**Note: This page is for educational inspiration and is not officially affiliated with National Wear Red Day (Children’s Heart Surgery Fund). For official information, themes, and how to get involved, please visit the Children's Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF) website: www.chsf.org.uk/wear-red-day.
Understanding National Wear Red Day (Children’s Heart Surgery Fund) in EYFS & KS1
Let's wear something red and learn about our amazing hearts and helping others! ❤️🔴 National Wear Red Day is a special yearly event organised by the Children's Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF), a charity based in Leeds, UK. It usually happens in February, around the same time as National Heart Month. The main idea of this day is to raise important money and help people learn more about children and grown-ups who are born with a heart condition. The money raised helps the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit, which is a special hospital unit that looks after these patients. People are asked to wear red on this day and give a donation to help CHSF. Their work includes buying special equipment, helping families, and supporting doctors who are learning more about heart conditions.
For early years settings, nurseries, preschools, childminders, and Year 1 and Year 2 classrooms, this day provides a wonderful and empathetic theme for exploring the human body (focusing on the heart), health and well-being, kindness and friendship, people who help us (doctors and nurses), and personal, social & emotional development (PSED) through understanding and supporting others. It's about introducing children to the idea of a healthy body, understanding differences, and learning how we can help people in our community, especially those who need extra care. This day offers fantastic planning ideas and inspiration for engaging activities that truly resonate with young minds, making learning about health and compassion both essential and heartwarming!
Why Is Learning About National Wear Red Day Important for Young Children?
Integrating National Wear Red Day and lessons about the heart and helping others into your practice with young children (aged 0-7) promotes health awareness, fosters empathy, and builds a sense of community support.
Promotes Health Awareness: Introduces basic concepts of the human heart and its importance to our bodies.
Fosters Empathy & Kindness: Encourages children to think about others who might be ill and how we can show support.
Celebrates Community & Support: Highlights the work of charities and medical professionals ('People Who Help Us') in helping children.
Emotional Development: Provides opportunities to discuss feelings related to health and helping.
Understanding Differences: Helps children understand that some people have health conditions and how we can be inclusive.
Colour Recognition (Red Focus): Naturally integrates colour learning with a specific, meaningful theme.
Engaging Heart & Red Activities for National Wear Red Day (0-7 Year Olds)
Let's show our support by wearing red and learning about our amazing hearts for National Wear Red Day with these planning ideas and activities perfect for EYFS and KS1 children. The focus is on understanding our bodies, the colour red, and helping others! Many of these early years and year 1 activities can be supported by our dedicated 'The Human Body' and 'Colours' resources, as well as broader 'Kindness and Friendship' and 'Medicine: Doctors and Nurses' themed materials.
Here's some inspiration for celebrating National Wear Red Day in your setting: (Please use your own discretion and knowledge of your children to ensure appropriateness of each activity and safety concerning any materials given and activity undertaken.)
Learn About the Heart:
Introduce the heart as an important part of our body that helps us live and play. Use 'The Human Body - Blood System Poster' (simplified for EYFS/KS1) and 'The Human Body - Heart Playdough Mats'.
Have children colour, cut, and stick a simple heart with 'The Human Body - Colour, Cut And Stick - Heart'.
Explore other body parts with 'The Human Body - Human Body Word Cards (Inside And Out)' and 'The Human Body - Silhouette Puzzles (Inside The Human Body)'.
Use 'The Human Body - Border Sheets’ for drawing or writing about healthy habits.
Wear Red and Explore the Colour:
Encourage everyone to wear something red on the day.
Go on a "red hunt" around the setting or outdoor area using 'Find Red Objects Activity'.
Identify red clothes with 'Circle The Red Clothes Activity' and 'Where Are The Red Clothes? - Interactive Poster'.
Colour themed posters with 'National Wear Red Day - Colouring Posters'.
Connect to broader colour activities like 'Colour Activity Challenge', 'Colour Fans', 'Colour Walk Checklist', 'Colour Walk Tally', 'Colour Match Game', 'Colour Snap Cards', 'Colour Mats/Posters', 'Colour Sorting Activity/Game', 'Our Favourite Colours' Pictogram Chart'.
Use 'Colours' Themed Certificates' and 'Colours' Themed Reward Charts' to celebrate participation.
Brighten your setting with 'Colours' Themed Self Registration Display', 'Colour Balloon' Themed Group Charts', and 'Colour Balloon' Themed Nursery Room Group Charts'.
Helping Others and Empathy:
Discuss what it means to help someone who is unwell. Talk about doctors, nurses, and hospitals (linking to 'Medicine: Doctors And Nurses' and 'People Who Help Us').
Read stories about kindness and caring for friends, connecting to our 'Kindness and Friendship' theme.
Explain simply that some children need special help with their hearts, and wearing red helps those who help them.
Explore More: To browse more of our ‘Colour Activities for EYFS & KS1 Children’, please visit our dedicated ‘Colours’ page. To browse more of our ‘Human Body Activities for EYFS & KS1 Children’, please visit our dedicated ‘The Human Body’ page. You may also like to explore additional pages covering relevant and/or connected themes such as ‘All About Me’, ‘Emotions and Feelings’, ‘Kindness and Friendship’, and ‘Mental Health’.
These activities offer great inspiration for making National Wear Red Day a memorable and impactful experience in your early years and Key Stage One setting, fostering health awareness, empathy, community spirit, and a caring attitude towards everyone.
To explore ideas surrounding additional early years events, please visit our 'Special Dates Calendar' page.
Printable resources to support teaching & learning surrounding: ‘National Wear Red Day’
Learning about the ‘Heart’ activities for EYFS & KS1:
Learning about ‘Colours’ activities for EYFS & KS1:
To browse more of our ‘Colour Activities for EYFS & KS1 Children’, please visit our dedicated ‘Colours’ page.
Additional Pages you may like to explore which cover relevant &/or Connected themes
More Early Years Event Pages for February
Explore special dates (including awareness dates, festivals, celebrations & events) relevant to your EYFS & KS1 children
Browse our ‘Special Dates Calendar’ page using the link below. You’ll find calendars for every month of the year to aid your planning!
SEARCH ‘LITTLE OWLS Resources’ USING THE FOLLOWING MENU BUTTONS…
Disclaimer:
This page is for educational purposes only and is intended to support early years and primary practitioners with ideas and resources related to 'National Wear Red Day (Children’s Heart Surgery Fund)'. We are not officially affiliated with or endorsed by the Children's Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF), which organises this event. We do not claim any rights to specific trademarks or official materials associated with this event. For official information, themes, and how to get involved in supporting children and adults born with heart conditions, please visit the Children's Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF) website: www.chsf.org.uk/wearred.
Let's wear something red and learn about our amazing hearts and helping others! ❤️🔴 National Wear Red Day is a special yearly event organised by the Children's Heart Surgery Fund…