CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY BOOKLET
EVERY CONVERSATION M AT T E R S
SHIFTING CONVERSATION TO ACTION 2026 NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK Funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services
www.napcan.org.au
CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY BOOKLET
LET’S ENGAGE CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND CHILD-FOCUSED ORGANISATIONS IN NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK “Every child, in every community, needs a fair go” To treat all of Australia’s children fairly, we need to make sure every family and community has what kids need to thrive and be healthy.
THE AIM OF THIS BOOKLET IS TO:
Start conversations about how to build the safest communities possible for children Link families to resources and support services
EVERY CONVERSATION MATTERS
SHIFTING CONVERSATION TO ACTION 2026 NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK
www.napcan.org.au
CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY BOOKLET
HEY ADULTS !
More ways to get involved with ensuring that children and families are safe and supported:
NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK: Find out about other activities & events at: www.napcan.org.au/ncpw/ OTHER WEEKS TO BE AWARE OF: Here's a sample of the many national campaigns working together to create stronger, safer communities for children: Safer Internet Day - February Neighbour Day - March Families Week - May NAIDOC Week - July Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day - August Anti-Poverty Week (includes curriculum resources) - October Children’s Week - October
HELPLINES ARE LIKE LIGHTHOUSES Raising children is a bit like sailing a boat. But when we experience serious stress - e.g. due to finances, health, isolation or violence - raising children can feel like sailing in a storm. Support lines can be the lighthouses that we all need to navigate these rough waters. These are some of the main Helplines that you can call for guidance:
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 (make sure your kids know this one)
Parentline: ACT - (02) 6287 3833 NSW - 1300 1300 52 NT & QLD - 1300 30 1300 SA - 1300 364 100 TAS - 1300 808 178 VIC - 13 22 89 WA - 1800 111 546 (country areas) or (08) 9368 9368
Lifeline: 13 11 14
13 YARN: 13 YARN - 13 92 76 (24 hours/7 days) Free and confidential service run by - and for - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
For reliable parenting information Visit the Australian parenting website raisingchildren.net.au Or access a free online course at triplep-parenting.net.au
EVERY CONVERSATION MATTERS
SHIFTING CONVERSATION TO ACTION 2026 NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK
www.napcan.org.au
CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY BOOKLET
Crowns remind us that every child is precious, unique, and has a voice that matters. Design, decorate, and show off your crown, then see them all come together in a colourful display that celebrates children and young people. Protecting children is everybody’s business.
This activity has been contributed by Queensland Child Protection Week which runs concurrently with National Child Protection Week. The enduring theme for Queensland Child Protection Week is Protecting Children is Everybody’s Business. For more information about Queensland activities, resources, awards and events visit www.childprotectionweek.org.au
EVERY CONVERSATION MATTERS
SHIFTING CONVERSATION TO ACTION 2026 NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK
www.napcan.org.au
CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY BOOKLET
CALM TIME ORIGAMI CHATTERBOX A fun, creative game to explore what comfort and calm mean to us. This chatterbox game invites us to play and learn about the meaning of comfort and calm. It also offers invitations to practice breath-based and comfort-focused activities.
Turn to the next pages for full instructions.
This activity has been contributed by Australian Childhood Foundation Love has the power to prevent and heal abuse. At Australian Childhood Foundation love is an action, a daily effort to build positive relationships that keep children and young people safe and help them to heal. Australian Childhood Foundation provides counselling to children and carers. They teach adults to understand how they can help children to heal from the trauma of abuse and violence. They stand up for children, and young people’s rights to safety. They act to ensure every child gets the love they need. For more information visit www.childhood.org.au
EVERY CONVERSATION MATTERS
SHIFTING CONVERSATION TO ACTION 2026 NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK
www.napcan.org.au
CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY BOOKLET
GUS GORILLA Hey I’m Gus...CREATE’s friendly gorilla! I’m here to help bring the fun at CREATE events, where kids with a care experience can speak up, connect with others who get it, and just be themselves. Join clubCREATE to have your say, meet new people, and be part of something awesome! Colour me in!
