SAVE THE CHILDREN’S DEN
DAY TEACHERS’ KIT
29 May to 6 June
Let’s build a better world
ARE YOU READY FOR AN ADVENTURE?
Thanks for signing up to Save the Children’s Den Day.
You’re in great company: schools all over the country are signing up and getting ready to
transform a normal school day into an amazing adventure.
Your pupils can let their imaginations take over and create their own incredible den – and by
getting sponsored to build super shelters at school, they’ll be making life better for children
who don’t have a safe place to sleep tonight.
Den Day’s a brilliant way for children of all ages and abilities to get creative and learn
independently. Whether you’re planning a camp-out style sleepover or simply a school day
with a difference, it’s sure to be an experience you’ll all always remember.
So pick a date, get planning and start saving lives!
Got a question? Contact us on 020 7012 6400 or denday@savethechildren.org.uk
£50 could buy winter clothes for a refugee child, including a jacket, trousers, socks, gloves,
hat, scarf, underwear and lined rubber boots.
LET’S BUILD A BETTER WORLD
We all sleep under the same blanket of stars but, for millions of children in the world’s
poorest countries, life is hard. In lots of ways, they’re just like the children you teach – they
want to have fun, make friends and learn new things.
But many of them will go to sleep tonight hungry, cold and afraid. They might not have a
bed, blankets or even a roof to sleep under.
It’s just not fair.
The money you raise by taking part in Save the Children’s Den Day will help us to make life
better for children all over the world. It will mean we can save even more children’s lives,
and make sure they get the things they need to grow up healthy and happy, like a safe, warm
place to dream.
£95 could buy a kit including plastic sheeting, transparent sheets, wood and galvanized nails
to help a family living as refugees protect their shelter against the weather.
RAISE A ROOF TO RAISE FUNDS
START PLANNING…
Choose any date between 29 May and 6 June and then get organised. Will you add sparkle
to a normal school day, or plan an overnight adventure for your class? Let your colleagues
know you’re taking part in Den Day as well – could the whole school join in the fun?
If those dates don’t work, then it’s not a problem – just hold your Den Day whenever suits you best!
GET FUNDRAISING
Tell your pupils about Den Day, and hand out the sponsorship forms provided in your pack
so they can start fundraising – you can always photocopy more if you need to.
Download our template letter at denday.org/downloads to let parents know about the
fun planned and ask them to support your school’s fundraising.
If you’ve created an online fundraising page for your school, include a link in the letter. Set a
fundraising target and add it to your poster along with details about your Den Day.
SPREAD THE WORD
Keep everyone up to date on social media and your school’s website, and tell your local
paper what you’ve got planned – download a template letter and press release from
denday.org/downloads
SEARCH FOR DEN-BUILDING TREASURES
You can build a den out of almost anything! Keep an eye out for stuff lying around at school
that your children could use to build a brilliant den, or ask them to bring things in
themselves. Pegs, blankets, sheets, cardboard boxes and branches could all come in handy.
£300 could buy a tent to protect a whole family from the rain and cold.
ON THE DAY
Here’s our handy guide to holding a totally amazing Den Day for you and your pupils.
SHOW THEM WHY IT MATTERS
Talk your pupils through the plan of activities for the day and explain that their dens will
raise money to help children around the world. Find tools to help with this, including a film,
at denday.org/downloads.
GET BUILDING!
Time to let everyone’s imaginations take over! Why not hold a competition to see who
builds the best den in the class, or team up to build a classroom cave?
DESIGN YOUR FLAGS
No den is complete without a fabulous flag. Use the template in this pack, and ask pupils to
get creative and design their own flags.
MAKE YOURSELVES AT HOME
Once everyone’s finished creating their shelter, it’s time to get cosy. Plan some activities or
treats for your pupils – if they’re staying in their dens overnight, bedtime stories and
midnight feasts are sure to go down well.
£540 could help three families to pay for heating, fuel, warm clothes and boots for a whole
winter.
As Save the Children is not hosting this event, it cannot accept any liability should you decide to
organise and/or participate in Den Day including, but not limited to, health and safety or otherwise
in anyone taking part in the event. If you are organising this event, then please ensure that your
participants understand that this is not an event hosted by Save the Children.
ADVENTURE IN EVERY LESSON
Your children get to think creatively – and Den Day contributes to the curriculum too.
