Just ask nine-year-old Zac.

'The Tahatai Coast School Christmas on the Field is a great place to have fun and do cool activities with your friends," says Zac about the Christmas in the field at Tahatai Coast School.

The Weekend Sun ask the kids at Tahatai to entice locals along to the festive family oriented evening on the Papamoa schoolgrounds from 5pm to 8pm next Thursday night.

'I love the lolly jars and it's so much fun to do cool stuff with your friends,” says Lockie, aged 7.

Cool stuff like fairground rides, food stalls, student markets and gala type stalls, all against a backdrop of performances from the kids of Tahatai Coast School.

'You can buy things and you can go on things,” says six-year-old Lily. She also likes the bouncy castle and cotton candy. Twelve year old Alex likes the food and watching his little sister dance.

Sandra Davie of the school PPTA says there's a real buzz about the school leading up to Christmas on the Field. 'There will be a wide range of dinners and treat food options or all budgets.” There will also be face painting, colored hairspray, dunk-the-teacher, something called splat the rat, jolly jars and more.

Sandra says it's a great evening, won't break the budget and the whole wider community is invited.