What is World Chocolate Day?

World Chocolate Days, also know as International Chocolate Day, is an annual observance that occurs globally every year.  Celebration of the day includes the consumption of chocolate. 

When is World Chocolate Day?

Friday, 7 of July

Activities: 

• Making chocolate playdough (with brown food colour).
• Make a chocolate cake/chocolate cookies to take home and share with the family.
• Learn and watch documentaries on how chocolate is made.
• Discuss how chocolate is a sometimes food and some children are allergic to chocolate due to certain ingredients used

Important Notice: The National NAIDOC Committee has decided to postpone NAIDOC Week 2020 (5 July - 12 July) in the interest of safety for our communities as a result of COVID-19.  A new date, toward the end of the year, is expected but not yet finalised. 

What is NAIDOC Week?  

NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life. The week is a great opportunity to participate in a range of activities and to support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

NAIDOC originally stood for ‘National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’. This committee was once responsible for organising national activities during NAIDOC Week and its acronym has since become the name of the week itself. Find out more about the origins and history of NAIDOC Week.

Local community celebrations during NAIDOC Week are encouraged and often organised by communities, government agencies, local councils, schools and workplaces.

When is NAIDOC Week?

2th to 9th August

Activities:

• Display the National NAIDOC Poster or other Indigenous posters around your classroom or workplace.
• Start your own hall of fame featuring Indigenous role models.
• Listen to Indigenous musicians or watch a movie about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history.
• Particpate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and crafts.
• Research Indigenous history online or visit you library to find books about Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples.
• Intentional teaching - Learning the meanings of local or national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander place names and words.
• Invite local Indigenous Elders to speak or give a Welcome to Country at your service.
• Invite an Indigenous sportsperson or artist to visit you.
• Incursion for the children to participate and learna about Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander history, culture and dances 
• Indigenous Inspired Story Stones - children looking for stones in the garden and creating their own stories

For further activity ideas for NAIDOC Week, click on the following link: https://www.cleverpatch.com.au/ideas/by-occasion/naidoc-week

Click on the follow link to view logos and banners to help you on your way!

What is USA Independence Day?

The USA Independence Day celebrates the day the Declaration of Independence which declared the United States as an independent country and no longer under the rule of Great Britain. This day is a national federal holiday in the United States and celebrated within communities around the whole country. Celebration can includes flying the US flag and wearing red, white, and blue. Many bands play patriotic songs like The Star Spangled Banner, America the Beautiful, and God Bless America.

Other ways to celebrate include parades, baseball games, musical concerts, and outdoor picnics. This celebration is in the middle of summer and many of the celebration take place outdoors.

When is USA Independence Day?

Tuesday, 4th July

Activities: 

• Dress up in colours of the USA flag for the day
• Firework Painting (infant rooms)
• Turn white daisies red and blue
• Create fireworks with peppermints
• Experiment with homemade straw rockets
• Practice patterning and fine motor skills by beading red, blue and white bracelets
• Grab red, white and blue bowls and set up a competitive bean bag toss
• Turn a milk carton and string into a festive button spinner
• Plan and have your own USA Independence parade with the children getting dressed up in the colours of the American flag, having a picnic and hosting americal games for the children to experience. 
• Intentional Teaching; learning about America, the states and much more.

For further activities ideas, click on the following link; https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/4th-of-july-activities/

What is National Refugee Week?

Refugee Week is held in Australia each year to raise awareness about the issues affecting refugees and celebrates the contributions made by the refugees to our society.

When is National Refugee Week?

Sunday 18 June to Saturday 24 June

Teaching Lessons:

• Learning What does ‘refugee’ mean? How is being a refugee different from being a migrant?
• Why Do Refugees Leave Their Own Country?
• Reading books about Refugee: The Little Refugee Written by Anh Do & Suzanne Do Illustrated by Glen Whatley - https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-little-refugee-anh-do/book/9781742378329.html
• Discussing and learning about life in a refugee camp - Four Feet, Two Sandals by Karen Lynn Williams & Khadra Mohammed Illustrated by Doug Chayka - https://www.bookdepository.com/Four-Feet-Two-Sandals-Karen-Lynn-Williams/9780802852960 
• What it’s Like to be Newly Settled in a new country - discuss how they would of felt and adjusted to their new living in different country and community and what they did to contribute to their community.
• World Refugee Day PowerPoint Presentation - https://www.teachstarter.com/au/blog/world-refugee-day-activities/

The video of the Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) NSW Network meeting held on 16 April 2020 is as follows:

The corresponding slides for the above Network Meeting are here.

PUBLISHED: 16 APRIL 2020