Waiuku Kindergarten’s Child-Friendly, Eco-Friendly Christmas Reindeer Food Recipe
Charlotte Johns
Nicole Ryan
Lindy Ashurst – Head Teacher at Waiuku Kindergarten
The lead-up to Christmas can be busy—and expensive—especially with little ones at home! That’s why our Waiuku Kindergarten has created an easy festive activity that’s budget-friendly, eco-conscious, and full of fun! This is always such a popular activity with tamariki, and we can see why. It’s the perfect way to add a sprinkle of Christmas magic on Christmas Eve!
Keep reading for their easy, Child-Friendly, Eco-Friendly Reindeer Food Recipe and grab your FREE printable Christmas Reindeer Food label to make this tradition extra special.
Ingredients
- Rolled oats (energy for the “reindeer” and safe for local wildlife)
- Puffed rice breakfast cereal, e.g. Kellogg’s® Rice Bubbles® (to help the reindeer float)
- Coloured sprinkles (for festive colour and sparkle, but make sure it’s biodegradable and food-safe)
- Dried coconut flakes or desiccated (like edible snowflakes)
Instructions
1. Put 1 cup rolled oats and 1/2 cup of puffed rice cereal in a bowl.
2. Add a teaspoon of coloured sprinkles for festive sparkle.
3. Toss in 1 tablespoon dried coconut flakes.
4. Place in small paper bags and get the kids to decorate! Download our free printable Christmas Reindeer food poem/label here.
5. On Christmas Eve, sprinkle the reindeer food on the grass or soil (not on pavement or near water), for the ‘reindeer’, and so birds and small animals can also enjoy it safely.
Coloured oats or coconut
If you want to add some additional colour, you can prepare some of your oats or coconut with food colouring ahead of time. The measurements below aren’t exact—think of them as rough estimates and adjust as needed. The main goal is to use as little liquid as possible so the mixture doesn’t turn soggy, while still allowing the colour to coat the dry ingredients.
This method works for roughly 1 kg of oats or coconut. You can see in the pictures that Waiuku Kindergarten used a 50/50 split of red coconut and uncoloured coconut, which looks fantastic and very festive!
What You’ll Need
- A leak-proof container with a lid or large Ziplock bag
- A cup
- Baking tray (or two)
- Fork
- Measuring spoons (optional)
Ingredients
- 1kg of oats or coconut
- Food colouring of your choice
- Water
Instructions
1. Place the oats or coconut into your container.
2. In a cup, mix about 4 tablespoons of food colouring with water until you have roughly half a cup of liquid.
3. Pour the coloured liquid over the dry ingredients. Seal the container and shake well to distribute the colour.
4. If clumps form, break them up with a fork or your hands, then reseal and shake again.
5. Check the colour and add more dye if needed.
Drying
Spread the coloured oats or coconut in layers no deeper than 2 cm on baking trays. Dry them in a warming drawer or in the oven at 50°C, checking regularly to prevent burning.
Papakura Christmas Festival & Santa Parade 23 November 2025
[Zoe Gillett, CMKA Enrolments Coordinator]
This year, CMKA were able to secure a stand at the Papakura Christmas Festival and Santa Parade at Bruce Pulman Park. This was a great opportunity to promote our kindergartens and early learning centres in the local Papakura community. We took several new enquiries for possible enrolments at different CMKA kindergartens and early learning centres during the event and handed out many leaflets for our various services.
Families gathered in impressive numbers to enjoy everything the event had to offer—and with 70 stalls and 19 food trucks, there was plenty to explore.
One of the most popular attractions of the day was our face painting station, where children lined up for colourful Christmas designs – thank you to Jess’s Joyful Faces. Our activity table was also a major hit, giving tamariki the chance to get creative by decorating wooden Christmas ornaments and crafting their own mini-Christmas tree wreaths using metal key rings and festive fabric strips. The joy on their faces said it all!
We were also thrilled to give away 100 goodie bags to children throughout the day—a small gesture that brought lots of smiles.
A big thank-you to everyone who supported our raffle—we sold 82 tickets and celebrated three very happy winners!
A heartfelt thank you to Pak’nSave Papakura, who generously donated $250 worth of fresh fruit for us to share with our community. Your support helped make the day even more special. We would also like to extend our warmest thanks to the amazing team members who helped bring the event to life:
- Melissa A (Takaanini Early Learning)
- Di (Papakura North Kindergarten)
- Anu (Alfriston Road Kindergarten)
- Mardi (Conifer Grove Kindergarten)
- Trish, Maria, Deana, Zoe, and Marianne (head office).
Your time, energy, and enthusiasm were truly appreciated.
This year’s event received exceptional support from Papakura and the surrounding community. The festival reflected the strong community spirit and seasonal celebration that make this time of year special. We look forward to participating again next year!
2025/2026 Summer Giveaway
Come and join us for some summer fun and go into the draw for a $200 supermarket voucher!
Prize giveaway from December 1st 2025 until January 31st 2026! Every day that your child attends
one of our kindergartens or early learning centres during this period of time, will earn automatic entry into the draw for a $200
supermarket voucher.* There is one prize per centre, drawn following the closing date of the competition.
*Terms and conditions apply.
