Matariki kite day (manu tukutuku)

Outdoor: weather matters

A kite-making and kite-flying afternoon for Matariki: sell kite kits or entry, run a make-your-kite table, and sell hot food and drinks on the field.

Typically raises

$600

$200–1,500 per eventest.

About $48 per organiser hour

Is it right for us?

Money: $500–2,000
Work: A few evenings
Helpers: 3–6 people
Lead time: 1–2 months
Red tape: Some

Uncommon: a growing Matariki event that still stands out

People: 6-12 for kite tables, food stall and field marshals (estimate)
Organiser time: 10-15 hours (estimate)
Lead time: 4-6 weeks to order kits and book a field (estimate)
Up-front cost: $250. About 40 kits at $4.95 plus two line packs at $30 (The Kite Lady), food stock extra (estimate).
Risk: Low: unsold kits keep for next year.

Suits: Kindy or early learning, Primary or intermediate school

Less usual for: Scouts or Guides, Community group, marae or service club, Kapa haka, choir, theatre or band

When: Winter (Jun–Aug), Matariki, School holidays

How big a job: A few evenings, 3–6 people

How it works

The money, as an example sum

Sell at $10 a kite kit, keep about $5 of each, so 170 kite kits = $850, or about $600 after about $250 of costs. That’s about the typical result.

Using the figures on this page. Your prices and costs will differ.

Where the money figure comes from

No NZ fundraising total found. Kite kits cost $4.95 each in bundles of 20+ (or $9 each under 20) from The Kite Lady in Christchurch, with line and handle sets $30 per 20; selling a decorated kit at $10-12 leaves about $5 a kit (estimate). Food stall income on top (estimate).

Last checked October 2026. Ran this? Tell us what you raised and we’ll use real results to improve the figures.

Step by step

Choose an open field with no power lines: school field, domain or beach reserve; book it.
Pick a date in the school holidays around Matariki (public holiday Friday 10 July 2026, Te Papa).
Order kits early. The budget here uses plain kits at $4.95 each in bundles of 20+ (The Kite Lady); her Matariki colour-your-own diamond kite, with manu tukutuku and the Matariki stars, costs more ($15 each).
Invite a kaiako or local weaver to show traditional manu tukutuku or manu aute making with harakeke and raupō.
Sell kits in advance through your school payment system, plus on the day.
Run a decorating table with pens, tape and tails; adults help with bridles.
Set a flying zone and a spectator zone, and a 'kite doctor' table for repairs.
Sell hot soup, sausages, baking and drinks on the side.
Pick a back-up date; light wind days are hard to predict.

Getting the word out

Even a well-run plan fails if nobody hears about it. There are two asks, and the first one goes out first.

Ask for help: Helpers for the day or night, and local businesses for prizes.
Ask people to buy: People to book tickets or tables, and turn up.
When to start: Ask for helpers first, as soon as the date is set. Start the public ask about 3–4 weeks out, and book newsletter and paper notices before that: small newsletters close early.

Where to put it

School, club and church newslettersYour own newsletter is free and read by the families most likely to say yes. Check when it closes.
PostersPosters at the school gate, the clubrooms and shop windows, with the date, place, price and how to pay.
Local Facebook pages and community groupsPost in your town’s community page and local groups (check their rules), and share from your group’s own page.
Billboards and roadside signsYour school’s or club’s own sign by the road, a banner on the fence, or a sandwich board on the day for passers-by.

The full guide to getting the word out: every channel from flyers to the evening news, with lead times and costs.

What you’ll need

Place: NeededA public space (park, street, beach)
Landowner’s permission: NeededYes, in writing
Council permit: CheckCheck with your council
Food rules: CheckNo registration if you sell food to fundraise for a good cause up to 20 times a calendar year. It must still be safe and suitable, and your council may need a stall permit
Alcohol: Not neededNo alcohol sold
Gambling rules: Not neededNot gambling
Health and safety: CheckA simple risk check and briefing
Insurance: CheckCheck your cover

Book the park or reserve with your council; Whanganui lets community groups book free. Pick a site clear of power lines, roads and airfields.

Make more from it

Hot soup and drinks
$100-300 (estimate)
cold winter field, parents standing around
Baking stall
$100-300 (estimate)
easy add-on with no cooking on site

Stack it: on its own, about $600. With the 2 priced add-ons above, roughly

$1,000est.

What you can get donated

Harakeke, sticks and paper for traditional-style kites; hot drinks or soup ingredients from a supermarket.

Tips

Making and flying kites is a traditional part of Matariki; Silverdale School made kites in class then flew them with whānau at a local park (Local Matters).
Selwyn's kite day was a partnership of two schools, a trust and the council, which shared the work (Selwyn District Council, via search listing).
Sled kites fly in lighter winds than diamonds and suit young children (The Kite Lady sells both).

Watch out for

No wind means no flying; plan making activities that still work.
Cheap imported kits tear quickly and disappoint; buy proven school kits.
Tangled lines and crowded fields cause tears; space fliers out.

Free tools for this

Event budget and break-evenCover hire, food and prizes before you set the ticket price.
Cash float and takings counterDoor and food-stall cash, counted in pairs and banked the next day.
Checklist for any ideaBefore, on the day and after, built from this idea’s own steps and rules.

Typical rules

Book council parks and reserves; many councils let community groups book free (Whanganui District Council says community groups can book free).
Food stalls are covered by the Food Act 2014 fundraising exemption if run fewer than 20 times a year (MPI).
Keep kite flying well away from overhead power lines and roads (estimate of good practice).
Do not fly kites near airports or airfields; check your site is not close to one (estimate of good practice).

Check the details

Sources

Researched October 2026. All fundraising ideas

* General fundraising information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Money figures are examples and estimates, not promises. Check current official requirements before you commit. About this guide