On November 17, 2025, Waitaha School, Burnside Primary School, and Clearview Primary shut their doors overnight—not because of a virus or power outage, but because children had been playing with sand laced with asbestos. The culprit? Colored play sand from Educational Colours and Creatistics, sold at Kmart and local stationery stores. The discovery, confirmed by lab tests from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), sent shockwaves through New Zealand’s education system. Tremolite, a dangerous form of asbestos found in quartz, was detected in rainbow sand and Magic Sand sets in blue, green, and pink. And kids weren’t just handling it—they were squeezing it through tiny fingers, inhaling dust, pressing their faces close. It’s not a hypothetical risk. It’s happening in classrooms.
How It All Unfolded
The alarm rang at 9:30 a.m. NZDT when Waitaha School posted a Facebook update: “We have become aware that a number of areas of the school... have been exposed to various coloured sand brands that have been recalled.” Within an hour, the Ministry of Education issued a nationwide directive: stop using the sand. Secure it. Don’t sweep it. Don’t vacuum it. And call professionals. By noon, three schools were closed. By evening, six more were under assessment. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) didn’t mince words. Spokesperson Ian Caplin called it a “precautionary action while we establish the extent and risk.” He listed four recalled products: the 14-piece sandcastle set, and the blue, green, and pink Magic Sand. All sold at Kmart. All now toxic.What made this so alarming wasn’t just the presence of asbestos—it was how deeply embedded it was in childhood routines. Sensory play with colored sand is standard in early learning centers and primary schools. Teachers use it to teach texture, color, fine motor skills. Parents buy it for birthday parties. It’s bright. It’s fun. It’s harmless… or so everyone thought. Now, it’s a potential cancer risk. As Stuff.co.nz reported, “Kids of all ages... squish it through their fingers. Their faces are very close to it.” That’s the nightmare: microscopic fibers, invisible, airborne, and capable of causing mesothelioma decades later.
The National Response
The government didn’t wait for perfect data. Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, WorkSafe New Zealand, and the Ministry of Education formed a joint task force. Schools with “higher volumes” of the sand were told to contact licensed asbestos assessors immediately. Smaller amounts? Bag it. Seal it. Don’t open it again. Then contact your local council for disposal. WorkSafe New Zealand published a list of certified removalists on its website—because you can’t just toss this in the regular bin. One mother in Christchurch told Stuff she’d used the green Magic Sand for her daughter’s preschool project just last week. “I thought it was just glittery sand,” she said. “Now I’m terrified.”Local councils across Canterbury and beyond are scrambling to set up drop-off points. In Timaru, the city council announced it would accept sealed bags of contaminated sand at its recycling center starting November 20. In Auckland, the council warned residents not to bring it to household waste sites without prior coordination. The Educational Colours company issued a recall notice but offered no details on how the contamination occurred. Neither did Creatistics. Both companies are now under investigation. The sand was imported from overseas, likely from suppliers in Asia where asbestos regulations are inconsistent. No one knows how many tons are out there.
Why This Matters Beyond the Classroom
This isn’t just a school problem. It’s a systemic failure. The same sand is sold in craft stores, toy shops, and online marketplaces. Parents buy it because it’s cheap. Retailers stock it because it’s popular. Regulators assumed it was safe because it wasn’t labeled as hazardous. But asbestos doesn’t care about labels. It doesn’t need to be labeled to kill. The World Health Organization says there’s no safe level of exposure. And children? Their lungs are smaller. Their immune systems are still developing. The latency period for asbestos-related diseases can be 20 to 50 years. A child who played with this sand in 2025 might not get sick until they’re 40. But the damage is already done.And here’s the twist: this isn’t the first time. In 2019, Australia recalled similar products after asbestos was found in children’s clay. In 2021, the UK banned certain decorative sands after testing revealed tremolite. New Zealand’s response was swift—but reactive. Why wasn’t this caught before it reached shelves? Why did it take a school closure to trigger action? The answer lies in fragmented oversight. Product safety testing in New Zealand is underfunded. Imports aren’t routinely screened for asbestos unless flagged by other countries. That’s changing now. MBIE says it’s reviewing import protocols for all “sensory play materials.” But that’s after the fact.
