National Children’s Day

14 May 2021

Audio reading of the blog post

Welcome to our weekly CENMAC blog post

National Children’s Day UK | by Amorel Kennedy, CENMAC Administrator

 

This Sunday (16 May) we will be hoping for beautiful weather as we celebrate the rights and freedom of children on National Children’s Day UK.  The United Nations-nominated date for this important day is 20 November but each country has its own date and here in the UK it is in the Spring in recognition of the importance of children being able to get outside into their neighbourhoods and nature.  

There is a growing body of evidence showing that children’s disconnection with nature is real, so getting involved in some way with bees whether it’s growing sunflowers, or other bee-friendly flowers or even taking up beekeeping is one way to perhaps help children develop healthily and happily.

What does it actually mean to celebrate children’s rights and freedom?  This year, unsurprisingly, the focus is particularly looking at the impact of COVID on child health and wellbeing and the great people and organisations trying to respond.  No doubt, in many ways, it will be a day of reflection. Generally, however, there is no annual theme.  Rather, it is an opportunity for councils, local services, community groups, hospitals, sports clubs, families, charities, schools, carers, etc to raise awareness about things they care about and projects they’re running with/for children. 

 

Have a look at their ideas pages to see what might be going on around the country. 

IDEAS PAGES – National Children’s Day UK 2021 (nationalchildrensdayuk.com) 

National Children’s Day UK partners with The Children’s Voice, another organisation which links with lots of organisations to children’s voices to help ensure their participation in creating a more caring, sustainable world.  Check out some amazing pieces of work by children of all ages on a huge array of topics they clearly feel very strongly about.  Some are well-known already, such as Greta Thunberg the climate change activist, but they are all passionate, articulate and talking about issues including identity, children’s rights and equality. 

 

VOICES – THE CHILDREN’S VOICE (thechildrensvoice.net) 

Following hot on the heels of National Children’s Day UK is World Bee Day on 20 May.   

 

World Bee Day (20 May) | Days Of The Year 

Bees are one of the most instantly recognisable insects to children from a very young age and there is, surprisingly, some synchronicity between National Children’s Day UK and World Bee Day.  World Bee Day was proposed by Slovenia – a country of beekeepers – to raise awareness of the importance of bees (the great pollinators of nearly three quarters of the plants that produce close to 90% of the world’s food) and beekeeping.  There is a growing body of evidence showing that children’s disconnection with nature is real, so getting involved in some way with bees whether it’s growing sunflowers, or other bee-friendly flowers or even taking up beekeeping is one way to perhaps help children develop healthily and happily.  This is something that Charlton Park Academy has taken up in recent years with its students. 

 

 

Right, I’m off to eat a piece of toast and honey now while I listen to some of the inspirational young people speaking on The Children’s Voice. 

Image of child smiling in wheelchair with red top

What does it actually mean to celebrate
children’s rights and freedom? 

Accessible bee keepers
(c) World Bee Day

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