Culture Celebration Day ideas for OSHC
59 DIY activities for a culture celebration day at before and after school care or vacation care, usually run around 5 May (Cinco de Mayo) or any time or Australia Day (26 January) or any time. Pick and mix, or build a balanced day in one click.
Around the World Race
Teams race through country-themed challenge stations, completing a task at each one to learn a little about different places.
Around the World Day · Japan Day · Lunar New Year +3Asian Cultures Food and Fun
Children try simple dishes, music and games from several Asian countries across one day, celebrating diversity in a hands-on way.
Taco Fiesta Day · Cooking Day · Junior Chef Challenge +2Build Your Own Tacos
Children choose fillings and assemble their own tacos, practising food skills and trying new flavours.
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.
Japan Day · Children's Week · Kite Day +2Carp Windsocks
Children make colourful paper fish windsocks inspired by a Japanese tradition for Children's Day.
Christmas · Around the World Day · Culture Celebration Day +2Christmas Around the World
Children visit stations that show how different countries celebrate, each with a custom, a game and a small taste.
Diwali · Clay and Pottery Day · Culture Celebration Day +1Clay Diya Lamps
Children shape small lamp bowls from air-dry clay and paint them in bright colours, learning about the Festival of Lights.
Diwali · Cooking Day · Culture Celebration Day +1Coconut Ladoo Balls
Children mix and roll simple no-cook coconut sweets inspired by Diwali treats, then share them together.
NAIDOC Week · Reconciliation Week · Art Attack Day +1Collaborative NAIDOC Mural
Children design and paint a group mural responding to the year's NAIDOC theme, after learning what the theme means.
Around the World Day · Harmony Day · Culture Celebration Day +2Country Food Tasting Table
Children sample small tastes of simple foods from different countries and share what they notice about flavours, textures and origins.
Around the World Day · Culture Celebration Day · Harmony Day +3Country of the Day Stations
Children rotate through stations to cook a simple dish, draw the flag and design an outfit inspired by the country of the day while its music plays.
Ramadan and Eid · Culture Celebration Day · Full Moon Night +1Crescent Moon Lanterns
Children make card lanterns with moon and star cut-outs and coloured cellophane. A glowing craft for Ramadan and Eid.
Culture Celebration Day · Harmony Day · Around the World Day +1Cultural Dress Day
Children are invited to wear clothing that reflects their family's culture and share what it means to them, if they wish.
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.
Around the World Day · Music and Dance Day · K-Pop Dance Party +3Dances From Around the World
Children try short dance and drumming styles from different parts of the world, comparing rhythms and moves and finding their favourites.
Culture Celebration Day · Harmony Day · Children's Week +2Diversity Bunting
Each child decorates a bunting flag about themselves, their family or culture, then all flags are strung together.
Lunar New Year · Culture Celebration Day · Harmony Day +2Dragon Dance Parade
Groups move under a fabric dragon to drum beats, learning about a Lunar New Year tradition.
Lunar New Year · Cooking Day · Junior Chef Challenge +2Dumpling Folding
Children fold simple dumplings using ready-made wrappers and a filling, learning a Lunar New Year food tradition.
Ramadan and Eid · Culture Celebration Day · Harmony Day +1Eid Greeting Cards
Children design patterned greeting cards to share Eid wishes with families. A respectful way to celebrate a community festival.
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.
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.
National Families Week · Grandparents Day · Culture Celebration Day +2Family Tree Art
Children draw and decorate their family tree with names, drawings and photos of the people who matter to them.
Around the World Day · Harmony Day · Culture Celebration Day +2Flag Design and Symbols
Children explore what the colours and symbols on flags mean, then design their own flag that represents something about themselves.
Ramadan and Eid · Art Through the Ages · Culture Celebration Day +1Geometric Pattern Art
Children use rulers and compasses to explore the repeating geometric patterns found in Islamic art. Maths meets art.
Around the World Day · Harmony Day · Culture Celebration Day +2Hello in Many Languages
Children learn to say hello in the languages spoken by families at the service, creating a welcome chart that celebrates everyone.
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.
Holi · Colour Fun Run · Culture Celebration Day +2Holi Colour Throw
Children gently toss coloured cornflour outdoors, inspired by the festival of colours, then talk about how Holi is celebrated.
Holi · Rainbow Day · Culture Celebration Day +1Holi Handprint Banner
Children create a bright group banner with colourful handprints to celebrate the festival of colours.
Around the World Day · Diwali · Music and Dance Day +3Indian Film-Style Dance Routine
Children learn a simple high-energy Indian film-style dance routine with bright scarves, building rhythm, coordination and confidence.
Torres Strait Islander Culture · NAIDOC Week · Cooking Day +1Island Scones and Coconut Pumpkin
Children help cook simple Island-style dishes, such as scones and pumpkin in coconut milk, ideally guided by a Torres Strait Islander community member or resource.
