2023 CALENDAR FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD

Australian 16-29 22-29 Australia Day 26 Yabun

Open

Australia Day acknowledges Yabun festival is a

Lunar /
JANUARY

and celebrates the contribution gathering and

The Australian Open that every Australian makes to recognition of
is an annual tennis
tournament held in
Chinese our contemporary and dynamic
nation.
Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander cultures
Melbourne. New Year in Australia. The event
Play a classic family activity like honours the survival of
Celebrate and learn about backyard cricket. Keep it simple the world’s oldest living
Tennis uses a movement
Chinese New Year and safe, children can make culture.
similar to the skill of
with 2023 being the year of their own bats with rolled-up

striking. Check out the Bats

the Rabbit. Engage in some
and Balls game to help
cooking experiences with the
children practise this skill.
children.
paper or use pool noodles. Play a traditional
Indigenous game from
the Yulunga resource.

Valentine’s Day
FEB

14 Have the children brainstorm red fruit and vegies. Once completed, have a red platter taste-testing session with the children.

Clean Up 5 17 20 24 6-31
Australia Day St Patrick's Day World Oral National Vegie Month
Clean Up Australia inspires
communities to clean up, fix up The day commemorates Saint Health Day Ride to Vegie Month is a
Patrick as well as celebrating the time to explore and
and conserve our environment.
heritage and culture of the Irish. World Oral Health Day is about the School celebrate all
Encourage families to pack a
Serve green fresh foods on your
importance of good oral hygiene.
Day things
vegetables
waste-free lunchbox today by
Use the Munch & Move food and Encourage
sharing this resource with menu. Green fruit skewers, green with the
sugar cards to discuss the amount families to walk or
families via social media/ grape caterpillars, pea soup, green children at
of sugar in our foods and how this ride to preschool
MARCH

email/ newsletter. veg dippers and green smoothies. your service.

affects our teeth. this week, or
include some bike
skills in their
13-19 Close the 16 World Sleep Day Harmony Week outdoor play.
30
Gap Day World Sleep Day promotes the Harmony Week celebrates You can register
World Salt importance of sleep for health the integration of migrants your service to be Big Vegie
Close the Gap Day
Awareness calls on people to take
and wellbeing. into our community.

a part of the day.

Crunch
Week action towards Share one of these images to Ask families to share a Join thousands of
Indigenous health communicate the importance of recipe or a plate of food
Encourage children across NSW for
equality. sleep for children and adults. from their culture. Explore
families to make The Big Vegie Crunch.
sport and movement that
swaps to reduce Have children eat their
Have children discuss kids growing up in
their daily salt vegie morning tea at
what it means for their different cultures
intake.
family to be healthy. 18 may participate in. 21 10am to be part
of the celebration.

World 7 Nature Play Week Good Friday 7-10 22 25

Health Day Nature Play Week promotes getting and Easter Earth Day Anzac Day
kids into nature and creating a sense of
APRIL

Complete a healthy learning
experience with children on
how to keep our bodies and
minds healthy.
Play the food relay game on
page 54 of the Munch &
Move resource.
wonder.
Encourage the children at
your service to reconnect
with nature outdoors.
Ask what environments
they explore at home.
17-30
Make sure to include some healthy Engage children in Anzac Day is a
alternatives to celebrate Easter. sustainability activities national day of
e.g. hop little bunnies song and such as recycling remembrance of
dance, scavenger hunt – see who and composting and all Australians and
can collect the most Easter gardening, and read New Zealanders
bunnies from the yard, books about looking who served our
play 'Down the rabbit hole', after the world in
country.
the mini moves game. which we live.

Compost 7-13 Mother’s Walk 15-21 26 27-3 June

Awareness Day Safely to
Family Sorry Day & Reconciliation
Week Many Australians School Day
Week National Day Week
Compost Week promotes
celebrate Mother’s
Day by showing their
WSTSD encourages 19
the importance of children and families National Families of Healing Reconciliation Week is a
MAY

appreciation for the

compost and its use, and to commute safely to school, Week celebrates the time for all Australians
achievements and
increases compost promoting road safety, health, vital role that families A day to acknowledge to learn about our shared
efforts of mothers
knowledge and public transport and play in society with the and recognise history, culture, and
and mother figures.
understanding. environment. focus being stronger members of the Stolen achievements, and to
families, stronger Generation and give explore how each of us
Hold learning activities Encourage your families to communities. people the chance to can contribute to
with children around what walk to or from school this share steps towards
goes in each bin. 14 week. If possible, provide a
safe space to store bikes,
healing.
achieving reconciliation.

scooters and prams.

