Remembrance Day falls on Wednesday 11 November 2026, and many schools will stop for a minute’s silence at 11 am. Children come home with poppies and questions: why are we quiet, what are we remembering, and is it the same as Anzac Day? Here’s how to explain Anzac Day and Remembrance Day to kids in Prep to Year 3, gently and truthfully, with the meaning of the symbols and some things to do together.
What is Anzac Day?
Anzac Day is on 25 April every year. The Australian War Memorial calls it “one of Australia’s most important national occasions”. It marks the day in 1915 when Australian and New Zealand soldiers landed on the Gallipoli peninsula, in what is now Türkiye, during the First World War.
The name comes from the soldiers themselves. As the War Memorial explains, “ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.”
Today Anzac Day is about more than Gallipoli. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs describes it as “a time for all Australians to recognise the more than 2 million people who have served our country in all conflicts, wars and peace operations since 1914.” Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have served too, and are remembered on the day.
What is Remembrance Day?
Remembrance Day is on 11 November. In the words of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, it is “the anniversary of the Armistice of 1918 that ended fighting in World War I.” People stop for “one minute’s silence at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month because that’s when the Armistice came into effect.”
It used to be called Armistice Day. After the Second World War, the War Memorial explains, the name changed “from Armistice Day to Remembrance Day”. Today people use the day to remember all those who have died in wars and conflicts.
| Anzac Day | Remembrance Day | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | 25 April | 11 November (Wednesday in 2026) |
| What it marks | The landing at Gallipoli in 1915 | The end of the fighting in World War I, in 1918 |
| Symbol | Rosemary | The red poppy |
| What happens | Dawn services, marches and wreaths | A minute’s silence at 11 am |
Last checked 17 October 2026. You’ll often see poppies on Anzac Day too, and both days include a minute’s silence, so it’s fine if your child mixes them up a little.
How to explain Anzac Day to a young child
Children this age need simple, true words, said calmly. They don’t need battle details. Follow their questions and stop when they’ve had enough.
- For ages 4 and 5: “A long time ago, some people went far away to help in a war. Some of them didn’t come home. On Anzac Day we remember them, and we’re quiet for a minute to show we care.”
- For ages 6 to 8: “Anzac Day is when we remember the people from Australia and New Zealand who served in wars, starting with soldiers who landed at Gallipoli in 1915. Many of them were hurt or died. We wear rosemary and go to services to say they should never be forgotten.”
- For Remembrance Day: “On 11 November, the fighting in a very big war stopped. Now, at 11 o’clock on that day, everyone is quiet for one minute to remember the people who died in wars.”
If your child asks whether something like that could happen to them, reassure them first: they are safe, and the grown-ups around them look after them. Then answer the question they actually asked, briefly. If they are worried or upset afterwards, our post on calm-down strategies for kids has some gentle ideas.
The symbols and words of remembrance
Most of what children notice on these days is a symbol. Each one has a simple story.
- The dawn service. Many Anzac Day services start at dawn. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs says the timing “links symbolically to the first landing on Gallipoli at dawn on 25 April 1915.”
- The Last Post. A bugle call. The War Memorial explains that in the army, the Last Post “signifies the end of the day’s activities”. At a service it means that those who died can rest in peace.
- A minute’s silence. Everyone stands quietly to think and remember. Some services hold silence for two minutes.
- Rosemary. The War Memorial says rosemary has special meaning for Australians “as it is found growing wild on the Gallipoli peninsula.” People pin a sprig on the left, near the heart.
- Red poppies. Poppies “were among the first plants to grow in the devastated battlefields of northern France and Belgium,” the War Memorial notes. Today the red poppy is the flower of remembrance.
- “Lest we forget”. It means “it should not be forgotten”. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs explains that it’s an expression of mourning, not of thanks.