SCIENCE
If you have natural outdoor space, why not explore nature while you’re den-building?
See how many different types of leaves the children can find, identify cloud types through
spyholes, or try experimenting with different materials, looking at which is best for holding
off water.
GEOGRAPHY
Start the day with an exploration of the different types of houses and shelters children live in
around the world. We’ve set up a collection of images at denday.org
ART AND DESIGN
As well as decorating their Den Day flag, encourage your pupils to create personal,
expressive spaces by asking them to decorate their dens with pictures of things that make
them happy. You can even turn the classroom or hall into a gallery and invite parents to see
their creations.
CITIZENSHIP
Talk about basic human needs and ask what items are essential for survival (things like food,
water, shelter and air) and what aren’t (like TV, the internet, games consoles, mobile phones
and sweets). Ask pupils to separate the two into things they want and things they need.
Then use this to begin talking about how some children don’t have basic things like shelter.
Show them the film we’ve put up on denday.org/downloads about Anna Mae, who lost
her home in Typhoon Haiyan. Use her story to open a discussion about how Save the
Children helps when disasters strike.
DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
This activity ticks so many design and technology boxes. You can begin by asking children to
sketch out their dens, showing what materials they’ll use and how they will be constructed.
Then they can test out their designs in reality, exploring different materials and structural
shapes and their properties.
Get resources to help at denday.org/downloads
GET INSPIRED
Follow these hints and tips to theme your Den Day and fuel your children’s creativity.
OUTDOOR LAIRS
If the weather’s fine, fix up a den in the great outdoors. You’ll need a solid structure like a
climbing frame, sheets to drape over it to make a teepee, and plenty of blankets and rugs to
keep warm.
CARDBOARD COTTAGES
Make a perfect little home – and then invite everyone round for tea! You’ll need plenty of
cardboard, lots of Den Day flags to make bunting – as well as cushions to get cosy.
INDOOR EXPLORERS
Head off on a Den Day safari – without leaving the classroom. You’ll need bedsheets,
blankets and pegs to make your den. Why not craft some cardboard cameras or binoculars
as well?
Let us know what you build on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram – and don’t forget to tag your posts
#denday
CHANGING CHILDREN’S LIVES
When Typhoon Haiyan arrived in the Philippines in 2013, more than 300,000 families lost
their homes.
Eleven-year-old Anna Mae’s home was destroyed by the typhoon and she had to move with
her ten brothers and sisters to her grandma’s house.
Save the Children gave Anna Mae’s family things to help them build a shelter.
“Tarpaulin helps a lot,” Anna says. “It stops us from getting sunburnt and we won’t get wet
when it’s raining. Although this house is not our own, I am happy as long as we have a place
to stay.”
Find out more about Anna Mae’s story – watch our moving interview with her at
denday.org/downloads.
PAYING IN
After your Den Day, don’t forget to send us your hard-earned donations. However much
you’ve raised, there’s a quick and simple way to send it to us.
FUNDRAISING
The simplest way to fundraise is to set up a team page for your school at
vmgiving.co/DenDay and send the link out to parents. That way you won’t need to count
a penny as the money will come straight to us.
PAYING IN ONLINE
Go to denday.org to make a quick, secure payment. Please give the unique
reference number - you’ll find it at the top of the emails you get from us.
PAYING IN BY POST
Make cheques payable to ‘Save the Children’, and write your school name, postcode and
unique reference number on the back. Send all cheques to:
Save the Children’s Den Day
DST Output
Enterprise House
Rolling Mill Road
Jarrow NE32 3DE
GIFT AID
Please also send us all completed sponsorship forms so we can claim back Gift Aid and raise
an additional 25%. You can download a Gift Aid cover sheet from denday.org/downloads.
Please complete this and send it with your forms addressed to:
Save the Children’s Den Day
DST Output
Enterprise House
Rolling Mill Road
Jarrow NE32 3DE
Please don’t send cash in the post and note that if you use an alternative payment method
we may not be able to send you a certificate.
SAVE THE CHILDREN WORKS IN MORE THAN 120 COUNTRIES.
WE SAVE CHILDREN’S LIVES.
WE FIGHT FOR THEIR RIGHTS.
WE HELP THEM FULFIL THEIR POTENTIAL.
denday.org
020 7012 6400
denday@savethechildren.org.uk