Award-winning children’s author Joy Cowley is passionate about New Zealand’s National Children’s Day. She sees it as a day where children should be treated like royalty. "The call to celebration goes out to all adults," says Joy. "Parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, caregivers, anyone who was once a child! This is your chance to spend a fun day with children and rediscover your youth." Joy is helping to promote Children’s Day 2007, along with some other well-known New Zealand faces.

Although Children’s Day used to be celebrated on the last Sunday of October the date has been changed to the first Sunday in March to avoid a busy time of year, and hopefully enjoy more favourable weather.

"There will be no Children’s Day this year," says National Project Manager Children’s Day, Esther Wallace. "We know that this will be disappointing to many children, but coordination of the Day is a huge task and logistically we could not organise two Children’s Days within the space of six months. Deferring Children’s Day until next year gives us sufficient time to prepare for an extra big day on Sunday 4 March 2007."

WellChild/Tamariki Ora Week has also been changed from May to the week following Children’s Day in order to emphasise the health and wellbeing of children for longer than just one day.

"Now is the time to start planning events for Children’s Day. Community organisations, adults and children alike are encouraged to organise events in their region," says Esther. "Last year there were an estimated 2,500 events around the country and we expect it to be even bigger next year. The idea is to give time not presents on Children’s Day and do lots of fun free stuff."

Already the Children’s Day free phone (0800 10 33 22) has started ringing, with preparations already under way in many regions. One nine-year-old girl in Mt Roskill is planning a recycled fashion show, the 25th Teddy Bears’ Picnic in Auckland will be held on Children’s Day, Timaru will holding contests and activities in different zones

(including a free concert) at the Caroline Bay Complex, there are lots of fun water activities being planned at Makino Aquatic Centre in Feilding, Hamilton City Council is working with local community groups to organise events in four different parts of the city… and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

"The Hector’s Dolphin is the indigenous animal which will help us to promote Children’s Day 2007, so we expect there’ll be a few dolphin-centred activities based around water next year," says Esther.

Celebration ideas and information can be found on the Children’s Day website http://www.childrensday.org.nz/ which will be updated with fun cartoon images of the Hector’s Dolphin and new content at the end of October. For advice email givingtime@childrensday.org.nz or call 0800 10 33 22.

Children’s Day is a non-commercial annual day, founded in the year 2000, with the vision of celebrating and nurturing our greatest treasure, our children. It is not about giving presents or spending money. Core values of the day are giving time, praise and encouragement, listening and talking, love and affection, and new experiences. ‘Giving time’ is the central theme of this year’s Children’s Day.

Children’s Day is an initiative led by a number of non-profit agencies, including government. The Children’s Day Steering Committee representatives include Rotary, Barnardos, Office of the Children’s Commissioner, the Families Commission, Presbytarian Support Central, SKIP, Child,Youth and Family, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, Te Puni Kokiri and NZ Police.