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Labor Day weekend typically signifies the unofficial end to summertime for many families. A national holiday since 1894, Labor Day honors the contributions of the working class and how these workers have shaped our country's strength and prosperity. It’s a great time to gather with family and friends, but besides from the barbeques, picnics, and parades, there are many other rituals that parents can incorporate to help celebrate the true purpose of the day. Family traditions that honor the holiday will make the day more meaningful for children and will encourage them to think about and appreciate why they get this extra day off to spend with family. Here are a few ways you and your child can create family traditions and memories that honor the importance of Labor Day.
Explore The Possibilities
Brainstorm the types of jobs or careers your child might like to have in the future. Little ones can even cut out pictures from magazines of people doing various kinds of work and glue them onto paper to form a collage. Help children to think of all the different workers that they encounter during a typical day (garbage man, teacher, coach, the librarian, restaurant server, etc.)
Write Thank You Letters
Even little ones can thank our country’s hardest workers this Labor Day. Encourage your child to write a thank you card to a worker or community helper that they admire and help them deliver it to them by hand or by mail.
Play A Game
As a family, sit down and play a game of charades focusing on different types of occupations. If you have young children, another fun game is to print out photos of a variety of tools that are associated with different jobs, and then ask them to match the tool to the corresponding job (dentist’s drill, a construction worker’s hammer, a chef’s hat, etc.)
Bake Some Goodies
Discuss the types of professions whose workers do not get this holiday weekend off, such as police officers, firefighters, hospital employees, fast food and restaurant workers, etc. Bake some homemade treats and deliver them to your local places of work to surprise the staff and show them you appreciate all that they do.
