About Children's Day : Celebrate Children's Day 2010

Children's Day – Te Rā O Te Tamariki – provides New Zealanders with an opportunity to give time to children and take part in fun activities that start new traditions as well as continue old ones.

Many nations have Children's Day but the magic of Te Rā O Te Tamariki is unique and special to New Zealand. Hundreds of events happen all over the country each March. For example, we have Auckland Teddy Bears Picnic, Waitakere Toddler’s Day out, Whangarei Children’s Day, Wellington Zoo Children’s Day, Christchurch PSIS Children’s Day and Timaru Children’s Day South Canterbury Celebration. These attract large numbers of people but small events are just as important.

All events can be registered on Register an event on this website to get our Free resources.

Children's Day has five important messages:

Giving time
Praise and encouragement
Listening and talking
Love and affection
New experiences.

This year's key theme is "praise and encouragement"'.

Background
The Tohu
Our Supporters

The initial idea for Children's Day came from a suggestion by the first Children's Commissioner, Ian Hassall, in 1991. His suggestion was developed and progressed by the Rotary Club of Wellington.

In conjunction with the following Children's Commissioner, Laurie O'Reilly, the idea was then mooted to Government.

The third Children's Commissioner and former Minister of Youth Affairs, Roger McClay, then endorsed the concept along with several other Ministers.

In 1999, the National Steering Group was established to progress the concept of Children's Day. Interested government and non-government agencies were represented on this group.

The inaugural Children's Day was held on Sunday 29 October 2000 with the intention that Children's Day would occur on the last Sunday of October every year. In 2007 the date for Children's Day was changed to the first Sunday in March.

The National Steering Group established the vision and mission for National Children's Day as well as the following objectives.

Vision:
To see children celebrated, nurtured and treasured by all.

Mission:
To establish Children's Day as an ongoing tradition in New Zealand.

Objectives of Children's Day:

To heighten awareness of the importance and needs of children in society, and ways of promoting their development
To promote a national focus on children and motivate adults towards positive appreciation and support of children
To promote community responses for the ongoing celebration of Children's Day through local ownership and widespread participation
To embrace the Children's Day Charter (PDF 43KB)

Children’s Day Principles:

has a celebratory and educational aspect; celebrating the special nature of childhood and suggesting practical ways to enhance and improve the lives and opportunities of children and young people.
Is an inclusive day for all children. Care should be taken that all children area able to benefit from the observance of Children’s Day. Children of all ages should have opportunities to participate, for example, by initiating events or in positions of backup and responsibility for younger children.
Celebrates the gift of positive relationships between adults and children as supported by the five key messages below. Contributions by businesses in the community are encouraged by way of time and resources to support Children’s Day events. Sponsorship can be acknowledged but does not provide an opportunity for naming rights or specific sales promotions.

Key Messages

The key messages embody the activities parents, caregivers and communities are encouraged to include in the lives of children. The most important of these is ‘Giving time’ followed in any order by:

Love and affection
Praise and encouragement
Listening and talking
New experiences.

Timing

Children’s Day will be celebrated on the first Sunday of March each year.

Local circumstances may sometimes enhance the celebration of Children’s Day by slightly varying the date or by combing it with other local celebrations.

Children's Day has its own special tohu, or symbol. You can find it if you look at the top left-hand corner of this page.

Designed in 2001 by the late Raukawa kuia, Horiana Joyce, the Children's Day tohu reflects images that are unique to New Zealand's natural habitat. Look closely and you will see the greens and browns from our forest, curling koru fronds and shooting stars.

The whakatauki, or proverb, that accompanies the tohu gives this powerful symbol a voice. The whakamarama, the explanation, of the whakatauki was composed by Kui Pani Waru, no Ngati Porou, and inspired by a well-known Kohanga Waiata.

He tohu mō ngā tamariki
Tau ana ko te noho tahitanga
o ngā whānau, o ngā tuākana,
me ngā tēina i roto i te whāriki ngahere.
Arā, ka puāwai ngā tamariki a Matariki.

Mahia ngā mahi o ngā tamariki
hei āpōpō ka tū
hei rangatira.

The symbol for Children's Day
Peaceful earthy colours from the forest
weave a mat for the koru frond to rest upon,
smaller koru are securely nestled.
From this embrace stars burst forth
to realise their potential.

Fulfil the needs of our children and
tomorrow they stand strong.