ANZAC Day for Little Ones — Age-Appropriate Ways to Remember

Reading time: 5 minutes

ANZAC Day on April 25th is one of Australia's most significant days of remembrance. For Perth families with young children, it can be tricky to know how to mark the occasion in a way that's meaningful without being frightening or confusing for little ones. Toddlers and preschoolers don't need to understand war — but they can absolutely grasp the values at the heart of ANZAC Day: courage, friendship, kindness, and remembering people we care about.

At Sonas Woodbridge, we approach ANZAC Day gently and thoughtfully, weaving it into our learning program in ways that honour the day while staying completely age-appropriate. Here's how you can do the same at home.

Talking About ANZAC Day with Toddlers and Preschoolers

The key is to keep it simple and focus on feelings rather than facts. You don't need to explain conflict — instead, talk about:

• Bravery. "ANZAC Day is a day when we remember very brave people who helped keep us safe."
• Friendship. "The soldiers were like best friends — they looked after each other, just like you look after your friends at daycare."
• Remembering. "Sometimes we think about people who aren't with us anymore, and we feel grateful for them."
• Kindness. "We wear a poppy or rosemary to show we're thinking of those people."

Children aged 2-4 understand emotions far more than abstract concepts. If they ask questions, answer honestly but briefly. "What's a soldier?" can be met with: "A soldier is someone whose job it is to keep people safe." You don't need to go further unless they ask.

ANZAC Day Books for Young Children

Picture books are one of the best ways to introduce ANZAC Day concepts gently. Here are some favourites recommended by Australian early childhood educators:

• "ANZAC Ted" by Belinda Landsberry — A teddy bear goes on a journey with a soldier. Simple, gentle, and focuses on friendship and comfort.
• "My Grandad Marches on ANZAC Day" by Catriona Hoy — A child watches their grandfather march. It's about pride, love, and family connection.
• "Lest We Forget" by Kerry Brown — Beautiful illustrations walk children through ANZAC Day traditions without graphic content.
• "Simpson and His Donkey" by Mark Greenwood — For slightly older children (3+), this tells the well-known story with a focus on compassion and helping others.
• "Where the Poppies Now Grow" by Hilary Robinson — A gentle, rhyming story about friendship and remembrance.

Read these in a cosy setting — snuggled on the couch or in a reading nook. Let your child ask questions and follow their lead.

Simple ANZAC Day Activities and Crafts

These hands-on activities help toddlers and preschoolers connect with the day through creativity and sensory experience:

Paper Poppies

Cut poppy shapes from red paper or card. Let your child glue a black circle in the centre and attach to a green paddle-pop stick. Display them in a vase or along a window ledge.

Rosemary Sensory Play

Rosemary is the herb of remembrance and grows beautifully in Perth gardens. Pick some sprigs and let your child smell, touch, and explore them. Add rosemary to a water play tub or use it in a playdough activity.

ANZAC Biscuit Baking

Baking ANZAC biscuits together is a wonderful tradition. Even toddlers can help stir, pour, and press the mixture into trays. Talk about how these biscuits were sent to soldiers because they lasted a long time without going stale.

Dawn Service Lanterns

Make simple lanterns from glass jars decorated with tissue paper and a battery-operated tea light. If you attend a Dawn Service (or just mark the morning at home), your child can hold their lantern as a meaningful ritual.

Handprint Wreaths

Trace your child's handprints in green and red, cut them out, and arrange in a circle to form a wreath. It makes a beautiful keepsake and can be displayed at your front door.

Attending ANZAC Day Events in Perth with Young Children

Perth has several ANZAC Day services and events that are manageable with little ones:

• Kings Park Dawn Service — This is the big one. If you attend, position yourself near the edges for an easy exit. Some families bring a blanket and sit further back with sleeping toddlers. It starts very early (around 5:30am), so weigh up whether your child can handle the early start.
• Local suburban services — Smaller services at local RSLs and memorials (including Midland and Guildford) are often more relaxed and shorter, which is better suited to young children.
• ANZAC Day marches — Watching the march is a lovely way for children to participate. Wave, clap, and talk about what they're seeing.
• Home commemoration — There's absolutely nothing wrong with marking ANZAC Day at home. Stand in your driveway at dawn with a candle, play the Last Post on your phone, and share a quiet moment together. It's just as meaningful.

The Returned & Services League of Australia (RSL) WA has information about local services on their website each year.

How Sonas Woodbridge Honours ANZAC Day

At Sonas Woodbridge, our ANZAC Day program is gentle and age-appropriate. Our educators:

• Read ANZAC-themed picture books during storytime in The Family Room.
• Set up poppy-making stations in The Arts Studio where children create their own paper poppies.
• Introduce rosemary through sensory exploration in The Garden — smelling, touching, and learning about this special herb.
• Bake ANZAC biscuits with our Pathfinders and Schoolies groups, talking about sharing and caring for others.
• Lead a brief moment of quiet reflection, appropriate for each age group — even our youngest children participate by simply sitting together in stillness for a few seconds.

We believe that ANZAC Day, introduced gently, teaches children about values that matter every day: empathy, gratitude, and looking after each other.

Key Takeaways

• Focus on feelings (bravery, friendship, remembering) rather than facts about war.
• Use picture books to introduce ANZAC Day concepts gently.
• Hands-on activities like poppy crafts, rosemary play, and ANZAC biscuit baking make the day tangible for little ones.
• Choose ANZAC Day events that suit your child's age and temperament — local services and home commemorations are perfectly valid.
• Let your child lead with questions, and keep answers simple and honest.

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Ready to see play-based learning in action? Book a tour at Sonas Woodbridge or call us on (08) 6184 6055.