World Children’s Day: make some noise about what matters most

November 20 is World Children’s Day – a special day when people celebrate children and stand up for their rights. It’s run by UNICEF*, a charity that helps children all over the world.

Every year, World Children’s Day is celebrated on November 20, because on that day in 1959, the United Nations General Assembly* adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child which has since been the foundation for international law on children’s rights.

On World Children’s Day, young people are encouraged to celebrate with ‘A Minute of Loudness’ – a chance to make some noise about things that matter the most to them. The theme this year is something every child loves to do – play!

According to the United Nations, every child has the right to play – no matter who they are or where they live. That’s because playing is so important, helping children learn, make friends, and feel happy.

Australia’s most decorated Olympic swimmer, and an ambassador* for UNICEF Australia, Emma McKeon, visited John Paul College in Brisbane to help celebrate with the students there.

“A Minute of Loudness on World Children’s Day is all about giving children the chance to speak up about issues that they care about,” said McKeon.

Will, aged 12, from John Paul College believes every child should have the same opportunities: “I think child rights, like … every child should have free education … I just think every child should have the same opportunities as the people around them.”

A passionate supporter of children’s rights, McKeon had lots of fun at the school, and got involved with the activities planned for World Children’s Day.

“We have played some basketball, watched the kids sing some songs and do some dancing, so it’s been a really fun day,” she said.

Being a swimmer, McKeon loves sport and knows how important both sport and play is for children.

“I like to have fun by playing sport. I’ve played sport my entire life and it’s always been my number one passion,” she said.

“I grew up playing a bit of basketball, dancing and mostly swimming – and swimming is the one thing I’ve kept going through my whole life so that’s where I find my enjoyment and have fun.”

She also shared why she thought sport and playing was really important.

“Sport and play are so essential,” she said. “I made so many friends through sport that I still have today, and I learnt so many life lessons through sport – and it has just brought me so much happiness.”

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POLL

GLOSSARY

• UNICEF: the United Nations Children’s Fund, a UN agency set up to advocate for children and protect their rights across the world
• General Assembly: a policymaking assembly at the UN where all 193 member states get one vote each and meet to discuss and vote on a range of global matters, such as peace, security and human rights
• ambassador: someone who represents and promotes a particular cause

EXTRA READING
Why children have a Right to Play
How play helps keeps you healthy
Day of Play: let the games begin

QUICK QUIZ
1. What year was the Declaration of the Rights of the Child adopted?
2. What date is World Children’s Day each year?
3. What is the theme of World Children’s Day this year?
4. Other than swimming, which sports did Emma McKeon play as a child?
5. What is ‘A Minute of Loudness” about on World Children’s Day?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Pick a theme!
What do you think the theme for next year’s World Children’s Day should be? Choose a theme and create a poster. The purpose of your poster is to convince UNICEF to choose your theme.

Time: allow at least 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Visual Communication Design

2. Extension
What do you think the International Rights of the Child would include? Write a list of the rights that you think all children should have. Then, use your research skills to find out what they are.

Time: allow at least 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links English, Civics and Citizenship

VCOP ACTIVITY
Read this!
A headline on an article – or a title on your text – should capture the attention of the audience, telling them to read this now. So choosing the perfect words for a headline or title is very important.

Create three new headlines for the events that took place in this article. Remember, what you write and how you write it will set the pace for the whole text, so make sure it matches.

Read out your headlines to a partner and discuss what the article will be about based on the headline you created. Discuss the tone and mood you set in just your few, short words. Does it do the article justice? Will it capture the audience’s attention the way you hoped? Would you want to read more?

Consider how a headline or title is similar to using short, sharp sentences throughout your text. They can be just as important as complex ones. Go through the last text you wrote and highlight any short, sharp sentences that capture the audience.