Around two-thirds of schools and kura in Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti re-opened today for the first time since Cyclone Gabrielle.
But around 50 remain closed and face uncertain futures after suffering heavy damage in the storm.
Children in Esk Valley, Hawke's Bay, enjoyed a day full of laughter after a harrowing time last week.
The parent of a student at Eskdale, Suzy Gasson-Guilford, said the community needed a break.
"The kids have been doing really well, they've been so brave and we couldn't be prouder of them and we wanted to do something like this for them so they could have a treat."
However, the stress of the last week isn't far from the surface.
Jayde Demanser said the community is the thing getting everyone through.
"We lost our house but we got out. There are people in a much worse predicament than us," she said.
"The general community has suffered a lot and we're feeling it, I'm feeling it."
Eskdale School is still closed due to having no power and water, and a playground covered in thick, muddy silt.
Principal Tristan Cheer said alternative locations are being explored so the community can get back together quickly.
"It's heart-breaking thinking the Esk River made it all the way up to the school. This time last week we had people scrambling off boats into the school for safety," he said.
"The repairs start tomorrow so hopefully it's sooner rather than later but there's some pretty big infrastructure that needs to be right before we can have children back on site.
"I know of a number of children who've been rescued off roofs with the river coming through their house — they've lost their house. Other children have been scrambling over fences to try and reach safety so when we do go back, we've got some challenges in helping these children cope well."
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