17/07/2026
🌈❤️🖤💛 Day 5 - Celebrating NAIDOC Week ❤️🖤💛 🌈
Today we proudly celebrated NAIDOC Week with our very special guest, Mrs West, who shared her knowledge, culture, and the Wiradjuri language with the children throughout the day.
Our morning began with an engaging cultural session where the children learnt about traditional clapping sticks and enthusiastically joined in singing songs about Australian animals and country in Wiradjuri. They sang about Dinawan (Emu), Wambuwuny (Kangaroo), and Dhaagun (Land/Country), learning the importance of language in connecting to culture, nature, and Country. Mrs West introduced the children to Aboriginal culture through storytelling, music, movement, and language, creating a meaningful and interactive experience.
The children then enjoyed decorating their own boomerangs, carefully adding Aboriginal inspired symbols and patterns while learning how symbols can be used to tell stories and represent important places, journeys, and animals.
Outdoors, the fun continued with a variety of active games that incorporated Wiradjuri language. During a game of Duck, Duck, Goose, children practiced using the Wiradjuri word mirri while laughing and encouraging one another. They also worked together in relay races, passing a ball to teammates using hoops before running and bouncing through the course. These activities promoted teamwork and coordination.
One of the highlights of the day was our Emu Dance, where children supported one another as they learnt the movements. They showed fantastic encouragement, helping each other master the dance before proudly cheering on their friends as everyone took turns participating with confidence and enthusiasm.
The children also enjoyed a game of Velcro darts, aiming to land their darts on Australian animal pictures placed around the outside play area, adding another fun challenge to our nature-themed activities.
To finish our special morning celebration, Mrs West read the story Kangaroos Hop before leading the children in more Wiradjuri songs, revisiting words such as Dinawan (Emu), Wambuwuny (Kangaroo), and Dhaagun (Land/Country). It was a wonderful way to conclude our cultural learning experience, and we sincerely thank Mrs West for generously sharing her time, knowledge, language, and culture with us.
In the afternoon, we welcomed another special visitor, Jhampa, who led the children in a lively Laughing Yoga session. Some of the children had already participated in Laughing Yoga earlier in the week and confidently remembered many of the movements and activities, eagerly demonstrating them for their friends. Their enthusiasm was contagious, encouraging others to join in with laughter, movement, and big smiles. The session was filled with joyful energy as the children practiced breathing exercises, playful movements, and lots of laughter, leaving everyone feeling happy, relaxed, and connected.
Later in the afternoon, the children enjoyed creating bracelets using red, black, and yellow beads, representing the colours of the Aboriginal Flag. They carefully designed their bracelets while chatting with friends and reflecting on the day's celebrations.
The afternoon continued with free play outdoors, where children enjoyed listening to music, singing along with their friends, and participating in a variety of ball games, including an energetic game of dodgeball. It was a wonderful opportunity for everyone to stay active, build friendships, and end the day on a fun and positive note.
It was a fantastic day of cultural celebration, creativity, active play, and wellbeing. The children embraced every opportunity to learn something new, strengthen their understanding of Aboriginal culture and the Wiradjuri language, support one another, and create lasting memories while celebrating NAIDOC Week together.
