15+ Anzac Day activities for kids in 2025

When significant dates come around on the calendar, they often bring with them an opportunity to pause, talk, and reflect together as a family. For many children, these moments can spark questions (and a lot of them).

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Anzac Day (Anzac standing for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) is one of those moments. It can open up gentle conversations about community, service, and the values we share – things like courage, kindness, resilience, and looking out for others. But for younger kids, the concept of remembrance or the events that shaped our history can feel abstract or even a little confusing.

That’s where meaningful, age-appropriate activities come in. From crafts to stories, games or conversation, there are plenty of ways to help children connect with the ideas behind Anzac Day in a thoughtful, respectful and engaging way.

In this guide, you’ll find meaningful ways to support children of all ages as they explore the themes of Anzac Day. A good Anzac Day activity can encourage curiosity, kindness and a growing awareness of the people and events that have shaped our history.

Creative Anzac Day craft ideas for kids

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Crafts are a wonderful entry point into meaningful learning. They help kids slow down, think intentionally, and express big ideas through art. When it comes to Anzac Day, hands-on craft activities are a beautiful way for children to engage with symbols of remembrance and learn the stories behind them.

Poppy crafts

The red poppy is one of the most recognisable symbols of Anzac Day. It became associated with remembrance after the First World War, inspired by the poem In Flanders Fields. These flowers grew on the battlefields of Belgium and France and came to represent those who lost their lives in service.

Kids can create poppies in many different ways:

• Tissue paper poppies: Layer red tissue circles with a black paper centre, scrunching gently to create a full bloom effect.
• Cupcake liner poppies: A great one for younger kids — simply paint or colour red liners, glue them onto green card stems, and add a black button or pom-pom to the centre.
• Felt poppies: Perfect for older kids with developing fine motor skills, using pre-cut felt shapes and simple stitching or gluing.

Display the finished poppies on a wreath, classroom bulletin board, or as a centrepiece for your Anzac Day table at home.

You could also take it a step further by creating a “Poppy Path” leading up to your front door or school entryway — a visual reminder for children and adults alike.

Soldier silhouettes

Creating a soldier silhouette allows kids to represent the Anzacs in a respectful and age-appropriate way. They can:

• Trace a silhouette of a soldier wearing a slouch hat (free templates are available online).
• Decorate with collaged words like “brave,” “strong,” “kind,” and “hero.”
• Add personal messages of thanks or drawings that express what peace means to them.

These silhouettes can be displayed alongside poppies or used in storytelling sessions (more on that below).

Peace posters

After learning about the meaning behind Anzac Day, invite children to create a “Peace Poster” — a visual representation of what peace means to them. This could include drawings of families, nature, friends helping each other, or hearts and doves.

Add the words “Peace Begins With Me” at the top and display them on a classroom wall or fridge at home.

Wreath-making

Wreaths are another traditional symbol of Anzac Day, typically laid at memorials during services. They symbolise eternal life, honour, and remembrance.

To create your own:

• Start with a cardboard ring as a base (cut from a cereal box or thick cardstock).
• Add green paper leaves or eucalyptus cut-outs.
• Layer with handmade poppies or small Australian native flowers.
• Add a banner with words like “Lest We Forget” or “We Remember.”

This activity can be done as a group project or individually. It gives kids a tangible way to contribute to the day’s reflection.

You can also encourage children to dedicate their wreath to someone: “Who would you like to remember today?”

Anzac lanterns

Create simple paper lanterns using red, black and green to reflect the poppy and eucalyptus colours. Children can write short messages of gratitude or keywords like “Hope,” “Service,” or “Thank You” on the lantern panels before assembling them.

Display them with battery tea lights for a quiet moment of reflection during the week of Anzac Day.

Poppy pebbles

If you’re looking for fun activities for toddlers that commemorate Anzac Day, this is a great one. Have children collect smooth pebbles or small rocks and paint poppies on them. Once dried, they can be placed along garden paths, in local community gardens, or by memorials (with permission).

This activity encourages quiet creativity, while subtly connecting art and nature to remembrance.

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Fun and educational Anzac Day activities for kids

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Kids are naturally curious, and sometimes the best way to nurture their understanding is to combine education with play.

Colouring sheets and word mats

For preschoolers and early primary years, colouring sheets are a gentle way to introduce key themes.

Choose age-appropriate images like:

• Poppies and wreaths
• Australian and New Zealand flags
• Slouch hats
• Anzac biscuits
• Peace doves

Pair these with Anzac-themed word mats that show visual representations of key terms. Use them during craft time or group discussions to reinforce language learning.

Crosswords, mazes and matching games

For primary school students, printable worksheets are a great option for home or the classroom. Activities might include:

• Crossword puzzles using Anzac-related words
• Symbol matching games (match poppy → remembrance, slouch hat → soldier)
• Sequencing activities that ask kids to order the events of an Anzac Day service

These games help reinforce memory, word recognition and comprehension – all while helping to commemorate Anzac Day.

Word association and memory games

Take things up a notch with interactive group games:

• Word association chain: Start with “Anzac” and go around the circle, with each child adding a related word.
• Memory flip cards: Make a DIY set of cards with Anzac symbols and their meanings for a simple matching game.
• Scavenger hunt: Create a hunt for symbols or vocabulary words hidden around the house or classroom, with clues related to Anzac Day.

