Child-Friendly Labor Day Activities

Explaining Labor Day in a simple way that a child can understand is a great place to start. For example, let them know that today is a day to remember the hard-working people that help make our community, city, and world a better place. Show them photos of familiar community workers to create visual connections to the conversation. People like the Postal worker/delivery person, trash collector, cross walk guard and teachers all directly impact our lives and make them more convenient. Adjusting the level of conversation to the age of the child can help to keep things age-appropriate. For younger children under 3, think of workers they encounter daily in their community.

After discussing the many different jobs, try asking your little ones about jobs they want to do when they are of age. Let them brainstorm for a while, then allow them to share their ideas based on their abilities. Capable children can write a list of names for their chosen jobs. Younger children can verbally explain the job and even try drawing a picture to describe the job. Older children can think about what tasks they would need to carry out in this job, as well as the skills needed to do the job effectively. They can independently draw a picture of themselves doing the job, and describe the details of what is going on in the image.

In connection to discussing workers who are important to the community, a thoughtful project would be to draw a lovely picture or card as a thank you for all of the hard-working people who work within the community. Ask your child what worker(s) they would like to make a card for, and ask them what materials they would need to create a beautiful card. If it is possible, set up an opportunity for your child to hand deliver the card and thank the community helpers for their hard work.

Labor Day is also recognized as the end of summer celebrations and the official beginning of the next school year. So, this weekend can also be utilized for doing some fun outdoor activities as a family. Host a backyard cookout and invite friends and family. Work as a team to prepare the food and supplies for the occasion. Head to the beach or a local festival in your community for some fun. You could even find a local service project to work as a family, giving back to your community and city.

No matter how you decide to spend your holiday weekend, whether it be full of meaningful events or labor-free fun, be sure to spend it with your family and loved ones. This is holiday can act as a reminder on including children, so they can truly learn how to illustrate appreciation to others. Additionally, Labor Day reminds us of all the brave women and men worldwide who made great achievements in the American workforce, which could not have been done without the love and support of the ones they hold dear.