Children’s Day at Work 24 November 2023
On Friday 24 November 2023, children get the chance to see our workplaces
Children’s Day at Work is a free event that brings the voices of children of various ages to workplaces. There are many ways to implement the day. You can find further information on this web page. Register your workplace and join!
Let’s take the kids to work!
On Friday 24 November 2023, children get the chance to see our workplaces. Many children may not know what their parent, godparent, grandparent, big sibling or other important adult does for a living. But children like to know where the grown-ups work, what work means, and what kinds of professions there are. Giving that information and letting children participate in workplace activities is a valuable thing.
Children’s Day at Work is a free event that lets workplaces hear the voices of children of various ages. During the day, the child can take part in activities such as planning at the workplace. You can also ask the child’s opinion on a variety of things, such as how to make the workplace more child-friendly. The purpose of the day is not to have the child work, however, but to introduce them to the daily work of their family member or another adult.
Implementing the day
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 groups of children to the workplace from a nearby school or day care centre. Parents or other close adults can bring familiar children with them to the workplace. They do not have to stay for the whole day – just the morning or afternoon will do fine. The adults who accompanied or brought the children to the workplace are responsible for them for the day.
You can arrange presentations, tours, and various activities in which the children can participate. Remember to get your employer’s permission for bringing the children to the workplace in good time.
Implementing the day in different sectors
Not all workplaces can host groups of children. If that is the case, a workplace representative can agree with the adults, school or day care centre on how to tell children about the workplace and profession. Could a representative of your workplace visit a school or day care centre to talk about the workplace and profession? Could a video address or Teams meeting with the group/class work?
Ideas for the day
- 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?
- Offer the children breakfast, lunch or a light snack.
- Let the children be seen and heard – it is their day!
Child participation in the promotion of workplace culture
“Participation means that children or young people get enough information about plans and decisions that concern them, are able to express their opinions on them, and are able to get their voices heard and have a say in matters that concern them.”
Central Union for Child Welfare
After introducing the children to the workplace and professions, you can give them the chance to be hard: focus on the child and listen to their opinions, show interest in what they have to say, and give the child enough time to answer. Not all children are willing or able to participate – respect that as well.
You can ask the children about professions or their opinions on plans for the workplace.
Possible questions to ask the children:
Tell me about…
- 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, ready templates on pages for printing at the workplace
Go here: Workday Moment drawing to print a ready A4 template on which the child can draw. The child can draw what happened during the day or what they found interesting. The adult writes their own name, the child’s name and the child’s description of the drawing on the page.
More ways of promoting participation can be found on the following pages, for example:
Other suggestions:
- Let a child take charge of the workplace’s social media accounts for the day #LapsetMukaanTöihin2023
- Arrange a quiz involving some relevant topics to your workplace, for example Kahoot! -quizzes are children’s favourites
- Have the children introduce themselves/their parents.
- Make plans for the next Children’s Day at Work together with the children.
- 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.
You can also arrange child-oriented activities for your youngest guests:
- fairy-tales read by the management team;
- drawing or colouring; or
- an obstacle course and dance/office workout.
- Try the games recommended at the Play Day site: SATA LEIKKIÄ – Leikkipäivä (in Finnish, leikkipaiva.fi)
- Get more tips from the Play Bank: Leikit – Leikkipankki (in Finnish, leikkipankki.fi)
Material Bank
You can use these materials when you participate in Children’s Day at Work!
Social media tips
You should post about your participation in Children at the Workplace Day on social media! 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. Tips for posting:
- Use the hashtag #LapsetMukaanTöihin2023
- Post ideas:
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- What did the children get to do on the day?
- What kind of new ideas did your workplace get from meeting the children?
- Why specifically did your workplace want to take part in the event?
- What surprised you?
- Or you can just share that you are participating.
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- Children have great imaginations. Why not let them plan and create your social media content!
- People are especially interested in authentic social media content with real people. Visual content gets more visibility.
Remember to ask the children featuring in your photographs or videos and their parents permission before posting the material on social media.
Sign up for the Children’s Day at Work
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