DIY medal making

Medals are an important part of military tradition. Kids can design their own “Medals of Honour” using cardboard, ribbon, and foil. They can choose a value like “Kindness” or “Helping Others” and give the medal to a classmate, friend, or family member who demonstrates that trait.

This reinforces values Anzac Day represents — like service and integrity — in a way that’s playful and uplifting.

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Anzac Day vocabulary and fun word games

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Words hold so much power, especially when helping kids understand big ideas. Learning games for kids can introduce them to the language of Anzac Day and help form a vocabulary of respect, empathy, and remembrance.

Build a word wall

Choose a mix of simple and complex terms, depending on your child’s age. Examples include:

• Courage
• Service
• Sacrifice
• Peace
• Remembrance
• Mateship
• Veteran

Write them on cards with visuals or short definitions and display them in a central space. Talk through each word together and ask:

• “What does this word mean to you?”
• “Can you think of a time you were brave like that?”
• “What does peace feel like?”

By having these conversations, we’re helping them personalise the vocabulary and apply it to their own experiences.

Word games with a purpose

• Bingo: Create Anzac-themed bingo cards with symbols and vocabulary words.
• Charades: Act out key words like “march,” “salute,” or “serve” to get kids thinking and moving.
• Creative writing prompts: Ask children to write a poem, letter or story using three or more Anzac words. Prompts could include: “Write a thank-you letter to a soldier,” “Imagine you are marching in an Anzac parade — what do you see, hear, and feel?”, or “Describe what courage means to you.”

These writing exercises are a powerful way to encourage empathy and reflection while building literacy skills.

Anzac acrostic poems

Challenge children to write an acrostic poem using the word ANZAC or REMEMBER — where each line starts with one of the letters.
For example:

All stood together
Never gave in
Zeal in their hearts
Across land and sea
Courage forever

Gratitude journaling

Provide kids with a simple Anzac Day-themed journal page. Prompt them with questions like:

• “Who are you thankful for today?”
• “What does bravery look like to you?”
• “If you could say thank you to someone in history, who would it be?”

Journaling is a gentle, reflective activity that fosters personal growth and emotional development.

Storytelling and Anzac Day books

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Stories help children relate to history in a gentle, meaningful way. They bring characters to life, humanise complex topics, and spark important conversations.

Here are a few recommended reads for different age groups:

• Anzac Biscuits by Phil Cummings
  A gentle story that weaves together the experiences of a young girl and her father during wartime, connected by the act of baking biscuits.
• My Grandad Marches on Anzac Day by Catriona Hoy
  Told through the eyes of a young girl, this book explains the meaning of the Anzac Day parade in a relatable, family-focused way.
• Lest We Forget by Kerry Brown
  This book explores the idea of remembering through a child’s perspective — connecting family milestones with moments in history.
• The Beach They Called Gallipoli by Jackie French
  For older children, this beautifully illustrated book tells the story of the Gallipoli campaign with sensitivity and historical accuracy.
• Anzac Ted by Belinda Landsberry
  A touching story about a scruffy old teddy bear who once went to war, showing that bravery comes in all forms.

Make storytime interactive

While reading, pause to ask questions:

• “How do you think the character is feeling?”
• “Why is this day important to their family?”
• “What would you do in their shoes?”

Watch something on TV

There are a fair few educational TV shows for kids that touch on Anzac Day. Play School has an Anzac Day special that shows families how to acknowledge the day a bit differently, including a bespoke song.

If you have an older kid, tween or teen, you could also watch Gallipoli or other war-related stories like Nancy Wake: Gestapo’s Most Wanted, The Battle of Long Tan, or Saving Private Ryan.

Family-based activities

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Cook and share Anzac biscuits

Invite children to help make traditional Anzac biscuits. While baking, talk about how these biscuits were once sent to soldiers because they kept well during transport.

This simple act of cooking becomes a storytelling moment — tying history into everyday life in a tangible, delicious way.

Light a candle or plant something together

Mark Anzac Day by lighting a candle together and observing a quiet moment. Alternatively, plant a flower, herb or native seedling as a symbol of hope and growth.

Both rituals create space for reflection, even with young children, in a gentle and grounding way.

Design a peace garden or peace tree

Whether you’ve got a backyard or just a few pot plants, this one’s a lovely ongoing project.

Ideas include:

• Painting pots with poppies or peace symbols
• Writing hopes or kind words on plant labels
• Hanging “leaves” on a peace tree — each leaf with a word like unity, helping, or calm

Mindfulness activities for Anzac Day

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While some children love diving into crafts and conversations, others may prefer quieter moments to take it all in. Anzac Day can bring up big themes — like loss, bravery, and gratitude — which can feel emotionally heavy or abstract for little ones.

That’s where mindfulness comes in. These gentle, calming activities create space for reflection, without pressure.

For children who may feel overwhelmed by the emotions or expectations around commemorative days, offer calm, low-key activities like:

• Colour-by-numbers poppies
• Playdough poppy-making
• A “peace jar” filled with calming words to pull out and read
• A mindfulness corner with soft music and picture books
• Go for a sunrise or sunset walk on the beach

Wrapping it up

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Anzac Day can be a thoughtful opportunity to help children understand how we reflect on the past and recognise those who have contributed to the communities we live in today. While war itself is a difficult and often painful subject, the day allows space to talk about the importance of remembrance, respect, and learning from history.

By exploring these ideas through child-friendly crafts, vocabulary, stories and games, we can gently support children in developing empathy and a growing understanding of the world around them