Awareness days/weeks to celebrate in ECE
Celebrating awareness days/weeks at your ECE service can be lots of fun. You can raise awareness of different topics. You can also use it as a conversation starter when talking to children about various subjects and concepts.
Are there any particular awareness days you would like to see here? Which days do you celebrate at your ECE service? Let us know what you think we should add.
Te Whāriki
Celebrating awareness days supports the 'belonging strand' of Te Whāriki. In particular it supports these two goals:
- Goal 1: Children and their families experience an environment where they can affirm and extend connecting links with the family and the wider world.
- Goal 3: Children and their families experience an environment where they feel comfortable with the routines, customs and regular events.
February
- World Wetlands Day
Saturday 2 February 2019 - Chinese New Year
Tuesday 5 February 2019
Check for celebrations in your area - Waitangi Day
Wednesday 6 February 2019
Check for celebrations in your area - International Day of Women and Girls in Science (external link)
Monday 11 February 2019 - International Mother Language Day (external link)
Thursday 21 February 2019
March
- NZ Sea Week (external link)
2 - 10 March 2019 - World Wildlife Day (external link)
Sunday 3 March 2019 - Te Rā O Te Tamariki - Children's day (external link)
Sunday 3 March 2019 - International Women's Day (external link)
Friday 8 March 2019 - World Down Syndrome Day (external link)
Thursday 21 March 2019 - World Poetry Day (external link)
Thursday 21 March 2019 - World Meteorological Day (external link)
Saturday 23 March 2019
April
- Whio Awareness Month (external link)
- World Autism Awareness Day (external link)
Tuesday 2 April 2019 - World Health Day (external link)
Sunday 7 April 2019 - Easter
Friday 19 April - Monday 22 April 2019 - Earth day (external link)
Monday 22 April 2019 - ANZAC Day
Thursday 25 April 2019
Check for remembrance events in your area - World Day for Safety and Health at Work (external link)
Sunday 28 April 2019
May
- NZ Music Month (external link)
- NZ Sign Language Week (external link)
Monday 6 May - Sunday 12 May 2019 - Mother's Day
Sunday 12 May 2019 - International Day of Families (external link)
Wednesday 15 May 2019 - Pink Shirt Day - Speak up. Stand together. Stop bullying (external link)
Friday 17 May 2019 - Samoan Language Week (external link)
Sunday 26 May – Saturday 1 June 2019
June
- Queen's Birthday
Monday 3 June 2019 - Eid al-Fitr
Tuesday 4 June - Wednesday 5 June 2019
Check for celebrations in your area - Arbor Day (external link)
Wednesday 5 June 2019 - World Environment Day (external link)
Wednesday 5 June 2019 - World Oceans Day (external link)
Saturday 8 June 2019 - Matariki
Monday 10 June 2019
Te Papa offers a range of matariki education resources (external link) - Global wind day (external link)
Saturday 15 June 2019
July
- Teddy Bear Picnic Day
Wednesday 10 July 2019 - World Population Day (external link)
Thursday 11 July 2019 - International Day of Friendship (external link)
Tuesday 30 July 2019
August
- Cook Island Language week
Sunday 4 August – Saturday 10 August 2019 - Eid al-Adha
Sunday 11 August - Thursday 15 August 2019
Check for celebrations in your area
September
- Father's Day
Sunday 1 September 2019 -
Tongan Language Week (external link)
Sunday 1 September – Saturday 7 September 2019 -
Te Wiki O Te Reo Māori - Māori Language Week
Monday 9 September - Sunday 15 September 2019
(external link) - International Literacy Day (external link)
Sunday 8 September 2019 - Conservation Week (external link)
14-22 September 2019 - International Day of Peace (external link)
Saturday 21 September 2019 - Tuvaluan Language Week (external link)
Sunday 29 September – Saturday 5 October 2019 - Chinese Language Week (external link)
Sunday 22 September - Saturday 28 September 2019 - Loud Shirt Day (external link)
Friday 27 September 2019
October
- Tuvaluan Language Week (external link)
Sunday 29 September – Saturday 5 October 2019 - World Teachers' Day (external link)
Saturday 5 October 2019 - Fijian Language Week (external link)
Sunday 6 October – Saturday 12 October 2019 - Niuean Language Week (external link)
Sunday 13 October – Saturday 19 October 2019 - Tokelauan Language Week (external link)
Sunday 27 October – Saturday 2 November 2019 - Diwali (external link)
Sunday 27 October 2019
Check for celebrations in your area
November
- World Kindness Day
(external link) Wednesday 13 November 2019 - Universal Children's Day (external link)
Wednesday 20 November 2019
December
- International Mountain Day (external link)
Wednesday 11 December 2019 - Christmas Day
Wednesday 25 December 2019
These are suggestions only, you can always reach out to your families and whānau to find out what other days might be good to celebrate.
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