As we go into the 12th year of Christmas Jumper Day, it’s easy to forget about the meaning behind it. Among the fun and festivities, with the excitement of jazzy jumpers and Christmas crafts, children can be forgiven for forgetting why Save the Children works hard to raise money for kids in the UK and around the world.
We consulted with the education experts at the Education Company to share ten simple activities to incorporate into your day which, while age-appropriate, will remind children of the reason we get dressed up and get down to the important business of helping others.
Share an assembly with examples of children that Save the Children helps, and remind children where the money goes
We have a fantastic ready-to-go assembly that explores the work of Save the Children in an accessible, age-appropriate way. It breaks down where fundraising goes, what £2 can do and more. This is a great way to start a full day of Christmas Jumper fun, setting a festive tone while reminding children why they’re donning their glittery gear.
Watch age-appropriate videos of the work Save the Children does throughout the year
Explore videos on our website outlining the important work Save the Children does and select a few key examples to show to your class. These could be a springboard for a drama piece or a practical project like making posters or creating leaflets.
Share a story of a child that Save the Children has helped
We have a variety of children’s stories from the UK and around the world that could really help contextualise the work we do for young audiences. This is especially true where we have photos and key examples of where money has been spent. Why not have a look at our interactive stories and our Christmas Jumper Day-specific stories.
Create a drama piece exploring Save the Children’s work
After looking at children’s stories and videos, try working with KS2 children to create a drama piece about Save the Children’s work. Freeze frames or short, whole-class productions could work well. You could then plan to show off the drama piece to children in KS1 at the end of the day or week to explain to them why Save the Children is important.
Create a storyboard or comic strip exploring Save the Children’s impact
As with the drama piece, children could create a storyboard or comic strip exploring the experiences of a particular child or the work of a particular group working with Save the Children. Pupils can base their storyboard/comic on a story or a video you shared with them from our website. Encourage them to explore the impact Save the Children has had on children. They might even like to write it from the perspective of that child.
Encourage children to make a poster or leaflet promoting Save the Children’s work and exploring what different donations can pay for
You could use the following key facts to encourage children to create a leaflet or poster explaining Save the Children’s work. Target audiences could be their families, school governors or members of their local community:
- £2 could pay for a pair of shoes to keep a baby in Afghanistan warm through winter.
- £5 could pay for a maths pack to make sure a child in the UK is ready for school.
- £8 could buy a blanket to keep a child in Ukraine warm through winter.
- £10 could buy a supermarket voucher, so a child in the UK has enough brain fuel to thrive.
- £15 could pay for two weeks of superpowered peanut paste to help a child beat hunger.
- £30 could buy gardening tools and seeds for a family to grow their own healthy food so they don’t go hungry again.
- £35 could buy a baby kit for a newborn – with a bowl, nappies, towels, a wrap, soap and a snuggly baby cap.
- £45 could give a family who’ve escaped war in Ukraine enough food for a month.
- £80 could buy two goats, so children can have healthy milk to drink and their family can earn money.
- £160 could give a child a place at school and the chance to become who they want to be.
Complete the activities related to our lesson pack: word searches, mazes and quizzes
The themed activities in our lesson pack this year (word searches, mazes and quizzes) remind children of Save the Children’s work - and the impact of their donations - while having fun!
Learn about Save the Children in history or geography lessons
Save the Children has a long history running back to 1919, right at the end of the First World War. Why not incorporate this into your history lessons?
Pupils could create a timeline, detailing big moments in history and Save the Children’s involvement over the years. This could be done individually, in pairs, in groups or even as a whole class.
Children can polish their historical skills by comparing the work Save the Children has done in the past with the work they’re doing now. They can look for similarities in the situations that lead to children needing help (such as wars or natural disasters) and the type of support children need (such as education, food, and medicine).
Children could carry out their own research and create fact files on specific projects, countries or children who the charity has supported around the world. Use globes or atlases to locate countries where Save the Children has worked. There are 118 countries to choose from, but some examples of places Save the Children has done a lot of work are: Syria, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Somalia, Yemen, or the UK!
Carry out a multiplication activity
See how many £2 donations it would take to raise funds for important things children need.
Use donation calculations to practise your multiplication. How many donations would it take to buy a goat for a family? How about finding a child a place at school? This could also take the form of a quiz to highlight how lots of donations added together make a difference.
Encourage older children to create a lesson or assembly for younger children explaining Save the Children’s work
As with sharing a dramatic piece, older children could carry out their own ‘research’ into Save the Children and put this into a presentation format to show to their younger fellow pupils.
These are just a few simple ideas to kick off thinking about the magic of Christmas Jumper Day at a deeper level. We would love to hear other ways you have incorporated teaching the importance of helping others in your school or setting. Tag us and share what you and your students have got up to!
