Megan Daley on the Importance of Anzac Day
13 Apr 2026
Using ANZAC Day Stories in Your Early Years Classroom
25th April is Anzac Day, a day to honour Australian and New Zealanders who have served with such bravery. StoryBox Library holds a powerful collection of Anzac Day stories, which can be filtered by age recommendation.
Several titles are particularly well suited to early years classrooms, most especially Anzac Ted and Anzac Biscuits. As always, we recommend that families and educators watch stories containing mature themes before sharing them with young viewers, to ensure suitability for their audience.
Books which recount the stories of men, women and animals at war, as well as those who were left at home - waiting, working, praying, hoping and sending care packages are a meaningful way to help young people understand the significance of ANZAC Day.
Written and illustrated by Belinda Landsberry | Performed by Mike McLeish
In this reading, storyteller Mike McLeish is seated with a worn teddy bear on an antique sideboard behind him. The setting beautifully mirrors the era of the story, deepening the sense of place and time for young viewers.
Classroom Ideas:
Using the Story Box Activity Time suggestions as a starting point, invite students to think about their own "worn and badly torn" brave toy just like ANZAC Ted and create a medal to represent that toy's bravery.
Alternatively, brainstorm everyday heroes in your community and design medals to honour them.
Written by Phil Cummings, illustrated by Owen Swan | Performed by Tiffany Speight
In this reading, Tiffany is seated in a country-style kitchen with an old-fashioned oven, baking ANZAC biscuits alongside a child. The film moves seamlessly between the book and the kitchen setting, drawing young viewers warmly into the story's world from the comfort of their classroom or school library.
Classroom ideas:
After reading, using the StoryBox Activity Time suggestion, bake a batch of ANZAC biscuits and gift them with a handwritten letter to someone you love, a lovely way to spark conversation about why biscuits were sent to our soldiers.
Did you know? The key ingredients (oats, golden syrup, and flour) were chosen because they are durable, nutritious, and could survive the long sea voyage without spoiling.
Megan's Favourite ANZAC Biscuit Recipe
Reproduced below is my favourite ANZAC biscuit recipe, from my copy of the Yeronga Hyde Road Kindergarten Cookbook, 1980, the year I attended kindergarten myself. The pages are food-stained and well worn, with very good reason. This cookbook is a story in itself.
Anzac Biscuits
(Yeronga Hyde Road Kindergarten 1980 Cookbook)
1 cup plain flour
1 cup sugar (brown or raw)
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup coconut
125g butter
3 tablespoons golden syrup
½ teaspoon bi-carb soda in 1 tablespoon boiling water
Melt butter and syrup in saucepan. Add soda/water and watch the volcano effect! Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Pour butter/soda mixture over and mix well. Place spoonfuls on a tray and cook at 160c until golden. Leave to cool on tray.
We hope these stories, and perhaps a tin of freshly baked ANZACs, spark meaningful conversations with the young learners in your life. Explore the full ANZAC Day collection here.
