We Play, We Learn, We Belong!
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day is held every year on August 4. It's an opportunity for the whole community to celebrate our children and each year, mob from all over the Country host and attend events focused on kids, culture, family and Community.
Children’s Day is organised and promoted by the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC). SNAICC is the national organisation that provides a voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and promotes their rights, safety and wellbeing.
The Ambassador for the 2019 Children’s Day is Nanna from the show 'Little J and Big Cuz'. The show follows the lives of two Aboriginal children as they learn about their Culture, Community and Country through the guidance of their Nanna.
Children’s Day was first held 30 years ago in 1988. Part of the reason it was started was because there were many Aboriginal children in orphanages and institutions who did not know their birthday, so Children’s Day was set aside each year to celebrate the birthday of these children. The day was also needed to give Aboriginal children “confidence and make them feel special and included.” Over the years the day has grown, with more and more events such as morning teas, Community BBQs and other celebrations being held.
Every year, Children’s Day has a different theme – this year’s theme is We Play, We Learn, We Belong. SNAICC’s description of the theme is below:
In 2019, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day is celebrating the early years, and promoting the importance of early years education and care for our little ones. We recognise the critical role that family, community, country and culture play in their development. And we will continue to fight for better access to culturally appropriate early childhood education for our children through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations.
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Little J & Big Cuz activity sheet
We Play, We Learn, We Belong. Download and print this activity sheet for Colouring-in sheets, mazes, word searches and join-the-dot exercises. Print A3 double-sided.Download