Mabo Day 3 5 World Environment Day World Ocean Day 8

JUNE

A day to commemorate the courageous efforts of World Environment Day is about increasing World Ocean Day celebrates
Eddie Mabo in his campaign for recognition of native worldwide awareness and action to protect and honours the oceans and
title and traditional land rights for Aboriginal and environment. Share this resource to encourage how we can and will protect
Torres Strait Islanders. families to pack a waste-free lunch. our shared oceans.
 NAIDOC Week 2-9 Plastic Bag 3 School Tree Day 28
NAIDOC Week recognises the First Nations people Free Day Tree Day is an opportunity for
you to do something positive
and celebrates the history, culture and achievements
JULY

of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. A global initiative that for your community and the
aims to eliminate the use environment by connecting
Celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander of plastic bags. with nature.
culture at your service this week – engage with your
local community and invite them to your service. Play Encourage educators Register your service to
a traditional Indigenous game from the Yulunga and families to go plastic participate and access
resource. free for the day. free lesson plans.

1-7 7-13 National Aboriginal and Torres 4 12-20

Strait Islander Children’s Day
Breastfeeding Dental Health Science
Children’s Day is a time for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Week Week Islander families to celebrate the strengths and culture of Week
World Breastfeeding Week aims their children.
Dental Week reinforces how a Science Week
AUGUST

to raise awareness and protect, healthy and balanced diet from a encourages younger
Bring Elders, families and their children together for
promote and support young age helps you to keep your people to be fascinated
cultural activities, storytelling, sporting events or consider
breastfeeding. teeth for life. Share this image with by science and the
other ideas.
your families this week. world we live in.
Check out these
free breastfeeding
policy templates,
posters and support
Children’s Book Week 19-25
plans to help Book Week is a time to celebrate Australian children's literature through book parades
mothers at your and displays. The 2023 theme is 'Read, Grow, Inspire'. Read the story Jack’s Funtastic Day.
service to continue Have children explore the different things you can do in nature without technology.
breastfeeding.

Spring has sprung! Father's Day 6 National Health Early Childhood 6

SEPTEMBER

Does your vegie garden Many Australians
need some TLC? The new observe Father’s Day
season is a great opportunity on the first Sunday of
to plant some new herbs September. It is a day
and vegies. for people to show their
appreciation for
To see what is best to plant in fathers and father
3
September, check out this when to plant figures.
vegetable guide.
& Physical Educators’ Day
Education Day Early Childhood Educators' Day
recognises and celebrates the great
National HPE Day highlights the work YOU do in early learning
importance of HPE in our services and your wonderful
curriculum and its influence on contribution to the wellbeing and
the learning and development of healthy development of the young
children. children in your care.

World Space Week National Nutrition Week Children’s 21-29 World 27

World Space Week is an international National Nutrition Week encourages all Week Teacher’s Day
celebration of science and Australians to embrace a healthy diet and
OCTOBER

technology.
Play a 'Solar System'
relay. Have children
stand in a circle. Assign
a planet to each child.
When the planet is
called, children must run
4-10
a complete orbit around
the sun (circle).
lifestyle. Fruit and veg fall into five different Children’s Week is a national
colour categories – red, purple/blue, orange, celebration of children’s rights,
green and white/brown. talents and citizenship.
Take the challenge and eat a rainbow at your What talents do children at
service this week? Focus on a different colour your service have? Is it singing,
each day with taste testing, cooking and art running, drawing, cooking or dancing?
activities. With the help of peers and educators,
have children identify their talent.
N.B. Date for 2023 yet to be confirmed.
Write them down to share with parents.
Recognising and
appreciating teachers and
the important role they play
in shaping the next
generation.
Have you ever asked a child
why they like coming to
preschool? It’s often you!

8- National Recycling Week Remembrance 11 Diwali 12

24
NOVEMBER

14 National Recycling Week brings a focus to the Day Diwali is referred to as the festival of lights and is
environmental benefits of recycling and celebrated to honour Rama-Chandra, the seventh
provides the tools to minimise waste and Each year on this day avatar.
manage material resources responsibly at Australians observe one
home, work and school. minute’s silence at 11am, in The festival is often celebrated through traditional
memory of those who died Indian foods, dancing and musical performances. Put
How well does your service recycle? or suffered in all wars and on some traditional Indian music and get the children
Check out these recycling myths. armed conflicts. dancing to these tunes.

Summer is in Christmas time Graduations Contact us

DECEMBER

the air
December can often be filled
with festive snacks, meaning
lots of added sugars and fats.
You can limit this by doing a healthy cooking
experience around summer fruit and
vegetables. Check out what is in season.
The end of the year is a great time to It’s graduation time! Encourage Health Promotion Service
reflect on what your service has done. your families to bring in healthy Illawarra Shoalhaven
celebration foods to share at
At your Christmas party show the Local Health District
graduation parties.
families what Fundamental For more information,
Movement Skills the children have Check out the Celebrations click below to:
learnt with a fun game. You could Cookbook and share this resource Email us
even get the parents and carers with your families for ideas. Visit our website
to participate too.

Munch & Move