22 November 2024

Children’s Day at Work

Mother and child are drawing patterns on fabric together.

Let's bring the kids to the workplace on Friday 22 November 2024!

Children’s Day at Work is an event that lets workplaces hear and focus on the voices of children of various ages. There are many ways to implement Children’s Day at Work. You will find more information about the event on this page.

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What happens at work?

Children may not know what the adults in their lives are doing for a living, or even what ‘working’ actually means. But children like to know where the grown-ups spend their days, what work actually means, and what kinds of professions there are. It helps them learn how society functions and what the adults’ world is like.

For the workplace, Children’s Day at Work provides an opportunity to hear the children’s fresh ideas on how things are at the workplace or, for example, on how work could be made more family-friendly.

Children’s Day at Work is not intended to put the children to work, but to familiarise them with working life and help them picture how workplaces function.

 

What does Children’s Day at Work involve?

There are many ways to implement Children’s Day at Work.

The workplace can send employees to a school or day care centre to talk about working life, or it can invite a group of children to the workplace from a nearby day care centre, school or after-school activity group.

The workplace can also agree with its employees that they can bring a familiar child or familiar children to work on the day. The children can be involved for the whole day or just for the morning or afternoon. You can arrange a children’s meeting, as well as presentations, tours, and various activities in which the children can participate.

Not all workplaces can host groups of children. If that is the case, a workplace representative can agree to visit a nearby school or day care centre, for example, to tell the children about the workplace and profession. Could a video address or Teams meeting with the group/class work?

Please remember:

  • The adults who accompanied or brought the children to the workplace are responsible for them for the entire visit.
  • Please get your employer’s permission for bringing the children to the workplace in good time.
  • Notify the child’s day care centre, school or preschool about their absence in good time, following the appropriate procedure.

Children’s Day at Work at school and in early childhood education and care

Children’s Day at Work is celebrated on the Friday of the national children’s rights week (22 November). Children spending the special day at school or in early childhood education and care instead of at workplaces have been taken into account in the materials for the children’s rights week.

Children’s Day at Work exercises (in Finnish and Swedish, lapsenoikeuksienviikko.fi) in the school materials can also be used in early childhood education and care with some adjustments. Additional information and a wide selection of interesting exercises for schools, early childhood education and care units, and activity groups can be found on this website:

www.lapsenoikeuksienviikko.fi (in Finnish and Swedish)

Ideas for the day

  • Offer the children breakfast, lunch or a light snack.
  • Introduce the workplace to the children: what do people do there, what jobs there are, how many adults work there, what kinds of premises does the workplace have? Who is the boss and who is responsible for pen procurement?
  • Hold a meeting. On what issues would you like to have the children’s opinions? What did the children imagine the workplace would be like? What would they like to change at the workplace?
  • Can you arrange a child-appropriate way of participating in or learning about the work done at the workplace? For example, could you arrange a new employee health examination for the children’s plushies or let the kids create content for the workplace’s social media account?
  • Let the children be seen and heard on the day! Drawings and other works of art created by the children for notice boards and break rooms on Children’s Day at Work will cheer your employees and build team spirit for months after the day.
  • You could also play with the children. Play is good for adults too and builds solidarity.

Promoting the participation of children

Children’s Day at Work increases the participation of children and young people in society. It is important for everyone to experience that they are meaningful and a part of society already in childhood. Participation means that the child or young person gets enough information, is able to express their opinion, is heard, and has a say in things. The voice of children and young people needs to be heard in society, and workplaces can do their part on Children’s Day at Work!

Children participating in the activities of workplaces should be made to feel that their opinions are interesting and important, and that people want to hear them. You can ask the children about their thoughts on work and professions or their opinions on things and plans at the workplace.

Tips for promoting the participation of children

  • Be present and focus on listening to the child’s opinions
  • Be interested in what the child has to say, and give the child enough time to answer.
  • Do not make assumptions or try to steer the conversation.
  • Remember that choosing not to participate is also a valid choice, and you need to respect everyone’s personality and choices.