This activity was contributed by CREATE Foundation www.create.org.au Become a clubCREATE member: www.create.org.au/clubcreate-members/ About CREATE CREATE provides programs and services to children and young people with a statutory care experience and develops policy and research to advocate for a better care system. Their mission is to create a better life for children and young people in care by: Connecting children and young people to each other, CREATE and their community Empowering children and young people to build self-confidence, self-esteem and skills that enable them to have a voice and be heard Changing the care system, in consultation with children and young people, through advocacy to improve policies, practices and services, and increase community awareness.
EVERY CONVERSATION MATTERS
SHIFTING CONVERSATION TO ACTION 2026 NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK
www.napcan.org.au
Hey, I’m Gus... CREATE’s friendly gorilla! I’m here to help bring the fun at CREATE events, where kids with a care experience can speak up, connect with others who get it, and just be themselves.
Colour me in!
Join clubCREATE to have your say, meet new people, and be part of something awesome!
Become a clubCREATE member!
www.create.org.au
CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY BOOKLET
5 FINGERS OF SUPPORT The aim of this activity is for children to make a Support and Safety Circle of trusted adults they can go to for help, and places and things that help them to feel safe.
Activity Step 1. Hold up your hand, you might notice that all our hands are a little similar but also very different. The same goes for our 5 fingers of support, you might have different supports than the person next to you. Step 2. Give me a big THUMBS UP! Kids Helpline are on the thumb because they are there for you, anytime any reason. And even if you don’t know who can support you, you can always talk to us. Step 3. On your other 4 fingers is where you put your adult supports. It might be: a parent or carer, a family member like a cousin/adult/sibling/aunty/uncle/grandparent, a family friend, a coach or baby sitter, a teacher. Step 4. On your palm is where you put your friends, pets and toys – because these are important too and you can hold them close.
These are some examples the Kids Helpline counsellor's came up with for the 5 fingers of supports. What would your 5 fingers of support look like?
This activity was contributed by Kids Helpline. Kids Helpline, powered by yourtown is Australia’s only free and confidential, 24/7 online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5 – 25. Kids Helpline is here for children and young people whenever they need us, anytime for any reason 24/7, through tailored mental health counselling services in line with their changing preferences for help-seeking. Visit kidshelpline.com.au or free call 1800 55 1800.
EVERY CONVERSATION MATTERS
SHIFTING CONVERSATION TO ACTION 2026 NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK
www.napcan.org.au
CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY BOOKLET
CIRCLE OF FRIENDS Children come into contact with many people in the community, and it’s important for them to understand how those different relationships support them, as well as where boundaries should lie. The circle of friends activity helps your child understand the different people in their life – what their relationship is with these people, how your child should behave with them, and what behaviour is OK from those people. It can help keep them safe.
How to do a circle of friends activity with your child 1.Start with a big piece of paper and ask your child to draw a picture of themselves in the middle. Or they could stick a photo of themselves there. Ask your child to draw a circle around themselves. 2.Draw a larger circle around your child’s circle. In this circle add the people who are closest to your child – for example, the family they live with. Your child could write their names, draw pictures or stick on photos of them. 3.Draw a larger circle around the first two circles. In this circle add people who are close to your child but not quite as close as those in the first circle. They could be extended family or your child’s best friends. Talk with your child about who to include. 4.Draw another circle around the others and add acquaintances. These are people your child knows but isn’t close friends with. They could be people in your child’s wider group of friends, in their class at school, on their sports team, or family friends. Talk with your child about who to include. 5.Draw another circle and add professionals and other people whose jobs are to help your child. They might be teachers, doctors or carers. 6.In the outside circle add strangers. These are people your child doesn’t know.
Using the circle of friends to help your child understand personal boundaries Once you’ve added people to each of the circles, talk with your child about how your child should behave with people in each circle. You could ask questions like these: How would you greet people in this circle? Which people would it be OK to kiss or hug? Who would you invite to your house for dinner? Who could you talk to if you’re worried about something? Can you sit in this person’s lap? You can use this activity to help your child stay safe. To do this, you can ask your child questions about how other people should behave around them. For example: Which people can hug or kiss you? Which people can hold your hand? Which people can collect you from school?