What Comes Next
By November 25, 2025, at least 14 schools and 22 early learning centers had been closed for decontamination. Over 300 kilograms of contaminated sand had been collected. The cost? Estimated at $2.3 million for cleanup, testing, and compensation. Families are being offered free medical screenings. Teachers are being briefed on long-term health risks. And the public is being asked to check their homes. Did you buy rainbow sand from Kmart between January and November 2025? If so, you might have it in your garage, your child’s toy box, or your backyard sandbox. The government’s message is clear: don’t touch it. Don’t move it. Call WorkSafe. Wait for help.For now, the children are learning in temporary classrooms. Their sandboxes are empty. Their art projects are on hold. And the adults? They’re asking themselves: how many other toys are hiding something deadly?
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous is tremolite asbestos compared to other types?
Tremolite is one of the most hazardous forms of asbestos because its fibers are thin, brittle, and easily inhaled. Unlike chrysotile—which is more common but less persistent—tremolite can remain airborne longer and penetrate deeper into lung tissue. Studies show it’s strongly linked to mesothelioma, even at low exposure levels. Children are especially vulnerable due to higher breathing rates and developing lungs.
What should parents do if they bought this sand at home?
Do not open the container. Do not vacuum or sweep it. Seal the bag tightly in a second plastic bag, label it “Asbestos Contaminated - Do Not Open,” and contact your local council or visit the WorkSafe website to find a licensed asbestos removalist. If you’ve already used it, avoid disturbing the area and arrange for professional testing. Health New Zealand offers free consultations for concerned families.
Are other children’s products at risk?
Yes. MBIE has expanded testing to include all imported decorative sands, modeling clays, and glitter products sold in New Zealand since 2020. Early results show two additional brands may contain trace asbestos. The Ministry is urging retailers to voluntarily pull similar items until tested. Parents should avoid any sand or glitter product without clear origin labeling or safety certification.
Why weren’t these products flagged earlier?
New Zealand’s product safety system relies heavily on international alerts and voluntary compliance. Asbestos isn’t routinely tested in non-construction materials unless imported from high-risk countries. These sands were labeled as “non-toxic” and “for decorative use only,” which misled regulators. The system failed because it assumed safety based on labeling—not independent testing.
How long will schools remain closed?
Each school’s closure duration depends on contamination levels. Smaller exposures may take 5–7 days to clean; larger sites could take up to three weeks. All affected areas must pass a final air quality test certified by WorkSafe before reopening. The Ministry of Education has allocated temporary learning spaces and online resources to minimize disruption.
Is there compensation for families affected?
The government has not yet announced direct financial compensation, but free medical screenings for children and staff are available through Health New Zealand. Legal experts suggest families may pursue claims against importers or retailers if negligence is proven. A class-action investigation is underway, led by the Consumers’ Institute.
rakesh meena
November 18, 2025 AT 01:59This is insane we need to check every toy in the house now
Marrissa Davis
November 19, 2025 AT 02:18I just pulled out a bag of that rainbow sand from my kid’s closet last week. I’m so glad I didn’t let them play with it. But now I’m wondering what else is hiding in plain sight.
Govind Gupta
November 20, 2025 AT 04:05The quiet horror of this isn’t just the asbestos-it’s how easily we trusted the packaging. Bright colors, cute labels, ‘non-toxic’ printed in cheerful font. We didn’t question it because we wanted to believe. And that’s the real tragedy: our willingness to be fooled by aesthetics.