National Families Week · Around the World Day · Culture Celebration Day +1Letters to Family Overseas
Children write or draw letters for relatives living overseas, which families can post home.
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.
Around the World Day · Holidays and Travel Week · Harmony Day +1Make Your Own Passport
Children make their own passports and collect a stamp at each country station, building excitement for a travel-themed day.
Around the World Day · Taco Fiesta Day · Culture Celebration Day +2Mexican Fiesta Day
Children enjoy a day of Mexican music, simple tacos and nachos, shaker making and a piñata, learning about Mexican celebrations along the way.
Taco Fiesta Day · Music and Dance Day · Around the World Day +2Mexican Music and Dance
Children listen and dance to traditional Mexican music, learning a few simple steps and clapping rhythms.
Mooncake Festival · Puppet Day · Culture Celebration Day +1Moon Legend Shadow Puppets
Children retell a well-known Mid-Autumn legend about the moon using card shadow puppets and a torch.
National Families Week · Harmony Day · Culture Celebration Day +1My Family Is Wall
Children finish the sentence 'My family is...' and display their words with family photos or drawings on a shared wall.
Games Carnival Day · Athletics Carnival · Around the World Day +2Opening Ceremony Parade
Teams pick a country, design a flag and march in a parade with a cardboard torch. Sets the scene for a games carnival with plenty of colour.
Games Carnival Day · Athletics Carnival · Around the World Day +2OSHC Games Carnival
Teams each represent a country and compete in relays, long jump and silly events, with medals for everyone at the end. A whole-day event full of team spirit.
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.
Taco Fiesta Day · Paper Crafts Day · Culture Celebration Day +2Papel Picado Banners
Older children fold and cut tissue paper into lacy Mexican-style banners to hang across the room.
Lunar New Year · Mythical Creatures · Paper Crafts Day +2Paper Dragon Stick Puppets
Children concertina-fold paper into a long dragon body, add a head and tail, then mount it on sticks to make it dance for the new year.
Mooncake Festival · Lunar New Year · Paper Crafts Day +2Paper Lanterns
Children fold and cut coloured paper into lanterns to hang around the room for a festival display.
Around the World Day · Culture Celebration Day · Paper Crafts Day +2Paper Tulips and Windmills
Children make paper tulips and spinning paper windmills, ideally guided by families with Dutch heritage, learning about the Netherlands.
Around the World Day · Holidays and Travel Week · Culture Celebration Day +1Passport Stamp Collection
Children carry a homemade passport around country activities and earn a stamp for each one, encouraging them to try every experience.
Around the World Day · Harmony Day · Games Day +2Playground Games From Many Countries
Children learn and play traditional games from other countries, such as stone-counting board games and team tag games, and compare them with games they know.
Taco Fiesta Day · Birthday for Everyone Day · Culture Celebration Day +1Pull-String Paper Bag Piñata
Children decorate a paper bag piñata with crepe streamers, then take turns pulling strings until it opens and treats tumble out.
Diwali · Chalk Festival · Culture Celebration Day +1Rangoli Patterns
Children create bright, symmetrical floor patterns with coloured rice or chalk, inspired by Diwali rangoli designs.
Lunar New Year · Paper Crafts Day · Culture Celebration Day +1Red Envelope Making
Children fold and decorate red envelopes and write good-luck wishes inside, learning about the custom of giving red envelopes at Lunar New Year.
Ramadan and Eid · Culture Celebration Day · Around the World Day +1Shared Eid Tasting
Children taste dates and simple dishes shared during Eid celebrations. A respectful introduction to food and culture.
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.
Mooncake Festival · Cooking Day · Culture Celebration Day +1Simple Mooncake Making
Children press a simple dough and sweet filling into moulds to make mooncakes inspired by the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Christmas · Around the World Day · Culture Celebration Day +1Spanish Celebration Day
Children learn how Spain celebrates the festive season, share tapas-style foods for lunch and help make churros with educators.
Diwali · Book Week · Culture Celebration Day +1Story of Light
Children listen to a story about Diwali and talk about what light over darkness and good over bad mean to them.
Soccer Cup Day · Around the World Day · Culture Celebration Day +1Team Flag Face Painting
Children design and paint team flags or colours on their cheeks or hands to support teams in a soccer tournament.
Taco Fiesta Day · Craft Day · Paper Crafts Day +2Tissue Paper Fiesta Flowers
Children make big, bright tissue paper flowers to decorate the room for a fiesta celebration.
National Families Week · Harmony Day · Around the World Day +1Where Our Families Come From
Children mark the countries their families come from on a shared world map, then share a fact or story about each place.
Culture Celebration Day · Harmony Day · Around the World Day +1World Foods Tasting
Children taste simple foods from different cultures, ideally ones shared by local families, and talk about where they come from.
Lunar New Year · Animal Theme · Culture Celebration DayZodiac Animal Discovery
Children find their zodiac animal from their birth year, read about its traditional traits and compare animals with friends.