More ways of promoting participation can be found on the following pages, for example:

Ideas for engaging children

Children’s meeting

Below, we have listed a few sample questions you can use as an agenda for the kids’ own meeting.

  • Why do grown-ups go to work? What is good about grown-ups working? What is bad about it?
  • What does this job sound like? What is interesting / not interesting about it?
  • What makes a workplace good?
  • What is interesting about this workplace in general? What are you excited about and why?
  • What things about this workplace are unexciting, and why?
  • What kinds of duties would you be interested in for your TET work experience period? (You can ask older children this.)
  • How could the workplace take children better into account?
  • How could the workplace look after its grown-ups?

 

Workday Moment drawings

Go here to print a ready A4 template on which the child can draw.

Instructions: The child can draw what happened during Children’s Day at Work or what they found interesting. The adult writes the child’s name and age, their own name and the child’s description of the drawing on the page. You can make an exhibition of the drawings in the hallways of your workplace.


 

Other suggestions

  • Let the children take charge of the workplace’s social media accounts for the day. Remember to safeguard the children’s privacy and obtain permission for taking and publishing photographs! Use the hashtag #LapsetMukaanTöihin
  • Arrange a quiz for the children on a theme related to your workplace. Children like Kahoot! quizzes, for example.
  • Hold a round of introductions, with the children introducing the adults accompanying them and vice versa. You can also ask the children to tell what the adults do for a living and the adults to tell what the children enjoy doing.
  • Decorate unopened food cans or other suitable items found at the workplace with stickers or plastic eyes.
  • Let the child think about and make up jobs that people could do at the workplace and show and tell what the jobs would be like.
  • Make plans for the next Children’s Day at Work together with the children. Also request feedback from the children: what was fun about the day? Was something boring? What could have been done better?

You can arrange child-oriented activities for your youngest guests

Social media tips

Your participation in Children’s Day at Work makes for a great social media post! By participating, you are making an important contribution to make work and professional life more family friendly. By posting on social media, you can communicate that you support and promote family-friendly values.

Remember to use the hashtag #LapsetMukaanTöihin and ask permission to publish the photographs or videos from the children in them and their custodians.

Children have great imaginations. Why not let them plan and create suitable social media content for you! Let them tell people what children think people do at your workplace. What did they get to do on the day?

If you create the post yourself, you can talk about the ideas your workplace got from meeting the children. Why did you decide to participate in the event? Were you surprised by something?

Material Bank

You can use these materials for 2024 when you participate in Children’s Day at Work!

 


 

‘Our workplace is taking part’ poster

You can use the poster in both digital and printed formats.

Download the poster, A3 (pdf)

 


 

Event advertisement

Support the event by sharing this ad!

Download the ad, A4 (pdf)

 


Children’s access card on a lanyard

You can add your workplace’s name or logo to the access card if you like.

Download the access card (pdf)

 


Children’s diploma for participation

Write the child’s name on the first line and have your workplace’s representative sign their name on the second line.

Download the diploma (pdf)

 


 

Logo

Download by clicking on the logo!


 

