Roald Dahl Day - Celebrate Imagination and creativity!
Updated: Aug 29
This Roald Dahl Day assembly for primary schools celebrates one of the world's best-known children's authors and explores the incredible power of imagination. Through facts, discussion and creative activities, pupils discover how Roald Dahl used his imagination to create extraordinary characters, stories and inventions. Children are encouraged to think about their own ideas and consider how imagination and creativity can help us see possibilities, solve problems and bring joy to others.
Suitable for EYFS, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
What is Roald Dahl Day?
Roald Dahl Day is celebrated each year in September, around the birthday of children's author Roald Dahl. It provides an opportunity for schools, libraries and families to celebrate his stories, characters and remarkable imagination.
For primary schools, Roald Dahl Day is also a great opportunity to celebrate reading and storytelling. From unusual characters to magical inventions and strange new worlds, his books show children how writers can take ordinary ideas and transform them into something extraordinary.
This assembly uses Roald Dahl Day as a starting point for exploring the value of imagination, encouraging children to celebrate their own creativity and think about how they can use it in their everyday lives.
Who was Roald Dahl?
Roald Dahl was a British author best known for writing children's stories filled with unusual characters, unexpected adventures and imaginative ideas.
He also had some interesting writing habits. Dahl wrote his stories using a simple yellow pencil on large pads of paper and would take exactly six sharpened pencils with him when he went to write. When all six pencils became dull, he knew that he had been writing for around two hours and it was time for a break.
Dahl was also inspired by experiences from his own childhood. Traditional stories helped influence some of the characters he later created, while his childhood experience as a chocolate taste tester helped inspire his fascination with unusual sweets and chocolate.
How did Roald Dahl use his imagination and creativity?
Imagination was at the heart of Roald Dahl's writing. He took familiar things – schools, families, chocolate, animals and everyday people – and transformed them into extraordinary stories.
This assembly gives children the chance to explore that imagination for themselves. Pupils consider what makes somebody a great storyteller before being challenged to invent their own unusual sweet treat, inspired by Dahl's imaginative creations such as three-course dinner chewing gum and lickable wallpaper.
These activities help children understand that imagination isn't just about making up stories. It allows us to create, invent, explore possibilities and look at familiar things in completely new ways.
Why is imagination and creativity important for children?
Every child has an imagination, and learning to use it can open up a world of possibilities.
Imagination helps children create stories, develop ideas, solve problems and express themselves. It allows them to ask questions such as What if? and imagine things that don't yet exist. Many of the inventions, books, films, artworks and discoveries that we enjoy today began with somebody imagining something new.
During the assembly, pupils discuss their own story ideas and favourite Roald Dahl characters before reflecting on the power that imaginative ideas can have. They leave with a simple challenge: How will you use your imagination today?
What does the Bible teach about using our gifts?
For schools choosing to use the optional collective worship elements, this assembly links Roald Dahl's gift for imagination with the idea that everybody has their own gifts and talents.
The assembly uses 1 Peter 4:10, which encourages Christians to use the gifts they have received to serve others. Children are invited to think about their own gifts and consider how they could use them to make a positive difference to somebody else.
This provides an opportunity to move beyond simply celebrating Roald Dahl's imagination and encourage children to recognise and value the different gifts and talents they see in themselves and others.
This assembly includes:
A ready-to-use PowerPoint
A clear, easy-to-follow script
Interesting facts about Roald Dahl
Creative activities exploring imagination
Discussion and reflection questions
Optional collective worship slides
A linked Bible message and prayer
Ideas for extending the assembly throughout the week
FAQs
When is Roald Dahl Day?
Roald Dahl Day is celebrated each September and is linked to Roald Dahl's birthday. Schools often use the occasion to celebrate his books and characters, encourage children to enjoy reading and explore the importance of storytelling and imagination.
What is the theme of this Roald Dahl assembly?
The main value explored in this assembly is imagination. Children learn how Roald Dahl used his imagination to create memorable stories, characters and inventions before considering how they can use their own creativity and ideas.
Do children need to know Roald Dahl's books before the assembly?
No. Children who already know Roald Dahl's stories will have plenty of opportunities to share their favourite books and characters, but no previous knowledge is required. The assembly introduces the ideas in a way that allows all pupils to take part.
Do I need to plan anything for this assembly?
No, all of our assemblies are ready-to-deliver. Simply download, read the plan and deliver. If you have some Roald Dahl books available, you may wish to show these at the beginning of the assembly and ask children and staff to share their favourites.
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