National Children’s Day 2024: Strong in Culture, Stronger Together
The 2024 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day theme Strong in Culture, Stronger Together elevates the intention of Children’s Day, focusing on the strength of our children that comes from their connection to culture and mob.
This year we stand with our children, proud of their culture, stories, kin and community – all that makes our children special, resilient and the bright leaders of our future. We hope that this year’s Children’s Day theme empowers our children, making them feel proud of who they are and where they come from. Showing them that their culture is one of the most sacred, strong and important assets that they can have.
If our children are strong in culture, then they are strong in their identity, and this is important for future generations to come.
Children’s Day 2024 falls on a Sunday. We are encouraging services and centres to hold their Children’s Day events on Friday, 2 August. 4 August will still be marked and recognised as the date for Children’s Day, however, we encourage celebrations to happen on a weekday to be inclusive of children, early years services and schools.
Register your event to showcase your celebrations and keep up to date with news and any resources.
Register your Children's Day eventWhat is Children's Day?
National Children’s Day gives all Australians the opportunity to show their support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and learn about the crucial impact that culture, family and community play in the life of every child.
What is Children’s Day?Celebrate the day
Each year, hundreds of early years and childhood education centres around Australia host events to celebrate the day. Your event could happen at your workplace, school or kindergarten or in partnership with a local Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander organisation or community.
Celebrate Children’s Day
Register your event
Organising an event for your mob?
This year’s Children’s Day falls on a Sunday. We are encouraging services and centres to hold their events on Friday 2 August. Register your event to showcase your celebrations and keep up to date with news and any resources.
Children's Day 2024 book: Wamparla Apiṟa
The Indigenous Literacy Foundation has generously donated Thanthi Syd Strangways’ book, Wamparla Apiṟa, Possums and Tall Trees, illustrated by Kathy Arbon, for this year’s Children’s Day bags.
Arabana Elder Thanthi Syd Strangways tells the fascinating story of Wampala Apiṟa, Possums and Tall Trees, in both Arabana and English, with beautiful illustrations by Kathy Arbon. In the book, it is described how people climb apiṟa (tall trees) to hunt wamparla (possums) for clothing and food. Thanthi Syd writes that hunting is not permitted everywhere by elders, describing that in an area called Yarripulanha, there are few possums and they are considered sacred. When Thanti Syd was a child, they would camp and go possum hunting for food and clothing with their grandparent and other Arabana tribespeople.
The book is a valuable addition to the Arabana peoples of northern South Australia and their Wangka (language) resources. Thanthi Syd Strangeways and Kathy Arbon are of the Arabana peoples from South Australia. Wamparla Apiṟa is Thanthi’s first book, Kathy created the book Can You Dance? with Sally Morgan.
The Indigenous Literacy Foundation and SNAICC continue to work together to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children by providing access to cultural resources and literature. We would like to thank the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, we enjoy working together every year to bring Aboriginal languages to children across the country.
Indigenous Literacy Foundation: Wamparla ApiṟaLEGO is returning for Children's Day 2024!
LEGO will be supporting National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day 2024.
LEGO has donated LEGO DUPLO sets for the 2024 Children’s Day bags that are designed to encourage children’s love of play and learning. For toddlers 18 months and older, the large, easy-to-handle building bricks allow children to develop their fine motor skills and learn through play.
LEGO will also be joining us at SNAICC’s 2024 event. Last year, we celebrated at Karnte Camp in Mpwarnte/Alice Springs, with the support of LEGO and Tangentyere Council. Stay tuned to see where SNAICC will be heading this year.
Check out our video as we celebrated our children’s culture from the heart of the country!
Information on this year’s Children’s Day bags
We are excited to be providing 20,000 Children’s Day bags to communities!
We’ve heard our communities and we are very excited to be able to increase the bags we produce each year so that you don’t miss out!
The Children’s Day bags are filled with activities, games and resources to help preschoolers, or children between the ages of three and five, develop a love of learning and play. We will start accepting orders for the bags in May, with delivery planned for June 2024. Due to high demand, pre-orders will be made available to SNAICC Members before being made available to all other supporters.
We will send more information out in May, so keep an eye out and be sure to sign up to our mailing list below.
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