The Ode, and what to say on the day
At most services someone reads the Ode, the fourth verse of Laurence Binyon’s poem For the Fallen:
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Everyone then repeats “We will remember them”, pauses, and says “Lest we forget”. It helps to practise this at home so your child knows when to join in. The War Memorial notes that the Ode has been recorded in 45 languages, which is lovely for families who speak another language at home.
Because these are days of remembering, “happy Anzac Day” doesn’t quite fit. A quiet “Lest we forget” at a service, or simply taking part in the silence, is what most people do.
Things to do together
- Watch a story made for young children. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs made Here they come: A day to remember, an animated story and picture book “designed for lower primary students”, with short videos about wreaths, rosemary, poppies, memorials and the Last Post.
- Make a paper poppy. The War Memorial’s “Anzac with children” page has instructions and colouring templates.
- Make a rosemary wreath. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs suggests using rosemary branches and gum nuts.
- Visit a memorial. Most towns and suburbs have one. Read the names together and talk about how communities remember. In Melbourne, the Shrine of Remembrance holds a Remembrance Day service, and at exactly 11 am a ray of light shines on its Stone of Remembrance.
- Go to a service. A dawn service is very early for little ones, so a later march or a school service can be a gentler first step.
- Ask an older relative. Grandparents may have stories, photos or medals in the family. KidStudy’s History lesson Talking Across Time is a fun way to start the conversation.
What children learn about it at school
From Prep (Foundation), children talk about “the celebrations and commemorations of significant events shared with their families and others” (AC9HSFK02, in the national curriculum). By Year 3, the Australian Curriculum names Anzac Day among the significant events that are “celebrated, commemorated or recognised in Australia” (AC9HS3K02). In Victoria, the History curriculum for Foundation to Level 2 covers how families and communities “commemorate significant past events that are important to their community” (VC2HH2K04), and Anzac Day is named again in Levels 3 and 4 (VC2HH4K03).
KidStudy’s Year 2 History lesson, We Remember, looks at how communities remember, with Anzac Day, poppies and memorials. For more about Australia’s places and peoples, see our guide to Australia’s states and territories for kids.
Questions parents ask
How do I explain Anzac Day to a young child?
Keep it simple and true: a long time ago, people from Australia went far away to help in a war, and some didn’t come home. On Anzac Day we remember them, wear rosemary and are quiet for a minute to show we care.
What is the difference between Anzac Day and Remembrance Day?
Anzac Day, on 25 April, marks the landing at Gallipoli in 1915 and remembers everyone who has served. Remembrance Day, on 11 November, marks the end of the fighting in World War I in 1918, with a minute’s silence at 11 am.
Why do we wear poppies on Remembrance Day?
Red poppies were among the first plants to grow on the battlefields of northern France and Belgium. Today the red poppy is the flower of remembrance.
Why is there a minute’s silence at 11am on Remembrance Day?
Because 11 am on 11 November 1918, the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, is when the Armistice came into effect and the fighting stopped.
What does “Lest we forget” mean?
It means “it should not be forgotten”. It is said in mourning for those who died, rather than as a thank you, often straight after the Ode at a service.
Why do people wear rosemary on Anzac Day?
Rosemary is a symbol of remembrance, and it grows wild on the Gallipoli peninsula. People pin a sprig on the left, near the heart.
Sources
- The Anzac Day tradition, Australian War Memorial
- Anzac Day 25 April, Department of Veterans’ Affairs
- Remembrance Day, Department of Veterans’ Affairs
- Remembrance Day traditions, Australian War Memorial
- Dawn ceremony, Department of Veterans’ Affairs
- The Last Post, Australian War Memorial
- One minute’s silence, Australian War Memorial
- Rosemary, Australian War Memorial
- Poppies, Australian War Memorial
- Lest we forget, Department of Veterans’ Affairs
- The Ode, Australian War Memorial
- Here they come: A day to remember, Department of Veterans’ Affairs
- Anzac with children, Australian War Memorial
- Remembrance Day 2026, Shrine of Remembrance
- HASS F–6: Year 3, Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority
- Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0: History, VCAA