Sneha N
November 21, 2025 AT 10:18My daughter’s preschool used this sand for ‘sensory bins’ last month. I thought it was just glitter. Now I’m lying awake imagining microscopic fibers dancing in her lungs. I haven’t slept since I read this. I feel like I failed her.
Manjunath Nayak BP
November 21, 2025 AT 16:02Let’s be real here-this isn’t an accident, it’s a corporate cover-up. These companies knew. They imported from places where asbestos is legal and slapped on ‘for decorative use only’ like that means anything. And now they’re hiding behind ‘recall notices’ while kids breathe it in. The government’s response is too slow. We need criminal charges, not pamphlets.
Tulika Singh
November 23, 2025 AT 00:07Children’s safety shouldn’t be contingent on media attention.
Dan Ripma
November 24, 2025 AT 22:33Asbestos does not negotiate. It does not apologize. It does not care if it was in a child’s toy or a factory floor. Once inhaled, it begins its silent, decades-long march through the body. This is not a ‘recall’-it is a wake-up call written in the language of irreversible harm.
Norm Rockwell
November 26, 2025 AT 13:37Did anyone else notice the same sand was sold under 12 different brand names? Coincidence? Or is this part of a global supply chain that’s been quietly poisoning kids for years? I’ve seen this pattern before-China, India, Vietnam-all the same factories, all the same labels. This isn’t New Zealand’s problem. It’s the world’s.
Sean Brison
November 27, 2025 AT 11:11My wife works in early childhood education. She told me they stopped using all sensory sand last year after a friend’s kid got sick in Australia. We were lucky. But now I’m scared for every other parent who didn’t have that warning.
Ayushi Dongre
November 27, 2025 AT 22:43It is a profound failure of systemic vigilance, this incident. The commodification of childhood playthings, stripped of ethical scrutiny, reveals a civilization that prioritizes convenience over consequence. We have normalized the invisible peril, mistaking absence of immediate harm for the presence of safety. One must ask: at what point does collective negligence become complicity?
sandeep singh
November 28, 2025 AT 14:18India imports this exact sand too. Why is New Zealand only acting now? Because it’s a rich country? What about the kids in developing nations? No one cares until it hits Western headlines. This is global capitalism at its most murderous.
Sumit Garg
November 29, 2025 AT 07:24The real scandal isn’t the asbestos-it’s the fact that regulatory bodies still rely on voluntary compliance. The WHO has warned for decades. The EU banned these products in 2018. New Zealand waited for a school to close before acting. This isn’t incompetence-it’s institutional cowardice. And the corporations? They’ve been laughing all the way to the bank.
Robert Shealtiel
November 29, 2025 AT 09:40I found a sealed bag of the green Magic Sand in my garage. I didn’t touch it. I put it in two ziplocks and left it on the porch. I’m waiting for someone to tell me what to do next. I don’t want to be the one who made it worse.
Lawrence Abiamuwe
November 29, 2025 AT 17:05My son’s school used this sand for a ‘colorful science day’ last month. I’m grateful the authorities acted fast. But we must ensure this never happens again. Education must be safe, not a gamble.
tushar singh
December 1, 2025 AT 02:10Parents, check your shelves. Don’t panic, but don’t ignore it. If you’ve got this sand, seal it, label it, and call WorkSafe. You’re not overreacting-you’re protecting someone you love. We’ve got this.
Brajesh Yadav
December 2, 2025 AT 07:36My kid’s birthday party last month had rainbow sand cakes. I thought it was just glitter. Now I’m crying. I didn’t know. I didn’t know. How do you live with that? I’m not a bad parent-I just trusted the system. And now I’m paying for it in nightmares.
naresh g
December 4, 2025 AT 06:06Wait-so if the sand was imported from Asia, and Asia has lax asbestos laws, and New Zealand doesn’t test imports unless another country flags it, then why didn’t Australia or the UK flag this before? Did they test it? Did they just not say anything? Who’s responsible for the gap between detection and disclosure? Who’s covering this up?!