**Note: This page is for educational inspiration and is not officially affiliated with World Religion Day. World Religion Day is an annual observance, typically celebrated on the third Sunday in January. It was initiated in 1950 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the BahĆ”Ź¼Ćs of the United States. The day aims to highlight the underlying unity of all religions and the importance of religious harmony and understanding in building a peaceful world. It encourages respect for different faiths and beliefs. For more information, you can explore resources from the BahĆ”Ź¼Ć Faith or interfaith organisations.
Understanding World Religion Day in EYFS & KS1
Let's learn about different ways people believe! šš¤ World Religion Day is an annual observance, typically celebrated on the third Sunday in January. It was initiated in 1950 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the BahĆ”Ź¼Ćs of the United States. The core purpose of this day is to highlight the underlying unity of all religions and to promote the importance of religious harmony and understanding in building a peaceful world. It encourages open-mindedness and respect for the diverse faiths and beliefs that people hold around the globe.
For early years settings, nurseries, preschools, childminders, and Year 1 and Year 2 classrooms, this day provides a valuable and sensitive theme for exploring diversity, respect, understanding the world (Religions & Beliefs), cultural awareness, and personal, social & emotional development. It's about introducing children to the idea that people have different beliefs and practices, and that all should be treated with kindness and respect. This day offers wonderful planning ideas and inspiration for engaging activities that truly resonate with young minds, making learning about global communities and tolerance both enriching and fundamental.
Why Is Teaching About World Religions & Respect Important for Young Children?
Integrating lessons about world religions and respect for diverse beliefs into your practice with young children (aged 0-7) is incredibly important for fostering an inclusive mindset, developing empathy, and preparing them to thrive in a diverse world.
Promotes Inclusivity & Respect: Teaches children that people have different beliefs and practices, and that these differences should be respected and valued.
Fosters Empathy: Encourages children to understand different perspectives and feelings, even if they don't share the same beliefs.
Understanding the World: Provides foundational knowledge about different cultures, traditions, and ways of life, linking to Understanding the World.
Challenges Stereotypes: Helps prevent the formation of prejudices by introducing diversity in a positive and open manner.
Personal, Social & Emotional Development: Contributes to children's sense of self and their place in a diverse community, building tolerance and open-mindedness.
Vocabulary Expansion: Introduces new words related to different faiths, festivals, and practices.
Engaging World Religion Day Activities for EYFS & KS1 (0-7 Year Olds)
Make World Religion Day a truly insightful and harmonious experience with these planning ideas and activities perfect for EYFS and KS1 children. The focus is on celebrating diversity, promoting kindness, and introducing different beliefs with respect! Many of these early years and year 1 activities can be supported by our dedicated 'Religion' resources and linked 'Festivals and Celebrations' pages.
Here's some inspiration for exploring different faiths 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.)
"Be Kind" Message: Emphasise the universal message of kindness and treating others as you wish to be treated, which is common across many faiths. Use our 'World Religion 'Be Kind' Puzzles' to reinforce this.
Colouring Posters: Provide colouring activities that introduce symbols or concepts related to different religions. Use 'World Religion Day' Colouring Posters'.
Religious Symbols Exploration: Introduce a few common symbols from different world religions (e.g., Star of David, Crescent Moon and Star, Cross, Om, Dharma Wheel). Use our 'World Religion Symbol Cards' and 'World Religion Symbol Cards - Colouring' for visual recognition and discussion. Focus on what each symbol represents in a simple, child-friendly way (e.g., "This is a symbol that reminds people of peace").
"How Do We Say Hello?" in Different Cultures: Link to greetings from various cultures, connecting back to the idea of understanding different people. (You could adapt activities from 'World Hello Day' here).
Music and Sounds from Different Cultures/Religions: Play snippets of music that might be associated with different cultural or religious celebrations (e.g., traditional Indian music for Diwali, carols for Christmas). Discuss how music makes us feel.
Shared Values Story Time: Read stories that highlight universal values like kindness, sharing, forgiveness, and community, which are important in many faiths. These don't have to be explicitly religious stories, but can open up discussions about shared human experiences.
Celebration of Diversity: Create a display celebrating the diversity within your setting, including different family traditions, languages, and cultural backgrounds. This helps children see how differences enrich their own community.
Exploring Festivals and Celebrations: Use World Religion Day as an introduction to exploring more specific festivals throughout the year. You can browse our extensive 'Festivals and Celebrations' section for individual resources on:
Birthdays
Burns Night
Lunar New Year
Christmas
Cinco de Mayo
Diwali
Easter
Eid Al-Fitr
Epiphany
Father's Day
Fireworks (Guy Fawkes Night)
Halloween
Hanukkah
Harvest Festival
Holi
Mother's Day
New Year
Pancake Day
Passover
Ramadan
Remembrance Day
Rosh Hashanah
St. Andrew's Day
St. David's Day
St. George's Day
St. Patrick's Day
Sukkot
Thanksgiving
Valentine's Day
Yom Kippur
These activities offer great inspiration for making World Religion Day a memorable and impactful experience in your early years and Key Stage One setting, fostering respect for diversity, cultural awareness, empathy, and an early understanding of global citizenship.
To explore ideas surrounding additional early years events, please visit our 'Special Dates Calendar' page.
Printable resources to support teaching & learning surrounding: āWorld Religion Dayā
Religion related activities for EYFS & KS1:
Browse our Festivals and Celebrations for more specific educational resources:
Additional Pages you may like to explore which cover relevant &/or Connected themes
More Early Years Event Pages for January
Explore special dates (including awareness dates, festivals, celebrations & events) relevant to your EYFS & KS1 children
Browse our āSpecial Dates Calendarā page using the link below. Youāll find calendars for every month of the year to aid your planning!
SEARCH āLITTLE OWLS Resourcesā USING THE FOLLOWING MENU BUTTONSā¦
Disclaimer:
This page is for educational purposes only and is intended to support early years and primary practitioners with ideas and resources related to 'World Religion Day'. We are not officially affiliated with or endorsed by the National Spiritual Assembly of the BahĆ”Ź¼Ćs of the United States, which initiated this observance. We do not claim any rights to specific trademarks or official materials associated with this event. For more information, you can explore resources from the BahĆ”Ź¼Ć Faith or interfaith organisations.
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