Despite the lack of Italian heritage, children arrived at preschool wearing the Italian colours of red, white and green and Aluto Ren, 3, was dressed as video game hero Super Mario, complete with a black plastic moustache.
Whanganui Montessori has a roll of 50 children, which van Delden said is the maximum capacity for the centre.
"The first local Montessori preschool - Wanganui Central Infants opened in 1918," she said.
"This preschool opened in 1992 and we have been at our present site since 2004."
Whanganui Montessori is on the site of Kowhainui Home, where preschoolers normally visit rest-home residents for singing and social activities.
"Covid restrictions have meant that we've had to discontinue those contacts but hopefully we can resume them before too long because everyone enjoyed them," van Delden said.
Whanganui Montessori is a not-for-profit, parent co-operative run by a manager, head teacher and an elected committee of parents.
