20 Awesome Take Your Kid to Work Day Activities
Take Your Kid to Work Day is a long-running tradition. However, organizers should have extra activities in mind. Otherwise, there is a real risk of kids being bored by the workplace’s routine operations.
Something that can make for a miserable experience for everyone involved.
Here are 20 suggestions for take-your-kid-to-work activities that interested individuals might find helpful:
1. Play a Game
Games are an enjoyable way for everyone to make themselves known to one another. Better still, there are numerous examples that workplaces can pick and choose from.
Thanks to that, they are sure to be able to find something suitable for the occasion. One popular option is bingo, which requires minimal effort to set up but can incorporate other mechanics to make itself more entertaining.
Another would be trivia questions, which are more interactive but must be tailored to the kids’ level for the best results.
2. Tour
A tour is a classic choice for a Take Your Kid to Work activity. After all, kids have much shorter attention spans than adults, so it makes sense to keep them engaged by interacting with different people while walking around the workplace.
Of course, a tour is most effective when the workplace has things that can catch kids’ interest. For instance, it shouldn’t be too hard for a zoo to arrange stops that appeal to kids of the right age.
In contrast, an accounting firm will have a much harder time, particularly since popular perception is already weighted against it. Still, Take Your Kid to Work is supposed to be a learning experience, so this might be worthwhile anyway.
3. Coloring
Coloring is a well-known way for younger kids to hone their patience, concentration, and fine motor skills. As a result, it shouldn’t be too hard for workplaces to come up with suitable coloring sheets.
Even something as simple as the employer’s logo should suffice. Be warned that coloring is only a good option for younger kids. The Mayo Clinic says it can benefit even adults by reducing stress and encouraging mindfulness.
However, older kids are unlikely to respond well to something so strongly associated with their younger counterparts.
4. Take Photos
People enjoy snapping photos. Due to this, that can be an exciting activity in its own right. That said, workplaces aren’t necessarily the best places for this.
Sometimes, people are less than enthused about having their photos taken. Other times, there aren’t many good photo-taking opportunities on-site. If so, workplaces should consider setting up a photo booth.
There are a surprising number of photo booth rental companies out there. Similarly, HGTV and other resources offer excellent advice on how to set up a DIY photo booth.
5. Do Some Exercise
It isn’t uncommon for workplaces to have exercise programs. Healthy workers are productive workers. As a result, it makes sense for some workplaces to encourage their workers to exercise regularly, particularly since they can spin it as a perk of the job.
Interested individuals should consider taking a cue from this to run an exercise program for Take Your Kid to Work Day. The trick is making it something the kids will want to do.
Running on treadmills isn’t very interesting. After all, The New York Times and other publications have pointed out they were invented to make people miserable. A cardio session disguised as a fun, informal dance along with the parents might make for more enthusiastic participation.
6. Cookie Decorating
Generally speaking, people enjoy cookies. Often, this can extend to their making. Baking cookies might be a bit much for kids depending on their age.
Fortunately, one easy way for them to get involved would be by letting them decorate already-baked cookies to their satisfaction. This is a chance for kids to exercise their creativity.
Moreover, it rewards them with something tasty they have helped to make.
7. Make a Resume
This is one of those activities that can take on very different forms depending on the kids’ age. If they are younger, helping them make resumes can be a fun, informal way to spend some time.
In contrast, if they are teenagers, this can give them useful advice for the future. Everyone at the workplace should have at least some experience with making resumes and other aspects of job-hunting.
Theoretically, that means they should be able to share some valuable lessons with the kids.
8. Learn About Each Other’s Daily Schedule
One-on-one conversations can help kids and parents learn more about each other’s daily schedules. Consider getting the kids to do short presentations at the end of the day to cement what they have learned in their minds.
9. Scavenger Hunt
Setting up a scavenger hunt will mean greater disruption to the workplace’s routine operations. Still, it can be worth it because involvement makes people more engaged.
If possible, interested individuals should phrase clues in a way that will encourage the kids to learn more about the workplace. For instance, they shouldn’t ask the kids to find a specific machine based on its name.
Instead, they should ask the kids to find a specific machine based on its function.
10. Brainstorming Solutions to Fictional Crises
Decision-making can be an interesting process. Due to this, workplaces should consider running role-playing sessions in which the kids will be asked to brainstorm solutions to fictional crises.
Real-world experiences can be excellent sources of inspiration for this. Moreover, they make it much easier for interested individuals to flesh out the details.
Something that can make for much better thinking than otherwise possible. Greater detail can constrain the range of responses that participants produce. However, that is a good thing rather than a bad thing in this context.
11. Being of Service to the Community
Indeed and other resources have spilled much metaphorical ink on the importance of an organization’s reputation.
