There are no poppy collections outside your local supermarket, no in-classroom discussions, no pre-dawn marches, and no gatherings this year. But as a country we will still remember, and while standing apart - at our letterboxes, on our porches, decks, and driveways, or from the front door - we also stand together, to remember and pay our respects.
Students from Auckland's Matua Ngaru School with some of their Anzac creations Photo: SUPPLIED
Anzac Day will certainly be different this year. We are living in a restricted world, in a country in lockdown. While we cannot meet for a dawn service as we usually would, there are plenty of ways New Zealanders can mark the day from their own homes.
Take inspiration from the list below and get creative with the kids by making poppy art, baking Anzac goodies, or follow the links to learn more about why we remember Anzac Day and the significance of poppies. Find out about competitions, light displays and how to lay a digital poppy for those who served Aotearoa.
And don't forget to join other New Zealanders at 6am tomorrow by standing in your lounge, at your front door, on your driveway, deck, porch or at the letterbox to take a moment to remember. Tune in to RNZ from 5.50am for our 'virtual' dawn service, presented by Shannon Haunui-Thompson, and check our website for developments throughout the day.
Send us a photo of your creations and how you marked Anzac morning to webnews@rnz.co.nz and you might end up on our blog or on our Facebook page.
Click on the links below to find instructions, recipes, watch videos and more.
Arts and crafts
Jackson Nwankwo, 5, with poppies he made from egg cartons Photo: SUPPLIED
RSA has a number of resources for children in its Kids Corner. Including a children's activity sheet with a picture to colour in, poppy cut-out and wordfind.
Make a poppy out of an egg carton or muffin liner, knit or crochet one. If you opt for the egg carton poppies, you could use them to make this wreath.
Te Papa is encouraging children to make a medal for an everyday hero, an essential worker, or someone in your bubble. Wear it at dawn, take a photo and tag Te Papa when you share it online.
Got some empty plastic bottles lying around? Transform them into plastic poppies and decorate your garden.
Turn red Warehouse or New World reusable bags into poppies to decorate your garden and windows.
Photo: SUPPLIED
You could also draw or paint poppies on paper, card, canvas, or material. Check out some of the awesome creations from students at Matua Ngaru School in Kumeu, Auckland, in the photo above, for more ideas.
A poppy made from a red New World bag by Mei Smith, 6 Photo: SUPPLIED
Get your fingers messy and do a finger painting of poppies on canvas or paper.
Make poppy bunting using red paper plates (or paint white ones red).
Make poppies out of red paper (or colour white paper red) and glue them to a paper plate or cardboard to make a wreath.
You might not have the materials you need, so get creative - use cardboard instead of paper plates, crayons, pens or coloured pencils instead of paint or check out this video on how to make your own paint.
Use your Anzac Day creations to decorate your letterbox or windowsill and enter RSA's 'Decorate your letterbox' competition to be in to win some prizes.
In the kitchen
Make the obvious or opt for something a bit different this year. If choosing the former, try Chelsea's Anzac biscuit recipe or this variation. Make them with chocolate or cinnamon.
Meer Patel, 6, bakes Anzac biscuits Photo: SUPPLIED
Turn the classic recipe into a slice a gooey caramel slice or yummy chocolate slice or try this Anzac lime tart.
Make apple, pear and Anzac biscuit crumble for dessert or some Anzac muffins, best served warm.
Izzy Prendergast and Harry Carr with Anzac biscuits they made Photo: SUPPLIED
In your neighbourhood
Teddies have become fixtures in windows across the country since we went into lockdown, and now some of them are featuring poppies. Councils are encouraging people to add poppies to their cuddly toys for children to spot as they walk through their neighbourhoods.
Also look out for decorated letterboxes - and decorate your own to be in to win some prizes. RSA is running a 'decorate your letterbox' competition. Just take a photo and upload it to Facebook or Instagram and make sure to tag @RSA_National, @NZ Defence Force and use the hashtag #Standatdawn.
This one's for those in Auckland who can see the Harbour Bridge and Auckland War Memorial Museum from their homes, or from a short walk from their homes. The east side of the bridge is shining poppy-red in the evenings, until tomorrow night, while the museum will be red from dusk tonight until dawn on Sunday.
The bridge, Lightpath, museum and Sky Tower will all light up in unison from 3am to 7am tomorrow.
Online
Learn about the history of Poppy Day, the Anzac Day Act and language from WW1 on Auckland Museum's website or watch this video which explains the significance of poppies.
Find out about why New Zealanders went to war, the Gallipoli landing and the evacuation in the museum's video series.
Play Minecraft - Gallipoli style. Auckland Museum collaborated with students from Alfriston College to re-create the landscape of 1915 Gallipoli in Minecraft, block by block. Learn more about the project here and download the Gallipoli Minecraft world here.
Research Anzacs in your family. Did one of your ancestors serve New Zealand? Find out more about them by searching through archives and databases. Got an inkling someone did, but you're not sure? The National Library has some good advice on where to start.
Lay a poppy for someone who served New Zealand on this online cenotaph, where people can also share and contribute to personal records.
How to #StandAtDawn from 5.50 am on Saturday 25 April:
Tune in to RNZ National on 101 FM, streaming live on the website rnz.co.nz/national, on your phone or mobile device (download the app here) or find your local radio frequency here: rnz.co.nz/listen/amfm.
You can also follow our live blog on rnz.co.nz.
For additional Information visit standatdawn.com
