On Monday, 4 August 2025, early childhood communities across Australia will come together to honour the strength, spirit and journeys of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children for National Children’s Day. The 2025 theme—Little Footsteps, Big Future—reflects the profound significance of culture, community, and Country in guiding each child’s path as they grow.
This national celebration is more than just a date on the calendar. It’s a movement. A shared moment for educators, families, and communities to affirm: every child deserves to walk strong in their identity, surrounded by love, connection, and opportunity.
Amplifying Children’s Voices
Children’s Day invites us to listen deeply—to children's dreams, questions, languages, and laughter. It’s a day to uplift their stories and make visible the nurturing power of family and culture in shaping strong beginnings. Across hundreds of early years services, education centres and community hubs, people will gather to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, embracing both tradition and future with open hearts.
Honouring Community and Legacy
This year, acclaimed Gumbaynggirr and Bundjalung artist and former professional surfer Otis Hope Carey joins as the Children’s Day Ambassador. A proud father and cultural storyteller, Otis brings his art, spirit and legacy as a Kulai Preschool graduate—a centre led by his mother, Aunty Julie Carey, known for its deep roots in Aboriginal language and learning.
Their story reminds us that the little footsteps we honour today are part of a much larger journey—carried forward by generations of Elders, families, and educators who have shaped strong cultural foundations.
Celebrating Language and Story
This year’s celebration also includes the gift of literature: I Saw We Saw, a bilingual picture book created by Yolŋu students from Nhulunbuy Primary School in partnership with the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. Told in English and Dhangu, the story invites readers into the vibrant world of Yolŋu community life, offering language learning and cultural insight as part of every child’s Children’s Day bag.
How to Get Involved
Whether through a classroom mural, yarning circle, bushwalk, or storytelling session, you’re invited to co-create the day with children and community.
Learn ATSI Songs and Rhymes
Inanay - A Torres Strait Islander song about a goanna in Yorta Yorta, a language of one of Torres Strait Islander tribe in Victoria.
Taba Naba- This song is about going to the reef and is accompanied by a sit-down dance where the dancers perform traditional movements corresponding to the lyrics.
Pitjantjatjara 123 - Learn to count to 3 in Pitjantjatjara with this simple song. A dialect of the Western Desert Language, the largest language group of Aboriginal Australia.
Because when children walk proud in culture, they walk towards a future full of strength and possibility.
For more information: Children's Day