Children’s Day – Te Rā O Te Tamariki – provides New Zealanders with an opportunity to give time to children. It is a fun day for activities that start new traditions as well as continue old ones.
TREASURE OUR CHILDREN – This is the timeless theme of one year’s Children’s Day. So what does it mean to treasure a child? Children should feel..
- Loved
- Valued
- Safe
- Nurtured
- Respected
15 treasured Children’s Day ideas
1: Treasure your community. Go along to a special Children’s Day event. Check out some of the free community events in your region here.
2: Treasure the future. Talk to your family and friends about Children’s Day and share the message of treasuring children. What are your aspirations for your child?
3: Treasure the art of giving. Share the message of giving to others with your children. Collect up toys, books and clothing to donate to a children’s charity.
4: Treasure sharing. Do some baking with your children and take it to share with other young children or sell it in a home bake sale and donate the money to charity.
5: Treasure others. Make some cards for your child to give to their friends at playgroup or school using their own artwork or handprints. Add a note in with “You are a treasure because…”
6: Treasure nature. Plant a tree or rose bush for your baby and watch it grow with your child. It will be their own special tree.
7: Treasure new traditions. With your child, design a family crest that is just for your family. You could even print it on t-shirts or a table cloth.
8: Treasure literacy. Invite family to write letters to your child about what makes them a treasure. Read them together and then save them as a special keepsake.
9: Treasure memories. Take a family video on Children’s Day of how you celebrated the day and add another one each year.
10: Treasure life. What is more important than keeping our little treasures safe not only on Children’s Day but through the year. To keep your little treasure safe you could enrol in a first aid course, make up a survival kit and check all your smoke alarms. Practise a fire drill together.
11: Treasure creativity. Make a treasure box with your child by decorating a box with paint and glitter and then make this a special place for your child to keep safe what they treasure.
12: Treasure time together. One on one time with each child helps them to feel special. Take just one child on an outing with you. It doesn’t need to cost money it could be a walk around the duck pond followed by an ice cream or an afternoon at the beach.
13: Treasure fun! Be a superhero family. Choose a super hero trait each and make up your own costumes using whatever you have around the home or in the garden.
14: Treasure Te Reo Māori and share some waiata/songs or learn some phrases or words to use each day.
15: Treasure the right to be safe. Would you recognise the sometimes subtle signs of child abuse? Why not use Children’s Day as the inspiration to gain some more knowledge around recognising and responding to possible abuse. It’s not just teachers and early childhood professionals that need to be aware of what to look for, how to respond and where to get help, it is all of our responsibility. We all need to have our eyes open for children in our own wider family but also in our community.
There is no greater treasure than our children. Enjoy celebrating with your little treasures this Children’s Day and if you have photos that you would be happy to share, I would love to see them!
For more ideas, check out our Children’s Day article and 13 more ways to celebrate Children’s Day.
