaner and steam mop for the floors – ensuring no chemicals or germs make their way in from outside cleaning agencies. For disinfecting and regular high touch points throughout the day we have the thymol based "Benefect Botanical" which is a hospital grade disinfectant EPA approved for use on Covid-19 but less toxic than vinegar! |
Bedding
For the children that are still napping, we have high quality comfortable day beds available. These are constructed with the safest materials, and are fully Greenguard Gold certified. This means that the beds have met some of the world's most rigorous and comprehensive standards for low emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into indoor air, ensuring your child is protected from breathing in unnecessary fumes and toxins while sleeping. Our sheets and quilts are made of 100% organic cotton. |
Equipment
Right from the ceiling panels, to the floorboards, to the blinds, the furniture and the paint on the walls; every aspect of the fitout was completed with the lowest possible VOC levels. Our rugs are 100% wool, our couches are leather not vinyl, pots are all stainless steel, the crockery is porcelain, and the list goes on! Children are especially susceptible to the effects of these chemicals, so it was important to us that we reduced them as much as possible. |
Sunscreen
We like to use the most natural options available for sunscreen; such as "Invisible Zinc", which acts as a physical not chemical barrier against UVB and UVA rays. It is made from Zinc Oxide, a mineral reflector found in nature, and creates a physical, reflective veil on the surface of the skin. |
Resources
We have spent a lot of time building a unique collection of the best toys and resources that have come from all over the world! We have focused on high quality wooden toys that use natural oils, dyes, and beeswax to add colour. There are also lots of natural materials, so the children can interact with wood, stone, metals, clay, textiles and plants on a daily basis. |
Giving Back
We like to be involved in our community, so right now we are supporting Jess and Luke from Bees Up Top - an amazing couple who are working to increase New Zealand’s bee population by supplying healthy, happy hives to urban areas and to educate our future generation on the importance of keeping our little workers around. We also support Pencils of Promise as we too believe that every child should have access to quality education. Pencils of Promise build schools and provide quality educational programming to increase literacy rates in Laos, Ghana, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. |