Get set for Red Nose Day with JoJo and Gran Gran

Red Nose Day is back and is aiming to bring the UK together (although we may be apart) to show just how powerful humour can be through the toughest of times. Let’s face it, we all need a laugh right now…

Money raised for Red Nose Day funds hundreds of amazing organisations who are working on the ground to support the most vulnerable people and communities in society, including many of those hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis. No matter how small something may seem – like getting the team to dress up or organising a sponsored event in your setting – when you do it for Red Nose Day, you’re part of something much bigger. You’re working towards making the world a better place.

So put Friday 19 March in the diary and get set for a day of music, dancing and delicious food!

PARTY WITH JOJO & GRAN GRAN

This year, Comic Relief has teamed up with CBeebies and JoJo & Gran Gran to make it a Red Nose Day to remember for your little ones.

There are loads of free resources available online to help you organise a JoJo & Gran Gran carnival-style party in your setting, including:

• Party invitations
• Posters
• Bunting
• Recipe cards
• Carnival crown craft sheets
• Cynthia’s scavenger hunt, to get the children out and about or exploring indoors
• Jared’s danceathon – a great excuse to turn up the tunes and dance the day away!

Just visit comicrelief.com/earlyyears and download what you need.

Ask families to dig out their children’s most colourful clothes and boldest patterns to wear with their carnival crown. If you can’t hold a bake sale this year, why not switch it to a picnic? Ask everyone to make a donation if they can, then bring a blanket and their favourite treats. There are lots of carnival recipes at comicrelief.com/earlyyears if you’re looking for ideas.

Stay Covid-safe

For information on Covid-safe and virtual fundraising, go to comicrelief.com/covidsafe.

So that you can collect donations safely, go cashless by setting up a Just Giving page. You can find out how to do this at comicrelief.com/JGearlyyears

MAKE THE CARNIVAL LAST!

To make the most of the Red Nose Day carnival atmosphere, why not extend the JoJo & Gran Gran theme to last a whole week? All the episodes of the show are available to stream on the BBC iPlayer – you could pick one a day and organise related activities. For example, you could watch:

• It’s Time to Dance – teach the children a dance and put on a show
• It’s Time to Play Football – organise a sponsored shootout
• It’s Time for a Treasure Hunt – plan a treasure hunt (you could use Cynthia’s scavenger hunt sheet)
• It’s Time to Make Music – learn and perform a song
• It’s Time for Carnival – before your big Red Nose Day Carnival event!

LAUGHING AND LEARNING

Red Nose Day isn’t just about fun and fundraising – it is also a fantastic opportunity for some engaging, creative learning with little ones.

This year’s resources focus on the story of Elida, a lively, happy six-year-old who lives with her grandmother, Agnes, in Malawi. Elida was born with cerebral palsy, but Agnes was determined this wouldn’t hold her back and used to carry her to school every day. With the help of Feed the Children Malawi, funded by Comic Relief, Elida was given a wheelchair and Agnes has learnt how to help her exercise. Elida can now sit independently at school and stand with a frame.

Visit comicrelief.com/earlyyears to download the story poster about Elida and a PDF of related learning activities with links to JoJo & Gran Gran. The activities have been written by Laura Henry-Allain to help you support children towards achieving a range of EYFS goals – choose from:

• Meet Elida – talking about Elida’s life and why you are taking part in Red Nose Day
• People Who Help Us – reflecting on special people like physiotherapists, doctors and firefighters who help and support us
• Where in the World? – finding out about life in Malawi and learning about how it is different to life in the UK
• Special Families – thinking about families and what they mean to us.

In the words of Comic Relief’s co-founder, Sir Lenny Henry: ‘The big day might look a bit different this year, but your laughter really will change lives’. We hope that with the help of JoJo & Gran Gran, you and the children enjoy Red Nose Day 2021.