All About Australia Day ideas for OSHC
28 DIY activities for All About Australia Day at before and after school care or vacation care. Pick and mix, or build a balanced day in one click.
Adapted Animal Inventions
Children choose an Australian habitat such as desert, reef, alpine or rainforest, then invent and draw a new animal with features that would help it survive there.
World Wildlife Day · All About Australia Day · Dramatic Play Day +3Aussie Wildlife Charades Relay
Teams race to guess Australian animals acted out by a teammate, from echidnas and emus to frill-necked lizards and dugongs, with no words or sounds allowed.
All About Australia Day · Aussie Outback Day · Cricket Day +2Australia Day Activity Mix
A relaxed program of Australian animal crafts, a damper-making session and backyard cricket gives children a hands-on day about life in Australia.
Book Week · All About Australia Day · Long Projects DayAustralian Author Study Corner
Children explore several books by one Australian author, spotting patterns in their characters, settings and style, then write a group letter about what they discovered.
All About Australia Day · NAIDOC Week · Cooking Day +1Bush Foods Tasting Table
Children taste and smell native Australian foods like lemon myrtle, wattleseed and finger lime, and learn where they grow and who has known them longest.
Aussie Outback Day · Country Day · Down on the Farm +2Cattle Station Skills Day
The service becomes a pretend cattle station, with lasso throwing, cotton wool sheep shearing and a line dancing finale.
Harmony Day · Culture Celebration Day · Around the World Day +3Cultural Music and Dance
Children learn a simple dance from another culture, ideally guided by a family or community member who shares that tradition.
Camp Out Day · Aussie Outback Day · All About Australia Day +2Damper Making
Children mix a simple damper dough and bake it, learning a classic Australian bush bread recipe.
All About Australia Day · Reconciliation Week · NAIDOC WeekDifferent Views of 26 January
An optional, educator-led talk for older children about why 26 January means different things to different Australians, ending with ideas for a fair and welcoming Australia.
Harmony Day · Culture Celebration Day · Friendship Day +3Everyone Belongs Mural
Children add pictures, words and symbols about themselves and their backgrounds to a shared mural celebrating everyone in the group.
All About Australia Day · Birthday for Everyone Day · Cooking Day +2Fairy Bread Making
Children butter bread and shake on colourful sprinkles to make a classic Australian party treat, practising simple food preparation skills.
Harmony Day · Culture Celebration Day · Show and Tell Day +3Family Culture Show and Tell
Children bring an object, photo or story from home that reflects their family's culture and share it with the group.
NAIDOC Week · Reconciliation Week · Games Day +3First Nations Children's Games
Children play games from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures using official sport resources, learning the story behind each game.
Mabo Day · Torres Strait Islander Culture · Reconciliation Week +2Giant Chalk Torres Strait Map
Children chalk a giant map of Cape York and the Torres Strait islands on the playground, find Mer, then play a fast island-finding game across it.
All About Australia Day · Harmony Day · Culture Celebration Day +1Hello in Many Languages Wall
Children collect greetings from the languages spoken in their families and community, then build a colourful welcome wall for the entrance.
All About Australia Day · Animal Theme · Aussie Outback Day +3Kangaroo and Koala Masks
Younger children paint and decorate paper plate masks of kangaroos or koalas, talking about the features of each native animal.
States Day · All About Australia Day · Holidays and Travel Week +1Landmark Models
Children choose a famous Australian landmark and build a model using blocks, recyclables or building bricks.
All About Australia Day · NAIDOC Week · Reconciliation Week +1Local Elder Visit: Bush Foods
A local Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community member visits to share stories of Country and the bush foods that grow in your area, in their own words.
All About Australia Day · Harmony Day · Culture Celebration Day +2Our Families' Australia Map
Children mark where their families come from on a world map and link each place to Australia with string, showing how many cultures make up the group.
National Simultaneous Storytime · Book Week · All About Australia DayOur Own Simultaneous Read
Because the official reading happens during the school day, the service holds its own simultaneous read after school, with every room reading this year's book at the same moment.
States Day · All About Australia Day · Farm to Table Day +2Regional Food Tasting Stations
Children taste foods grown or made in different Australian regions and talk about where food comes from.
All About Australia Day · States Day · Aussie Outback Day +1Regions of Australia Passport
Children travel around stations for different Australian regions, from tropical rainforest and reef to desert, high country and cities, collecting a stamp at each.
All About Australia Day · Cricket Day · Summer Holidays +2Relaxed Backyard Cricket
A casual, inclusive game of cricket with friendly rules so everyone gets a bat, a bowl and a laugh.
Cooking Day · All About Australia Day · Junior Chef Challenge +1Savoury Scrolls
Children roll puff pastry with a yeast spread or pizza sauce and cheese, then slice and bake.
All About Australia Day · Harmony Day · Culture Celebration Day +2Shared Plate Culture Picnic
Children help prepare a few simple dishes from cultures in their families and community, then share them on a picnic rug together.
All About Australia Day · Aussie Outback Day · Summer Holidays +3Thong Throwing Contest
Children fling rubber thongs for distance in a classic Aussie backyard contest that is silly, active and easy to set up.
World Turtle Day · Around the World Day · World Oceans Day +2Turtle Migration Map
Children plot the long journeys sea turtles make between Australian nesting beaches and feeding grounds on a big map, measuring distances and imagining the trip.
All About Australia Day · NAIDOC Week · Reconciliation WeekWhose Country Are We On?
Children find the Traditional Owners of the land your service is on, learn their name for Country and help write the service's own Acknowledgement of Country.