The Picton Kindergarten float for the town’s Christmas parade doesn’t happen overnight … it takes weeks to pull together.

And this year, the theme of their float is based around a book and song in te reo Māori which counts down the number of sleeps until Santa comes.

It’s something 4-year-old Finley Thomson is looking forward to, as well as seeing Santa and looking at all the decorated trees.

The kindergarten is one of the floats that Picton Christmas Parade organiser Beryl Bowers said always participated.

Picton Kindergarten teacher Amee Hall said participating in the parade was something the children, and parents, looked forward to every year.

Read the full story here.