National Families Week ideas for OSHC
17 DIY activities for a national families week at before and after school care or vacation care, usually run around May or 21 March. Pick and mix, or build a balanced day in one click.
Brick Build Family Vote
Children name and photograph their builds for a display board and families vote for favourites over two weeks.
Craft Day · National Families Week · Grandparents Day +1Button Families
Children glue buttons onto card to create families of characters, adding drawn details.
National Families Week · Clay and Pottery Day · Mother's Day +2Clay Family Figures
Children model their family members, pets or special people from playdough or clay to share who is important to them.
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.
Medieval Times · Knights and Fairies · Time Travellers Day +1Design a Coat of Arms
Children learn how shields showed who people were in medieval times, then design their own coat of arms with symbols that represent them.
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.
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.
Grandparents Day · National Families Week · Mother's Day +2Handprint Family Tree
Children make a tree using painted handprints as leaves, with each leaf naming a special person in their life.
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.
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.
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 Families Week · Paper Crafts Day · Friendship Day +1Paper Doll Family Chain
Children cut and decorate a folded paper-doll chain, with each figure representing a family member.
Show and Tell Day · National Families Week · Grandparents Day +1Special Item Sharing
Children bring a meaningful item from home and share its story with the group, building confidence and connection.
Mother's Day · Father's Day · Grandparents Day +1Special Person Interview Card
Children answer fun questions about their mum, carer or special person, creating a heartfelt card full of their own words.
Grandparents Day · Time Travellers Day · Games Day +2Then and Now Games
Children learn and play games from older generations, such as marbles and elastics, and compare them with games they play today.
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.