Their hands red with ochre, children at Delungra Public had plenty of new experiences on Tuesday, as the school hosted its first community NAIDOC celebrations.

“It was definitely a 10 out of 10,” organiser Sarah Hankins said.

“The kids had an absolute ball.”

The activities were hands on, with children experimenting with ochre painting on cement and each other, making grass skirts and tasting kangaroo burgers.

Ms Hankins said the enthusiastic response to the inaugural event was overwhelming.

“It was just excellent to see the kids actually want to learn more about the Aboriginal culture and get more involved and hands on with things, and not be afraid to ask questions about culture,” she said.

Buddy Hippi and Winangali Infusion were on hand to teach the youngsters traditional dances and the art of Indigenous storytelling.

“He was just amazing with the kids. He was just so down to earth and he made it fun and funny for the kids and just really got involved with them and got them excited to learn new things,” Ms Hankins said.

Elders came along to enjoy a community morning tea, along with several members of the Tingha/Inverell NAIDOC committee. Ms Hankins said she would have liked to have seen stronger community support and hopes it will build in future years.

Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall joined in, and said it was a great initiative. He said he loved school celebrations, and felt it was important to make young people aware of the richness of Aboriginal culture and history.

“The history of the Aboriginal people is the history of our country. It’s the history of the land, which we’ve built buildings on and played sport on,” he said.

“They’re intertwined, and to show children that and allow them to see that history, but also the fact that that culture and the language is still alive today, I think is wonderful for the students to learn.”

Ms Hankins thanked everyone who made the day possible, including Elenore Binge, Buddy Hippi and Aunt Dolly.