Terms and conditions
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Competition will run from 1st December 2025 – 31st January 2026. The winner will be randomly selected from all valid entries using the online random name generator.
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One child attending a CMKA kindergarten or early learning centre = One entry per day.
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Offer includes any child who starts attending a CMKA kindergarten or early learning centre during the competition period.
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One prize draw of a $200 Supermarket Voucher per centre will be drawn following the closing date of 31 January 2025. We have 23 kindergartens and 5 early learning centres.
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The voucher will be for a supermarket local to the centre holding the draw, as chosen by Counties Manukau Kindergarten Association.
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Multiple entries are permitted for each child, this includes multiple children from one household.
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Prizes will be drawn between 2nd – 11th February 2026.
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Prize winners will be notified by their Head Teacher or Centre Manager following this date.
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Prize winner(s) must respond within 14 days to claim their prize, or another winner will be selected.
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This competition is open to all children enrolled at one of our kindergartens or early learning centres except for the children of employees of CMKA.
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Attendance data will be recorded and reported using our Discover software.
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Prize winners are not obligated to accept the prize and have right of refusal.
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This competition is in no way affiliated with FaceBook or Instagram.
Whānau Raffle
Be in to WIN one of four amazing prizes
You could be in to win one of four amazing prizes to be drawn on Thursday 30th October 2025
Tickets are $5 each and are available to purchase from your local CMKA Kindergarten or Early Learning Centre between the dates of 6th to 28th October 2025.
What happens with the money we raise?
ALL profits will be distributed back to the participating CMKA Kindergartens and Early Learning Centres to be used to buy new resources!
THE AMAZING PRIZES!
⭐ First Prize – $500 Supermarket Voucher
Stock up your pantry or treat the whānau! Choose your favourite supermarket (Woolworths, New World or Pak’nSave) and shop away!
⭐ Second Prize – Portable speaker & Spotify membership
Take the music anywhere with a quality JBL portable speaker and enjoy 3 months of Spotify Premium.
⭐ Third Prize – Action & adventure
Whānau time to remember! Includes an Auckland Zoo gift voucher and passes to Auckland Adventure Park for a day of fun, animals, and excitement.
⭐ Fourth Prize – Bike package
Get the little ones moving with a brand-new balance bike and helmet perfect for learning to ride with confidence!
Get in quick, only 2500 tickets available!
We would like to give a big THANK YOU to our sponsors who have provided some of our amazing prizes, especially those mentioned below:
Terms & Conditions
- Competition will run from 6th October 2025 – 28th October 2025 throughout the Counties Manukau Kindergarten Association Kindergartens and Early Learning Centres.
- The winners will be randomly selected from all valid entries.
- Tickets are limited to 2500 tickets organisation wide.
- There is no limit on the number of tickets any one person can buy.
- Ticket sheets of 40 tickets are distributed evenly across all participating centres and extras are available upon request.
- Tickets to be sold for $5 each ticket. This can be paid for in cash or bank transfer to the kindergarten/early learning centre.
- To ensure your ticket is a valid entry, payment must be made and received before 11:59pm on 28th October 2025. Tickets not paid for by this time will be considered invalid.
- First Prize – The winner will receive a $500 supermarket voucher. The winner may nominate their preferred supermarket from the following options: Woolworths, New World, or Pak’nSave. The voucher will be purchased and issued at the sole discretion of the organiser.
- Second Prize – The winner will receive a speaker and a Spotify Premium subscription. The make, model, and appearance of the speaker may differ from any images or descriptions used in promotional material. The Spotify Premium subscription is valued at $45 (equivalent to three months of Premium).
- Any ongoing costs or charges beyond this initial period will be the sole responsibility of the winner. The organiser reserves the right to substitute the speaker with a product of equal or greater value if necessary.
- Third Prize – The winner will receive: Two passes to Auckland Adventure Park, valued at $25 each. Both passes must be redeemed prior to 29 May 2026.
- Third Prize – An Auckland Zoo gift voucher valued at $150. This voucher can be redeemed for entry, food, or retail purchases at Auckland Zoo and is valid for 24 months from the date of purchase. For full terms and conditions regarding this voucher, please see Auckland Zoo Gift Card Terms & Conditions.
- Fourth Prize – The winner will receive a bike and helmet purchased from Little Nation. The bike is suitable for children aged approximately 18 months to 5 years. The helmet complies with applicable Australia/New Zealand safety standards
- All prizes are non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash or any other form of credit.
- Winners are responsible for any additional costs not explicitly stated as included in the prize (e.g., ongoing subscription fees, travel costs, or other incidental expenses).
- The organiser accepts no responsibility for any loss, damage, or injury incurred in connection with the prizes.
- Entry open to everyone, including employees of CMKA. 4 prize packs to be drawn on Thursday 30th October 2025 at CMKA Head Office.
- Prizes will be drawn using the online random name generator.
- Prize winner(s) will be contacted via their phone number and then announced on Facebook and Instagram following 30th October 2025.
- Prize(s) must be collected from CMKA Head Office or be delivered to the winner by CMKA Head Office Staff by Friday 14th November 2025.
- By participating in this competition, participants agree to abide by these terms and conditions and any decisions made by CMKA regarding the competition.
- All funds raised will be distributed back to the participating CMKA Kindergartens and early learning centres to be used to buy new resources for their centres.