This week, communities all around Australia are coming together for NAIDOC Week (5 – 12 July), celebrating the histories, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. And this year is a special one… The 2026 theme, “50 Years of Deadly”, marks five decades of NAIDOC Week! (“Deadly”, in Aboriginal English, meaning excellent!)

For families and educators, NAIDOC Week is an invitation: to listen, to learn and to celebrate together with the children in our lives.

Song as story

At Bonkers Beat, we know music has the power to connect, teach and bring joy. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures embody this more deeply than perhaps any other, with musical traditions stretching back tens of thousands of years! The songs carries story, language and connection to Country across generations.

This year’s official NAIDOC poster, Paralpi, by Yankunytjatjara artist and musician Zaachariaha Fielding, captures it perfectly. The artwork depicts the sounds of a special place where children are embraced, celebrated and taught by Elders. 

You might like to share it with children and simply wonder together: what do you think this place sounds like?

Simple, honest and engaging

You don’t need to be an expert to introduce NAIDOC Week to young children. Simple, honest language works beautifully. Here’s a great way to introduce the topic this year: “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were the first people to live in Australia, and their cultures are the oldest in the whole world. NAIDOC Week is when we celebrate their stories, music and art – and this year it’s turning 50. That’s a very big birthday!”

For educators, it’s also a gentle prompt to reflect on how First Nations perspectives are woven through our programs all year round… not just this week.

Treasures for young learners

ABC Education, the National NAIDOC Committee and Culture is Life have released the official NAIDOC Week Education Resources 2026, created by First Nations educators. Within them are some gems just right for the kinder room or the lounge-room floor:

• Dance with Tom (ABC Kids): Dance and story across the Yugambeh language region, made for young children.
• Marrin Gamu (First Languages Australia): A joyful song about the body, sung in First Nations languages from around the country.
• Dust Echoes (ABC Education): Beautifully animated Dreamtime stories from Central Arnhem Land, perfect for wide-eyed wondering together.

And of course, fill your week with First Nations music and let the children move however the songs take them. If you can, invite local elders to share at your service!

We have also created the Bonkers Beat Australian Aboriginal Resources Pack in the Bonkers Beat Shop to further support meaningful learning in early childhood year round!

However you celebrate, what matters most is showing up with open hearts and listening ears. Fifty years of deadly is worth celebrating – here’s to the next fifty!