Health promotion strategies aim to improve short and long-term health outcomes for Australian children. Strategies that are not informed by or codesigned with interest-holders, including children, may encounter challenges relating to relevance, engagement and reach, limiting their effectiveness and impact. Developing health promotion strategies that are informed by the lived experience and perspectives of children may overcome these challenges. Meaningful engagement of children and interest-holders also aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1,2). Social values are defined as the quantification of the significance individuals assign to changes that they experience throughout their lives (3). Health promotion strategies mindful of social values enhances relevance, engagement, and reach by building ownership and improving contextual fit. To date, the voices and perspectives of adults tend to be privileged over those of children in traditional health promotion efforts. This study aims to determine the social values most important to children, enabling the integration of their voices in health promotion strategies relating to them. Focus groups were conducted, using a qualitative visual card sorting activity to understand children’s perceptions of the meaning and ranked importance of social values determined from a literature review. Children were presented with cards depicting each social value domain, accompanied by an image and brief description, and were asked to rank them from most to least important, explaining both their rankings and the meaning of each domain. This activity was designed and piloted with a schoolteacher and convenience sample of children. Focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using descriptive methods. Forty-two children (girls n = 23, boys n = 19) from Years 2, 4, and 6 from two metropolitan Adelaide schools from varied socio-economic backgrounds participated across nine focus groups. Environment was consistently ranked as the most important social value across the groups of children, followed by health, social-wellbeing and development. Children expressed a strong sense of environmental responsibility, emphasising stewardship as essential for a safe and sustainable future. Their understanding of health was notably holistic, encompassing both physical and mental wellbeing. While the economic domain was ranked lowest, participants demonstrated awareness of financial systems and the importance of equity, highlighting how resources can be used to support others. Children articulated the interconnectedness of all domains, demonstrating sophisticated and socially aware perspectives that were consistent across age groups and school contexts, regardless of varied demographic backgrounds. This study allows us to gain an understanding of the social values most important to children. Consistent with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (2), recognising children as informed contributors and agents of change will strengthen the relevance of health promotion efforts with children.