NAIDOC Week is a time to come together and celebrate the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the First Nations of this land.
At Busy Bees, NAIDOC week is an opportunity for children to engage in meaningful, hands-on learning experiences that foster respect, curiosity, and cultural understanding through incursions and excursions taking place.
This year’s NAIDOC Week theme, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy, is a powerful reminder of the role all children play in shaping the future. How today’s children understand and incorporate Australia’s complex and long history into their lives and education will have a profound effect on the way the stories, contributions and wisdom of our First Nations people are honoured into the future.
Below are some ideas on ways some of our Centres are supporting and celebrating this year’s NAIDOC week theme, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.
Recipes and Activities to Inspire Connection
🧠 Learning through Culture & Storytelling
Children can enjoy Dreaming stories like “Tiddalik the Frog” or “How the Birds Got Their Colours”, join in yarning circles, and even connect with local Elders or Indigenous educators where possible.
🎨 Create With Heart
From painting using natural materials to exploring the meanings behind the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags, our creative play ideas help children express themselves while learning about culture in respectful and age-appropriate ways.
🎵 Move, Dance, and Listen
We’ve included rhythm and movement activities featuring music from proud Indigenous artists, because celebrating culture is also about joy, rhythm, and connection.
- The ABC is the official Broadcast and Education Partner of National NAIDOC Week. NAIDOC Week resources for Early Childhood Education can be accessed via ABC Kids here.
🌿 Connecting with Country
NAIDOC Week is a great time to talk about how our First Nations People care for Country. Outdoor nature walks, collage activities, and small acts of environmental care help children form a lifelong bond with the land around them. If this is something you are also keen to learn about, public community members can respectfully get in touch with their local land council committees and community Elders to find out more about how our First Nations communities have cared for the land over generations.
- The National NAIDOC Committee has compiled a wonderful resource of Local NAIDOC Committees available on their website here.
🧁 Cooking with Native flavours
This year, we’ve introduced a series of family-friendly recipes that hero native Australian ingredients. While we’re keeping our recipe range small, these recipes are designed to bring people together through food and stories, while encouraging us to experience new flavours. There are some great books by wonderful indigenous chefs and authors who can steer you towards kitchen goodness, so be brave and try some of the flavours that have been delighting tastebuds in one of the world’s oldest cultures for generations!
Cook up a sensation with our delicious recipes for:
We know that introducing culture through food, play, and interactive learning can spark beautiful questions and conversations, and that is where real understanding, empathy and connection begins.
Check back soon for our NAIDOC Week wrap up where we’ll share some of the activities our Centres tried and tested!
Find out more about NAIDOC Week and how you can get involved on the official website www.naidoc.org.au