This activity was contributed by raisingchildren.net.au, the Australian parenting website providing up-to-date, evidencebased, independent and free information for parents and professionals working with families.
EVERY CONVERSATION MATTERS
SHIFTING CONVERSATION TO ACTION 2026 NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK
www.napcan.org.au
CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY BOOKLET
BRIGHTEN UP YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD Brighten up your neighbourhood. Use your favourite colours (crayons, pencils, markers, paints etc.) to colour these images of neighbours being friendly and kind to each other. If you’d like to share your artwork you could write a thoughtful note on the back of your page and gift it to a neighbour.
This activity was contributed by Relationships Australia, a leading provider of relationship support services for individuals, families and communities. www.relationships.org.au Relationships Australia aims to support all people in Australia to achieve positive and respectful relationships. With a childcentred approach to family relationships, Relationships Australia very much supports the efforts of NAPCAN and the theme of the campaign this year. Neighbours Every Day (NED) is Relationships Australia’s social connection campaign. It’s annual day of action is Neighbour Day, a celebration of community on the last Sunday in March, encouraging people to connect with their neighbours and create belonging. www.neighbourseveryday.org
EVERY CONVERSATION MATTERS
SHIFTING CONVERSATION TO ACTION 2026 NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK
www.napcan.org.au
CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY BOOKLET
I’M DEADLY! WHY? To find out a bit about the child and how they see themselves - their strengths and dreams.
The circle of friends activity helps your child understand the different people in their life – what their relationship is with these people, how your child should behave with them, and what behaviour is OK from those people. It can help keep them safe.
WHAT TO DO? Explain Everyone is different. These differences make you deadly. Talk about some of the things that you have noticed about them already – things that you admire or you’ve noticed they do Let’s take a look at some of the things that are important to you
Using the tool Work your way through the I’m deadly tool together Let the child know they can write words or draw pictures in each circle. Let them know if they don’t want to fill a space in that’s OK – you can leave it blank or come up with ideas together
Be Careful Some kids can find it hard to talk about their strengths. Without taking over, gently give them some ideas or remind them about what others have told you: “Your mum told me you were deadly at....” or “You’re great at making me laugh...”
Finish Ask if you can take a copy so you don’t forget Ask where they will display I’m deadly and who they would want to see it.
This activity is from Child’s Voice - Our children have the right to be heard, which was created by the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) and includes more activities designed specially for Aboriginal children. VACCA is a state-wide Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) servicing children, young people, families, and community members. www.vacca.org The Child’s Voice resources are based on the Kids Central Toolkit, which was developed by Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University to help services place children in the centre of their work. Find out more at the Kids Central Website: www.acu.edu.au/icps/kids-central-toolkit
EVERY CONVERSATION MATTERS
SHIFTING CONVERSATION TO ACTION 2026 NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK
www.napcan.org.au
CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY BOOKLET
CHILDREN’S VOICES If we want to make our local communities great for children, we need to ask them what they think, because:
Children experience the world differently from adults. Adults cannot guess what is important for children without asking them and listening to the answer. Children may have priorities that adults prefer not to think about. Children use community facilities in ways that are different from adults. The aim of this activity is to provide a simple tool to help adults to start listening to, and acting on, the views of young people. A critical part of this project is to make sure that this feedback is actually used to inform decisions in the local community. So, once you’ve done this activity, think about ways to pass on the children’s suggestions to decision-makers such as local councils. Or get creative about how you display the drawings at your school or maybe even the local library.
The Children’s Voices Activity was created by the National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN) as a tool to support organisations to listen to, and act on, the voices of children. To find out more about the work of NAPCAN including how to get involved with National Child Protection Week, visit www.napcan.org.au
EVERY CONVERSATION MATTERS
SHIFTING CONVERSATION TO ACTION 2026 NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK
www.napcan.org.au
EVERY CONVERSATION M AT T E R S
SHIFTING CONVERSATION TO ACTION 2026 NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK Funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services
www.napcan.org.au