Krafty Kidz thrive when tummies are full

‍Krafty Kidz daycare’s philosophy is to provide nutritious meals, so tamariki are fuelled throughout the day. Based in Rānui and with a mixed age roll of 27 tamariki and 4 kaiako, daycare owner Janine has done everything she can to fulfil this.

A recent help has been the Ministry of Education’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) Food Programme, which Krafty Kidz has been a recipient of since March 2025. This government funded initiative provides nourishing kai to tamariki between the ages of 2 to 5.

KidsCan delivers ingredients in meal packs to participating early learning services. Many meal options are designed to require minimal preparation and handling by early learning service staff or volunteers, making them suitable for services with limited staff capacity.

Janine says the Programme has lifted some of the financial and resourcing pressures of rising food prices. “It was harder to make ends meet before. [The ECE Food Programme] has given us some breathing space so we can allocate resources to other areas and take some of the pressure off being a small centre.”

Kaiako at Krafty Kidz

Discovering new foods

The ECE Food Programme has been a great way for tamariki, kaiako and whānau to explore new foods. “We have cooked with ingredients we probably would never have looked at before, like soya granules and tofu,” Janine recalls.

With a rotating menu on display to whānau, they are often surprised to hear of the new foods their tamariki have tried. ‘They ate that!?’ is a common response, particularly when it comes to vegetables.

Tamariki at the centre say their favourite meals and snacks include spaghetti bolognaise, macaroni and cheese, and oranges. “Oranges taste juicy and sour!” one tamariki happily shares.

Krafty Kidz also share the menus they are given by Kids Can, to provide inspiration to whānau on how to prepare and cook these meals at home.

Nothing goes to waste

At Krafty Kidz no ingredient goes to waste. Leftover foods can be reused again in other meals the next day, and some of the ingredients KidsCan supply are shelf stable or frozen. “We also reuse bread and that sort of thing for our morning teas,” explains Janine.

ECEs on the Food Programme can also tailor what is supplied for the number of tamariki who attend their centre each day, to minimise waste.

For more information

For more information on the ECE food programme visit: https://www.education.govt.nz/education-professionals/early-learning/early-childhood-education-food-programme

Janine’s message for any interested ECEs is, “Just sign up and give it a go.” ‍

Recipe cards