The gist is that more reputable organizations are more likable, thus making them more persuasive when interacting with their stakeholders.
As such, it isn’t unthinkable for a workplace to set aside some time so that kids and parents can help out their community. If interested individuals are short on ideas, they should look up local charities and other non-profits to see what is available.
12. What I’ve Learned
As mentioned earlier, asking kids to do short presentations at the end of the day is a good way for them to cement what they have learned.
These presentations don’t necessarily have to be about their parents’ daily schedules. More generalized presentation topics can make for just as good learning experiences.
13. If I Were Running Things
It might be interesting to have the kids brainstorm changes they would make if they were running the workplace. If nothing else, their ideas will be good for a laugh.
That said, kids aren’t stupid. Furthermore, they are outsiders in the workplace, so they presumably lack the workforce’s basic assumptions about how everything should be.
As a result, the kids might come up with something thought-provoking. The chances of that happening might not be that high. Even so, the workplace loses nothing by asking them for their opinions.
Please note that more information makes for better responses, so this shouldn’t happen until after a tour and similar activities.
14. Use the Kids As a Focus Group
This is one of the more cynical suggestions on this list. Some workplaces specifically care about what kids think. For instance, one company might make food products marketed to teenagers.
Theoretically, businesses can sell products even without understanding the intended consumers. In practice, that is how they wind up in places such as USA Today’s list of the worst product flops ever, thus becoming lessons for their more sensible counterparts.
Regardless, if a workplace sells products or services to kids, Take Your Kids to Work Day might be a chance to ask the kids for their opinions on relevant topics.
15. Come Up With a Sales Pitch
The sales pitch is one of the most important tools in a business’s repertoire. Some can get away with having no sales processes whatsoever.
However, they are very much the exceptions rather than the rule. Everyone else has to think about how to catch their intended customers’ initial interest before bringing the rest of their marketing to bear on those individuals.
Otherwise, businesses would have much fewer sales leads, which could have catastrophic consequences for their revenue-making efforts. It could be interesting to see kids try to sell a product or service.
16. See How Social Media Marketing Is Done
Entrepreneur.com and other resources agree that social media marketing is a valuable tool for businesses. The exact benefits see some variation from case to case.
Still, common examples include a better cost-to-benefit ratio, an increased sense of authenticity, and the potential for generating customer loyalty through community-building.
Thanks to this, workplaces might have people responsible for running their social media marketing. If so, it might be interesting for the kids to see how that work gets done.
In some cases, kids might even be able to offer some insights. The social media landscape is fast-changing. Moreover, it is fragmented, meaning what is true for one segment of social media users isn’t necessarily true for another.
Kids can know things about social media usage that professionals don’t because of lived experiences.
17. Build Things
People often enjoy the act of creating. As a result, workplaces might want to let kids have some fun by building things. This is easiest for those focused on creating as a part of their core revenue-earning operations.
However, other workplaces can get involved as well. After all, it should be easy to find some Lego sets for kids to have fun with.
Alternatively, they can always look into something more artistic that can serve more or less the same purpose. Painting classes are a tried-and-true solution, but there are plenty of other possibilities.
18. Taste Test
Companies that make food might want to give kids a chance to taste what they have been making. Unsurprisingly, knowing whether their intended customers will like their products is critical to their sales efforts.
That means more information can make for better decision-making. Even if these companies aren’t specifically prioritizing kids over other demographics, this information can still prove helpful.
It is a well-known fact that people’s tastebuds change over time. The National Institutes of Health say our sense of smell often weakens as we get older, thus bringing about corresponding changes in our sense of taste. Under these circumstances, specificity matters.
19. Breaktime
Workplaces shouldn’t try to get kids to remain active the whole day. Even the most energetic people can get tired. As a result, it makes sense to arrange for breaks and other opportunities to take a rest.
These don’t even have to be presented as such. An activity performed while people are seated can be just as restful when placed between two more intense activities.
20. Always Have Some Backup Activities
On a semi-related note, workplaces should always have some backup activities for kids who don’t want to do whatever they have planned. Yes, they should do their best to maximize participation.
Unfortunately, there will always be people who don’t want to do whatever they have planned. Sometimes, they aren’t interested.
Other times, they are sick and tired, meaning they would much rather do something else. It should be easy to accommodate these kids. Something as simple as having some books on hand can give them another way to pass the time.
Please note that workplaces should do their best to make this as pleasant for these kids as possible. This is not meant to make them miserable. Instead, this is intended to help them enjoy Take Your Kids to Work Day in a different way.
You can also read:
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- 20 Suggestions For When Your Grumpy Teenager Doesn’t Want to Talk
- 20 Ways to Get Your Kids to Behave in a Restaurant
- 20 Awesome Random Acts of Kindness for Kids
- 10 Parenting Newsletters You Should Consider Reading
