How to celebrate Take Your Child to Work Day in a fun + inclusive way

Children are inquisitive. If you’re a parent yourself, you’ve probably experienced this and may have been asked by your child what you do all day.

Of course, you can explain your job to them in simple terms. But wouldn’t it be great if you could actually show them?

Take Your Child to Work Day is happening on Thursday, April 25, 2024, and it is the perfect opportunity to invite the parents of your organization to bring their child(ren) to work for the day.

In addition to creating a bit of fun, inviting children to your office can offer many benefits – to your business, your employees and their children. Read on for how you can turn Take Your Child to Work Day into a fun and inclusive holiday for all employees.

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What is Take Your Child to Work Day?

Take Your Child to Work Day is typically celebrated on the fourth Thursday of April each year.

The purpose of Take Your Child to Work Day is to give children a glimpse of what their parents or caregivers do at work, and to encourage them to think about the various career opportunities available to them in the future.

What are the benefits of Take Your Child to Work Day?

Children are extremely impressionable and learn so much from their parents and the adults around them. They often look up to their parents for guidance in life. And when a child sees a parent or caregiver doing something, they often want to grow up to do the same.

Take Your Child to Work Day is an excellent opportunity, particularly for high school and college students who are trying to find their career path. What’s more, it’s a chance to liven up your office and boost morale and engagement with some new, excited faces.

Allowing your employees to bring their children to work for the day gives those children the opportunity to see first-hand what it's like to work in a particular field, or for a particular company, and to learn about the different careers available to them in the future.

Take Your Child to Work Day can also help build relationships between children and their parents or caregivers by spending a day together in a new environment giving them the chance to create a shared experience. And, Take Your Child to Work Day helps colleagues bond over their roles as parents, and the children may also be able to meet other children and form new friendships.

Overall, Take Your Child to Work Day can be an exciting and educational experience for all involved. It’s an opportunity to expose children to the world of work, to encourage them to explore different careers and to create a shared experience between parents, caregivers and children.

Why should your organization celebrate Take Your Child to Work Day?

Sure… it’s unlikely that celebrating Take Your Child to Work Day will improve productivity or increase sales. But it’ll certainly help boost staff morale and engagement.

Letting children visit your office shows your employees that the organization supports working parents and understands the struggles they face. It also demonstrates to potential employees and clients that your organization thinks highly of its employees and has a great culture, which can be hugely beneficial and a fantastic asset to promote.

Top tips for entertaining children during Take Your Child to Work Day.

Here are a few simple suggestions for entertaining kids during Take Your Child to Work Day:

• Ask for volunteers to organize events throughout the day.
• Give the children a tour of the workplace and explain what happens in each area.
• Ask children to do some simple admin tasks (even if those tasks don’t really need to be done) like refilling the staplers or organizing your swag closet.
• Ask children to create a poster to advertise your business.
• Set up a scavenger hunt for the kids, with a list of things to find like a coffee cup or a red pen.
• Organize a team bonding exercise that includes the children.

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Should you call the holiday Take Your Child to Work Day or Take Your Sons & Daughters to Work Day?

Take Your Child to Work Day is an inclusive holiday that invites children to learn by watching. One of the best things you can do on this holiday is be inclusive to all genders.

Originally called “Take Our Daughters to Work Day,” this holiday was created in 1993 to introduce girls to more professions and to address female-related self-esteem issues. In 2003, the holiday was officially expanded to include boys – though most companies invited children across genders from the beginning – and the name was changed to “Take Your Sons & Daughters To Work Day,” which remains the official name this year.

At Electives, we recommend instead celebrating Take Your Child to Work Day to be inclusive of children across all genders.

Learn how to create a more inclusive workplace

How can remote employees and remote workforces celebrate Take Your Child to Work Day?

Sitting next to a parent at the computer to join Zoom calls isn’t necessarily going to be a great Take Your Child to Work Day experience. However, even for remote employees, you can encourage a bit of fun for their kids.

Ideas to celebrate Take Your Child to Work Day for remote workforces include:

• An all-team call during which children can be introduced and share their sports, hobbies and interests.
• A special, chaperoned Zoom room for kids to meet each other and spend time together. Just like a scavenger hunt can be great for kids coming to the office, a trivia contest or art project can be great for kids connecting virtually.
• Live virtual learning, like yoga or lessons from Olympians, can be enjoyed together by kids and the entire team.

Should you involve people without kids in your Take Your Child to Work Day celebrations?

Take Your Child to Work Day can be opened up to everyone by encouraging people to bring nieces, nephews and neighbors to the office – if they want to. Whether or not people have kids, Take Your Child to Work Day should be a no-pressure holiday with no forced participation. Likewise, both people with and without kids coming to the office (or the virtual office) should be invited to volunteer to help organize and run the events for Take Your Child to Work Day. After all, it’s a holiday focused on demonstrating potential and inclusion.

No matter how you celebrate Take Your Child to Work Day, it is a chance to show employees – including those with and without kids – that you understand they are people outside of their roles at your company. Take Your Child to Work Day gives you the opportunity to grow and connect together… as people, as parents and as coworkers.

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