Asbestos in Kids' Play Sand Triggers School Closures and Nationwide Recall in New Zealand

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?