Pictures for social media

Participating companies/organizations 2024

A-Insinöörit (AINS Group)
ANDRITZ Oy
ASM Microchemistry Oy
AbbVie Oy
Akava
AlphaSense Oy
Analyse² Oyj
Arek Oy
AstraZeneca Oy
Audmet Oy
Avery Dennison Smartrac
BLC Telecom
Berggren Oy
Blueprint Genetics
Business Finland
CSC - Tieteen tietotekniikan keskus Oy
Cisco Systems Finland Oy
Crazy Town Oy
Deloitte Oy
ECHA
EG Software Finland Oy Jyväskylä
ETS NORD AS, Suomen sivuliike
EY
Elekta Oy
Elematic Oyj
Emäkosken koulu/Nokian kaupunki
Esko Systems Oy
Etelä-Karjalan hyvinvointialue
Etelä-Pohjanmaan liitto
Etelä-Savon maakuntaliitto
Finferries
Finnlines Oyj
Fiskars Group
FläktGroup Finland Oy
Fortinet
Fujitsu Finland Oy
Greenlux Lighting Solutions Ltd
HSL Helsingin seudun liikenne -kuntayhtymä
HalpaHalli
Heinäveden kunta
Helsingin kaupungin liikelaitos Stara
Helsingin kaupungin sosiaali-, terveys- ja pelastustoimialan Osaamisen kehittämisen yksikkö
Helsingin yliopisto
Hemmotteluhuone Uniikki
Hexamer Oy
Hion Digital Oy
Hyria Business Institute Oy
Hyria koulutus Oy
Hyria säätiö sr
Hämeen IAT-isännöinti
Hämeen ammattikorkeakoulu
IKEA Kuopio
IKEA Tampere
Iisalmen kaupunki
Iittalan yhtenäiskoulu
Invalidiliitto ry
Jalovilla
Johnson & Johnson Finland
Jyväskylän ammattikorkeakoulu Oy
Jyväskylän koulutuskuntayhtymä Gradia
Jyväskylän yliopisto
Jäkärlän koulu
Järvenpään Yhteiskoulu
Järvenpään kaupunki
K-Citymarket Varkaus
K-Market Metsokangas Oulu
K-Market Pirtti
K-Supermarket Tammelan stadion
K-Supermarket Tripla
KSL-opintokeskus
Kaakkois-Suomen ammattikorkeakoulu, Xamk
Kalasataman kirjasto
Kalevankankaan päiväkoti
Kansalaistoiminnankeskus Matara
Kansallisarkisto
Kattilansillan päiväkoti, Mikkeli
Kauhajoen kaupunki
Kaupan liitto
Kela
Keski-Suomen liitto
Kesko/K-Kampus
Keuda, Keski-Uudenmaan koulutuskuntayhtymä
Kiinteistö-Tahkola Oulu Oy
Kiipulan ammattiopisto Lahden toimipiste
Kivimaan koulu
Koiviston koulu
Koivukylän toimintayksikkö
Kotoisin Oy
Kuntaliitto
Kuopion kaupunki/Kansalaistoiminnan palvelut
Kurikankulma koulu, Pirkkala
LapCI ry
Lapinjärven kunta
Lapsiperheiden palvelut
Lasten ja nuorten keskus ry
Lastensuojelun Keskusliitto
Lempäälän kunta/päiväkoti Siskonlinna
Lindström Hämeenlinna
Lindström Oy
Loimua Oy
Lumon Invest Oy
Lumon Oy
Lumon Suomi Oy
Luonnonvarakeskus
Luxury Action Oy
M-Files Oy
MSC Finland Oy
Maahanmuuttovirasto
Maanmittauslaitos
Mainiokoti Raisiontori
Majatalo Laiskanlinna
Mandatum
Mannerheimin Lastensuojeluliitto ry
Martela Oyj
Maskun kunta
Maxbuild Oy
Medixine Oy
Megin Oy
Merenkurkun koulu
Merikratos Oy
Mesut Oy
Mico Botnia
Miemalan koulu/Hämeenlinnan kaupunki
Monetra Keski-Suomi Oy
Mtech Digital Solutions Oy
Muuramen kunta
NCC
Naantalin kaupunki
Neste Linnatuuli / K-Liikenneasema Oy
