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Many Kiwi kids have heaps of chances to run around after school and at weekends.

We love doing things like playing sport or music, going to drama lessons, riding our bikes or skateboards, or just hanging with our mates.
 
Kids in other countries love to do the exact same things.

That’s why a whole lot of governments around the world joined together in 1993 to protect all the things that are important to us, as kids.

The governments all chose to sign the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which is like a big list of children’s rights.

By signing the treaty, the governments were saying that they would do everythingthey could to protect the rights of us, as kids, so that we can all lead healthy and happy lives, free from things like poverty (being really poor), war, violence, child labour etc.

One of the rules in the UNCRC is Article 31 which says thatall children around the world have the right to play and relax by doing things like sports, music and drama.

  If you want to know more about UNCRC, chrck out the kids' version at: www.savethechildren.net/new_zealand/
nz_programme/UNCRCfriendly.pdf

  Even better, phone Save the Children NZ on (04) 385 6840 and they'll send you a FREE poster!
    
  


  


Indians Akansha, 11, and Aditya, 9, recently visited New Zealand with their dad who works for Save the Children.

They’ve traveled all over the world as a family – Mozambique, London, Swaziland, Sudan, Egypt, Australia and Papua New Guinea.

They loved NZ so much they’ve written to us about their favourite memories.

Hi friends! I'm ADITYA.

I am a soccor fan and love to do science experiments in in my free time.

My trip to the South Island was awesome. At Hanmer Springs I fed the alpacas, llamas, rabbits, Gotland Felt and sheep and lay down in the sulphur pools.

This was exciting.
Taking the gold fragments out of the minerals at Shantytown was enjoyable.

 
Aditya and his big sis, Akansha   The Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki were breathtakingly beautiful.

I loved to watch and touch the sea animals at Seahorse Aquarium – the seahorses, giant squid, turtles, starfish and stingrays the most!

Hi friends! I'm AKANSHA.

I am presently living in Papua New Guinea.

My first trip to New Zealand was very enjoyable, especially our visit to the South Island.

It had exceptional beauty.
My favourite place was Kaikoura where I saw two Sperm whales, an Orca whale and a family of Dusky dolphins.

It was thrilling!

At Christchurch I had a fantastic time watching the little blue penguins.

At Wellington Zoo the Kangaroos, the Red Panda, the Sun Bear, the Tahi Kiwi and the playful Otters excited me! My trip to NZ has been fabulous!		  
  

Meet James and Mary,
youth group leaders in South Sudan

Their country has been at war for 20 years.

During those years thousands of children have been displaced, which means they have lost their homes and in many cases their entire families.



 There were no schools for them to attend and they couldn’t play or do sport.

Their days were simply spent struggling to survive.


A new life

Now the Southern Sudan is at peace so at last children are able to start playing again.
Save the Children have been helping James and Mary and other young people and children in Sudan to set up youth groups so the kids there can start having some fun, like playing sport together.

During war time, James was a child solider. He was forced to go to war.

He now wants to help other kids play and have fun.

This will help them to adjust to their new lives.

By making friends with each other they will help to build new communities together.

As part of supporting young people like Mary and James in South Sudan, Save the Children have been providing the youth clubs with sports equipment. They also help the youth club leaders develop plans for how the clubs can fundraise for themselves to buy more of the equipment they need.