Clearview Primary, Burnside Primary, Waitaha School, and Gilberthorpe School in Canterbury, as well as Balaclava Primary in Dunedin, are all closed today following the scare.
Burnside Primary School in Christchurch posted on Facebook at 7 pm last night, saying the school would be closed today. The school says the risk to staff and students is low, yet WorkSafe still advised the closure for testing.
Waitaha School in Rolleston also posted on Facebook, telling parents that the school will be closed today. Principal Bernie Mulcahy-Bouwman says the base school and satellite have been exposed to the sand. She says she's in the process of organising an asbestos clean.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has recalled four kinetic sand products sold in Kmart. The Ministry states that independent testing by the Faculty of Asbestos Management of Australia and New Zealand (FAMANZ) has detected tremolite asbestos in the 14-piece Sandcastle Building Set and the Blue, Green, and Pink Magic Sand sets.
The newest recall is part of a wider recall that started last Wednesday, involving similar products.
Twenty-three schools and preschools across Australia's Capital Territory and Queensland shut on Friday after a consumer watchdog detected traces of asbestos.
Consumer NZ spokesperson Jessica Walker says people should dispose the sand if they have it, not return it to where they bought it from.
"The advice is very strongly that these have got to be double bagged, maybe even triple bagged in thick plastic taped up.
"There are risks associated with the products, so do not take them into a public space."
She also says people will be eligible for a refund for the products if they have their receipt or can display a bank statement.