Netum
Newsec
Niemenrannan päiväkoti / Tampereen kaupunki
Nokia
Nordic JobCentre Oy / NJC
OP Kaakkois-Suomi
Oma Säästöpankki Oyj
OpenText Oy
Opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriö
Opetusalan Ammattijärjestö OAJ
Optimapharm Nordic Oy
Oriveden Taksi Oy
Oulun yliopisto
PERUSTAVA
PISA Jakelu Oy
PKC Group Oy
Palvelualojen ammattiliitto PAM ry
Peikko
Pelastakaa Lapset ry/Kuopion Perheentalo
Peltolan päiväkoti
Pielaveden kunta
Pikku-Vieterin päiväkoti, Iitti
Pirha- lapset, nuoret ja perheet kehittämistiimi
Plan International Suomi
Pohjanmaan elinkeino-, liikennne-, ja ympäristökeskus
Pohjois-Pohjanmaan pelastuslaitos
Pohjois-Savon liitto
Porolahden peruskoulu
Posti
Power-Deriva Oy
Profmer Oy
Puistokadun päiväkotikoulu
Puistokatu 4 - Tieteen ja toivon talo
Päijät-Hämeen hyvinvointialue / Lapsiperhepalvelut, lasten- ja nuorten hyvinvointi
Päiväkoti Keinuhevonen Oy
Qalmari Oy
R-kioski Oy, tukiorganisaatio
Raision kaupunki/ Kaanaan päiväkoti
Raision kaupunki/ Kunnaankadun päiväkoti
Rakennusliike Lapti Oy
Rantalainen Yhtiöt
Rauman Seudun jätehuoltolaitos
Refresco Finland Oy
Rexel Finland Oy
Riihimäen kaupunki
Ritavuoren koulu
Roots Building Oy
SEW-EURODRIVE Oy
SISKON SIIVOUS OY
SRV ( SRV Yhtiöt Oyj, SRV Rakennus Oy ja SRV Infra Oy)
STTK
SaferGlobe ry
Santamäen koulu
Sartorius
Sasken Finland Oy
Sastamalan kaupunki
Sataedu
Savon ammattiopisto, Kuopion Savilahden kampus
Savon ammattiopisto, Varkauden kampus
Savonlinnan kaupunki /Talvisalon koulu Heikinpohjan toimipiste
Secto Automotive Oy
Seutulan koulu
Siparila Oy
Sitowise Oy
SodaStream Finland
Sonepar Suomi Oy
Spatineo Oy
Stalatube Oy
Staria
Steripolar Oy
Suomen Ammattiliittojen Keskusjärjestö SAK ry
Suomen Digimarkkinointi Oy
Suomen Nestlé Oy
Suomen Punainen Risti Läsi-Suomen Piiri Kirppis Kokkola
Suomen Punainen Risti Satakunnan Piiri
Suomen Vanhempainliitto ry
Taipalsaaren kunta
Takeda Oy
Taloustulkki Oy
Tammer Brands Oy
Tammerneon Oy
Tampereen Aikuskoulutuskeskus
Tampereen Tiivisteteollisuus Oy
Tampereen kaupunki
Technopolis Oy/ HMA
Tehy ry
TietoAkseli Group Oy
Tilastokeskus
Toijala Works Oy
Tuulenpesän päiväkoti
Työ- ja elinkeinoministeriö
Urban Partners
Uudenmaan ELY-keskus
Uudenmaan Leipä Oy
VAK Oy
Vaasan Sähkö -konserni
Validia Oy
Valmet
Valmet Technology OY
Valtiontalouden tarkastusvirasto
Valtiovarainministeriö
Vantaan ja Keravan hyvinvointialue
Vantaan sovittelutoimisto
Varainhankintakauppa.fi
WEST Invest Group
Webscale Oy
Ylästön koulu, Vantaa
Ylöjärven kaupunki
elli ekkinen
iLOQ

In collaboration with

TEM logo.
STM Logo.
Lapsen oikeudet logo.
MiB logo.
Tilastokeskus logo.
SAK logo.
STTK logo.
Kuntaliiton logo.
K-ryhmän logo.
Akava logo.
Monimuotoiset perheet logo.
Vanhempainliitto logo