Celebrations and National Events

Reflecting NZ’s bicultural early childhood curriculum, Waitangi Day is an important day to discuss and mark with children. It is central to our country’s history

Happy New Year: 新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè) It is time to welcome in the year of the rabbit. In 2022 it was the year of the tiger. Now it is year of the rabbit. Rabbits are believed to be vigilant, witty, quick-minded, […]

Birthday cakes. Birthdays are a very exciting time for children in early childhood and it is important that children can celebrate these special occasions with their peers to acknowledge and appreciate this day with them. We can probably all remember […]

Mother’s Day – Father’s Day mean different things to different children and families. Essentially it is a celebration of the special person in a child’s life. It can be broadened to be a ‘Special Person’ day – celebrating the female […]

In the commercial world we live in it is easy to forget that sometimes the best presents or gifts for children do not cost a lot of money.  The 5 Best “I Love You” and “You are Special” Gifts An […]

When planning a children’s birthday party at your centre or home the first things to consider are: The birthday child’s age and developmental abilities so that the party games, food (etc) are appropriate.The child’s personal likes and interests (e.g. you […]

When its time to start preparing for Christmas you will need the information and ideas provided here. Easey peasey Christmas presents for children to make for family and friendsArt and craft activities Children’s Christmas games to playDiscussion on answering children’s difficult […]

What can you do to celebrate Guy Fawkes at your early childhood centre or home? Today the history of Guy Fawkes is often forgotten about and it is simply viewed as fire-works time.  With very young children, sparklers are popular. […]

Young Children’s Halloween Activities. Halloween is one of the oldest celebrations dating back almost 2000 years. It has caught on in NZ and Australia and many countries outside of the USA.   Children will talk about it and ask questions […]

Involving young children in rugby. Rugby is part of NZ’s national culture. The Rugby World Cup is a sporting event that annually captures our whole nation’s interest. Rugby Player Dispositions and Attributes, and Te Whāriki See another article on how-to […]

Diwali Early Childhood Education Children’s Activities. By Karen Miller. Celebrating Diwali or Deepavali, the Indian Festival of Lights is a fun way to bring Indian music and culture into your early childhood service and strengthen links with the Indian diaspora […]

“World Teachers’ Day is a chance to acknowledge the dedication and fabulous work of teachers. World Teachers’ Day has been held annually in October since 1994 and commemorates teachers at all levels of the education system and worldwide. UNESCO co-convenes […]

Matariki in Early Childhood Education. This article presents ideas and teaching and learning activities for marking this culturally important event in the curriculum of early childhood education centres and home-based services.  In late May or early June, a cluster of seven […]

Children’s Easter Activities. Here are lots of ideas for Easter activities and games in early childhood programmes, along with recipes for Easter eggs, hot cross buns, and Easter biscuits. First though are questions to consider around:  buying into the commercialisation of […]

Here is teaching and learning information about the meaning of ANZAC Day, along with early childhood activity ideas, and an easy recipe for making yummy Anzac biscuits with children. Anzac Day is marked officially on April 25th and commemorates Australians […]

World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) on 21st March is an opportunity for us to show our support for children with Down syndrome and help spread awareness and understanding in our organisations and communities. In New Zealand one or more babies […]

St Patrick’s Day with children. St Patricks Day is celebrated on 17th March each year.  It is a day that is celebrated by Irish people but has caught on among all nationalities around the world – including in New Zealand […]

Children’s Day in NZ is usually held on the first Sunday of March.  A number of countries have a similar special day for children on their events calendars. It is an opportunity for parents, grandparents and other family members to […]

Children’s Shrove Tuesday Activities. In modern times Shrove Tuesday is known best for being the day when you get to eat pancakes. However what is now often seen simply as a chance to eat a tasty dinner has long origins […]

Recognising Diverse Family Cultural and Religious Beliefs. Central to caring for and educating young children is support of family culture, values and beliefs.   But why are some family cultural and religious beliefs and celebrations recognised in an early childhood service […]