Activity 9: Write a Postcard to the Mayor
Why we like it: This activity encourages children to express their ideas about
what rights are important to them and to share it with an important decision maker.
What you need: Child rights postcard (ideally printed on firmer paper), pencils and
crayons; reference of the United Nations Child Friendly Convention on the Rights
of the Child.
How long: 10-20 minutes
How it works:
- Short group discussion: Why is it important for adults to listen to kids? What
kinds of decisions are important to kids? (e.g. types of activities that they want
to do, don’t feel safe, if they are feeling tired- needing rest). - Remind students about the 4 Bs – right to be healthy, safe, heard and to be
ourselves. Discuss what each of these things mean. - Invite students to pick 1-2 rights that they think are especially important to
them. Draw them on the postcard. - On the back, include their name (can be their first name only) and any
important messages for the Mayor of Victoria. - Share the postcards with the International Institute for Child Rights and
Development. We like to see common themes across classes and schools!
Hundreds of these drawings will be sent to the Mayor.
Reflective questions:
- What right did you want to share with the Mayor? What was important about
this right? - As a class, which rights did we think are the most important?
Tips & variations:
- Some students have used this postcard activity to draw about important issues
affecting their rights. For example, we have seen drawings on stopping
pollution, racism, supporting climate action. and making streets safer for
children. - Optional activity – Rights Quilt. Students can create a ‘Rights Quilt’ by linking
the postcards, photo side out’ into a connected quilt on the bulletin board. [If
you do this, please send a photo of the Quilt to go with the postcard to the
Mayor].
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