But too many Kiwi kids are growing up without the food literacy they need to succeed.
EATucation is here to change that, with ready-made activities and games for teachers PLUS whānau packs, so you can be part of the journey too.
Together, we can raise a generation of kai-confident kids who succeed at school, at home, and beyond.
Ex-Black Fern Kendra Cocksedge & Ex-All Black Karl Tu'inukuafe share why food literacy is important to them
To get the most from food, our kids need to be taught how it impacts each part of their lives. After all, one thing they will do every day is eat food!
Food literacy is a taonga (treasure), that strengthens lifelong health, builds more resilient communities, and reduces our collective impact on Te Taiao (the environment).
Together, we can ensure every child in Aotearoa grows up food literate.
Over several generations, we’ve seen a consistent decline in food literacy, with 30% of premature deaths now linked to diet.
By supporting teachers and parents, EATucation vastly increases the amount of time tamariki spend learning about food.
Research shows that embedding food literacy in learning from a young age leads to improved academic, behavioural, and health outcomes.
The time to act is now. Together, we can nourish a food-literate nation.
Do you struggle to find time to teach your kids about food?
With EATucation, your kids can learn about food in a fun and engaging way at ECE! Our activities & games connect food literacy to the ECE curriculum, to ensure growing minds and bodies get the food education they need right from the start.
Do you find messaging around food confusing?
Behind every EATucation lesson, stands our team of food experts. We're here to ensure your kids receive the right message at the right time. Delivering bite-sized bits of life-changing learning is what we're all about.
Do you want your kids to be adventurous eaters?
On the EATucation program, kids are taken on a culinary journey that connects them to kai and culture. Guided by our friendly puppets, Kind Kiwi, Cleaver Kia and the Thoughtful Tuatara, they'll learn about the wide world of food and their place within it.
Each ready-made unit is flexible and adaptable! We've done the hard work of connecting food literacy to the ECE curriculum. With a mix of games & activities and options to suit any centre's setting or teacher's needs 🙌
We all know kids can be tough customers! EATucation’s ready-made resources support tamariki to grow their appreciation of various foods, which helps you & their teachers to ensure your tamariki understand the value of (and are excited to eat!) the balanced diet they need to succeed in learning & life.
Pack a Picnic
In this unit, tamariki explore all the fun learning involved in packing a picnic! This learning also explores what might be packed in a lunchbox or when we are eating on the move!
Food and Friends
In this unit, tamariki discover all the ways food connects us to one another! We dive into the cultural connections of food and how food makes us feel!
Stay Safe Cooks
In this unit, tamariki learn how to stay safe in the whare kai! From what's hot and not, to what's safe or sharp mokopuna will learn how to be cautious, curious, and creative!
Food Facts
In this unit, tamariki will unpack a wide world of food facts! From the fun to the fantastic, this unit covers a range of basics and ensures all mokopuna have grounding knowledge of what happens from the field to the whare kai!
Matariki Magic
In this unit, tamariki will explore the magic of matariki, from how to build a traditional hāngī to what Matariki represents and how it connects us!
Further 2026 Units TBC - Watch this space!
Great question! See the options here, but ultimately, the best thing you can do is share our story with the teachers, leadership team, Board of Trustees, PTA and anyone else at your centre who believes teachers should be supported with ready-made resources that build our kid's food literacy one bite-sized lesson at a time! From there, they can get in touch to find out more!
Nope! We work really hard to provide teachers with ready-made resources that save them time. Our lessons also align with Te Whāriki, the Early Childhood Education (ECE) curriculum. This means that each of our lessons supports teachers in delivering the learning we know our kids need!
Absolutely! We want everyone to benefit from our program! That's why it has been specifically designed to be flexible for any centre's needs, regardless of their location, size, or whether they have a flash kitchen or just the basics.
EATucation is made by teachers for teachers, and a big part of that is connecting food literacy to the curriculum. As such, our program is specifically designed for ECE centres, ensuring that we focus on meeting the needs of teachers and bringing learning to life in the classroom.
Founded by Matt Robinson, a Michelin-trained chef 👨🏻🍳 who fuelled his passion for food cooking internationally before returning to Aotearoa to re-train as a teacher, spending the next seven years in the classroom.
Following this, he launched EATucation to spread his love of Food Education nationwide.
Matt believes creating the change we want to see in the world begins with ensuring the future of tomorrow is cared for and considered today.
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