Each year my family attends our local Anzac Day service to remember those men and women who gave their lives for their country. When coronavirus kept us from gathering to commemorate the day, we joined in with the Driveway Dawn Service. Along with thousands of other people across Australia, we stood in the early dawn on our driveways, candles lit, Australian flags waving, to remember those who fought so bravely for the freedom of our country.
As well as the Dawn Service and the Anzac Day march, I like engaging with my children in other ways so that the ANZACs remain in our minds. It’s an opportunity for me to teach them the importance of the day and what those men, women and animals did for us. Sometimes, it’s a cooking activity, while other times, it’s sitting down together to read a book. There are also a number of simple Anzac Day craft activities, like the ones below.
Anzac Day craft for kids
DIY Hanging Poppies
Poppies are the flower of remembrance in Australia and a number of other Commonwealth nations. You can create this beautiful craft from recycled plastic bottles. You kids will have a fun time making the pretty poppies, and it’s a fantastic way of using plastic bottles (especially if they don’t qualify for the recycling schemes).
What you’ll need
- Plastic bottles
- Red and Black permanent marker
- Scissors
- Face mask
- Tealight candle
- Hole-punch or pin, optional
- String, optional
How to do it
- Chop the bottom off the bottle. Then, use scissors to shape the plastic to look like a flower.
- Use the red permanent marker to colour the flowers. Then, use the black permanent marker to create the poppy centres.
- Put on your face mask.
- Light a tealight candle. Then, use the flame to melt and shape the poppy flowers. Be sure you are in a well-ventilated area.
- Optional: Use a hole-punch or pin to piece a hole in one of the flower petals. Thread string through the hole and tie a knot. You can now hang the poppy flowers.
These DIY Hanging Poppies are simple to make and a beautiful commemoration.
Egg Carton Poppy Wreath
This is an excellent craft activity for the kids, and it repurposes those egg cartons.
What you’ll need
- 1x empty egg carton
- Scissors
- Red and black paint (we used poster paint, but if you’re worried about it staining clothes, consider something more water-based)
- 1x paper plate
- Stapler
- Permanent marker
- Paint brushes
- PVA glue
- Ribbon
How to do it
- Cut egg carton into flowers. Start by cutting the cups off the carton. Then, make four cuts and trim the edges so that the card looks like a poppy.
- Paint the egg cartons red first. Then, when the paint is dry, paint the centres black.
- Cut out the middle of the paper plate. Using the centrepiece, cut a strip of cardboard about the width of a ruler and at least 15cm long. Use the permanent marker to write ‘Lest We Forget’ along the cardboard strip. You can also write ‘Remember’ or ‘Anzac Day’. Stick the strip to the back of the paper plate using staples and/or glue.
- When the poppies are dry, use PVA glue to attach them to the front of the paper plate. This will become your wreath.
- Allow to dry. Then, loop the ribbon around the top of the wreath and tie a knot. You can hang the wreath at the front of your door or by your mailbox.
This handmade poppy wreath is a perfect Anzac Day craft project for little ones.
ANZAC Soldier Silhouette
This thoughtful (and creative) Anzac Day craft comes courtesy of Teacher Starter. You can get a copy of the silhouette template here.
What you’ll need
- White card
- Coloured crepe paper
- Yellow, Orange, Red and purple coloured paper
- Crayons, coloured pencils/pens or paints
- Scissors
- Glue
How to do it
- Create your sunset background using one of the following techniques:
- Use red, orange, yellow and purple crayons to create a sunset. Gently blend the edges of each colour into the next.
- Lay coloured crepe paper over a piece of white card and spray with water. Leave for 2-3 minutes, allowing the dye to soak into the white card. Remove crepe paper and let the card dry.
- Use watercolour paints (or watered-down paints) to create the sunset.
- Tear strips of coloured paper. Glue to the white card in a sunset pattern. Allow to dry.
- Cut out the silhouette template and glue it on top of the sunset.
- Trim the edges of the background to match the template.
This Anzac silhouette is a perfect craft activity for older kids.
What Anzac Day craft have you tried?
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