NAIDOC Week is one of the most meaningful weeks on our calendar at Wiggles and Giggles Dural, and this year our children had the incredible opportunity to step outside the centre and take part in a local community NAIDOC Week celebration. It was a morning full of music, dance, storytelling, and hands-on cultural activities — and our little ones soaked up every moment of it.
Why NAIDOC Week Matters in Early Learning
NAIDOC Week is a national celebration recognising the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. For early learning centres like ours, it’s a valuable opportunity to introduce children to First Nations culture in a way that’s engaging, age-appropriate, and rooted in real community connection — not just classroom activities, but genuine experiences.
Cultural learning at this age helps build the foundations of respect, curiosity, and awareness that children carry with them well beyond their early years. It’s a core part of how we approach cultural learning in early childhood at Wiggles and Giggles Dural.
Our Day at the Community NAIDOC Week Event
This year, rather than keeping celebrations confined to the centre, our educators took the children out into the community to experience a community NAIDOC Week event first-hand — complete with performance stages, cultural stalls, and interactive activities designed especially for young learners.
Our children, safely grouped in their bright hi-vis vests, made their way through the event grounds together — always an exciting part of any outing!
Exploring Cultural Stalls and Yarning Circles
One of the highlights of the day was visiting the community stalls, including a “Yarning” table where children engaged in cultural conversation and craft activities alongside community members
A “Yarning” stall gave children the chance to sit, listen, and take part in cultural exchange — an important part of understanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture in a respectful, community-led setting.
Watching Live Performances on Stage
The children were treated to live performances on the main stage, featuring music, storytelling, and cultural presentations — a fantastic way to engage young audiences with sound, movement, and colour.
Sitting together on the grass, our children watched intently as performers shared stories and songs on stage — a wonderful example of experiential, real-world learning.
Joining in the Dancing
No NAIDOC Week celebration is complete without dancing, and our little ones didn’t hold back! Encouraged by the music and energy of the event, the children joined in with enthusiastic dance movements right in front of the stage.
Dancing together as a group helped the children connect with the rhythm and joy of the celebrations — proof that some of the best learning happens through movement and play.
Hands-On Craft and Creative Activities
The day also included creative, hands-on activities where children could sit down, get creative, and engage with cultural learning through art.Craft activities gave children a quieter, more focused moment to reflect on and express what they’d learned throughout the day.
What Children Learned Through the Experience
Attending a real community NAIDOC Week event offered our children far more than a typical classroom activity could. Through the day, they experienced:
- Live cultural performances — music, dance, and storytelling presented by community members
- Respectful cultural exchange — through the Yarning stall and conversations with community members
- Group participation and social learning — walking, sitting, and dancing together as a cohort
- Creative expression — through hands-on craft activities connected to the day’s themes
These kinds of real-world, community-based experiences are an important complement to the everyday NAIDOC Week activities for children we run within the centre, such as an Acknowledgement of Country, storytime, and art projects.
Building Reconciliation Awareness from an Early Age
At Wiggles and Giggles Dural, we believe that meaningful reconciliation starts with genuine exposure and respect, introduced from the earliest years of a child’s education. Days like this help lay that foundation — not through worksheets, but through shared experience, music, movement, and community connection.
We’re proud of how engaged and enthusiastic our children were throughout the celebration, and we look forward to continuing to build community partnerships like this one in future NAIDOC Weeks.
Want to know more about how Wiggles and Giggles Dural incorporates cultural learning and community experiences into our early education program? Get in touch with our team or visit us for a centre tour.
