European Day of Languages
How many words for tree do the children you work with know?
European Day of Languages, 26 September every year
2026 theme: Languages Unite!
This year's theme celebrates the power of languages to bring people together, build understanding and strengthen connections across cultures and communities.
European Day of Languages celebrates the rich variety of languages spoken across Europe and encourages people of all ages to explore language learning, cultural diversity and intercultural understanding.
How many languages are used by the children you work with or who visit your site?
Celebrate the languages they speak today.
Nature can provide a playful starting point for language exploration. How many different words do children know for tree, leaf, bird, mud or rain? Sharing words between languages can help children celebrate their own linguistic heritage while discovering the languages spoken by others.
"linguistic diversity is a tool for achieving greater intercultural understanding and a key element in the rich cultural heritage of our continent."
20 ideas for this year's European Day of Languages
Struggling to find ideas for an event for this year’s European Day of Languages? It can be challenging to organise events that are fun, inclusive, have an educational element and motivate a large number of people. Click the link for a few ideas to get your creative thoughts flowing, most of which are based on the principle of “starting small to go big”! 20 ideas for activities that can be carried in celebration of this year's EDL.
Free resources and activities
The European Day of Languages website is packed with free resources, games, challenges and downloadable materials for all ages. Whether you're looking for simple language activities, celebration ideas, cultural connections or inspiration for a larger event, you'll find plenty to explore and adapt for your group or setting.
Muddy Faces resources
Looking for ways to explore language, culture and communication outdoors?
We have a range of free and downloadable resources, including bilingual and translated materials to help make outdoor play and learning more accessible and inclusive.
- Welsh language resources
- Mud kitchen book available in 12 languages - free to download
