For Educators

To celebrate National Child Day:

• Perform dramas/plays about children's rights and what it means to have a say in decisions that affect children and youth.
• Meet with students from other schools to create clubs or student groups and participate in games and activities.
• Start a pen-pal program with children in a developing country to learn about different cultures and debate issues related to children’s rights.
• Read the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to the class.
• Create a scavenger hunt for students to find the number related to an article of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. After the hunt is over, regroup in a circle and engage in a discussion around what each article means for students, beginning with the student that chose the number of the article.
• Volunteer on committees/teams that interest you (i.e. sports, student council, clubs, etc)
• Reward children with a National Child Day certificate after taking part in National Child Day celebration activities
• Honour the yearly theme and promote awareness on children’s rights by engaging students in the activities below:

Dictation
An age-specific text containing messages around this year’s theme or related to other children rights.

Drawing
Organize a drawing contest in your class around children’s rights.

Story Telling
Plan a recess activity involving the telling of an age-specific story revolving around children’s rights related themes.

Creative Writing
Distribute a picture relevant to a right portrayed in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Instruct students to develop their own story from the picture. Afterwards, the students may present their stories to the class.

Exchange views
Organize a session where students can share their views on National Child Day through the e-Pals’ Global Community, one of the largest community of learners on the Internet, where classrooms, teachers, and students safely connect, collaborate, and learn.

Useful Links for educators

Government of Canada Resources:
Centres of Excellence for Children’s Well-Being
Child Sexual Abuse
Deal.org
Department of Justice - Family Violence Initiative
Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development - Prevention of Child Maltreatment
Family Violence
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada – Health and Wellness - Family Violence
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada – Health and Wellness - Violence in Relationships
Internet 101
Internet Safety
Media Awareness Network – Be Web Aware
Media Awareness Network: Media and Internet Education Resources for Teachers
National Clearinghouse on Family Violence
National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre
Public Health Agency of Canada: Injury and Child Maltreatment Section
Safe Canada
Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children and Youth Fact Sheet
For more information

Non-Governmental Organizations and Advocacy Groups:
Canadian Centre for Child Protection
Cybersmart Kids Online – teachers section
Cybertip
End Childhood Prostitution Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT International)
Kid Smart – Teacher resources
Think U Know – Teachers and Trainers Area
University College of Cape Breton, Children's Rights Centre
We’re on 2 U

International Organizations:
Committee on the Rights of the Child
International Labour Organization
Missing and Exploited Children
Office of the High Commissionner for Human Rights
UNICEF
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking
Virtual Global Taskforce
Virtual Global Taskforce - Awareness material for children and youth