Labor Day for the Littles

Labor Day falls on the first Monday in September. The holiday originated at as time to honor those who work and give them a day of rest. Today, Labor Day is thought of as the last holiday of summer, and many people celebrate with family picnics or other outdoor outings. As part of your celebration, you might wish to set up a corner of the room where the members can look through picture books about community helpers and other workers.

Labor Day Mural (Project Learn, Art)

Set out a variety of kinds of magazines (check with your local library to see if you can collect their discarded magazines from circulation). Let the members look through them and tear out pictures of people at work (a person washing dishes, a truck driver at the wheel, a singer performing on stage, etc.) and the pictures that illustrate different occupations (a police officer in uniform, a doctor in in a white lab coat, a cowhand in western gear, etc.). Have children glue their pictures on a large sheet of bulletin board paper with a title of "People at Work" at the top of the paper and hang it up at the member's eye level. Then talk with the children about the kinds of work that the people in the pictures are doing.

Variation: Let younger children choose from the precut pictures that have been placed in a box. Having problems locating discarded magazines? Try printing clipart that feature different occupations. To add more of an art component, have the members draw their own pictures of people in their careers.

Labor Day Charades (Project Learn, Career Launch)

Provide the members with a box of hats from different occupations (construction worker, fire fighter, chef, baseball player, clown, etc.). Then let them take turns selecting a different hat from the box and acting out what a person who wears that kind of hat does.

Variation: Use clipart to create cards showing different hats or if you have members who are readers you can simply write different careers on cards and have the kids draw the cards out of a hat. 

Labor Day Picnic (Healthy Habits, Triple Play)

Let the members pretend they are workers. Make nametags stating their chosen occupation for them to decorate and wear. Then let them enjoy a "rest" from their work by having a Labor Day picnic. Pack snacks such as sandwiches and mini water bottles in paper bags and then take them to a nearby park or to your own playground space where they can play after having their picnic. While you're having your picnic have a discussion with the members about the importance of drinking plenty of water while they are outside playing to keep from being dehydrated.

The easiest way to incorporate Labor Day into your programming is to have visitors in to present a Career Launch segment. One of the most diverse places to find volunteers will likely be your board of directors. Try scheduling one visitor each week to share their careers with the members. Of course, the standard favorites are always a great idea: police officers, fire fighters, mail carriers, librarians, etc. You might also check with the parents in your program. This year we're adding a professional fishing guide, a politician, a pilot, and a college sports coach to our standard favorites.

Clipart used in this post was purchased from Thistle Girl Designs