Labor Day isn’t quite as simple to explain to children as Valentine’s Day or Thanksgiving. But don’t underestimate your classroom’s ability to understand more about the holiday using these Labor Day fun facts.
Labor Day Fun Facts and History
- Labor Day dates back to the 19th century. At the time, Americans worked 12-hour shifts seven days per week just to survive.
- The most in-demand work at the time was in factories and mines. These jobs accepted workers of all ages, as young as six years old. Job site safety precautions were not as good as they are today to protect workers.
- As the American Industrial Revolution increased the manufacturing industry, jobs became more plentiful in manufacturing instead of agriculture. Because of this, labor unions began to form. These labor unions formed strikes, rallies and protests to ensure fair work conditions, fair pay and adequate safety.
- Oregon made Labor Day a holiday on February 21, 1881. Quickly Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, Nebraska and Connecticut followed.
- The first Labor Day parade was on Sept. 5, 1882, but it wasn’t a traditional parade you know of today. It was a march of 10,000 workers in New York City’s Union Square.
- By 1894, nearly half of the states recognized Labor Day as a holiday. And by 1909 the holiday was widely recognized.
- The rest of the world celebrates Labor Day on May 1, but America likes to offset the large gap between Independence Day and Thanksgiving for time off.
Celebrating Childcare Center Holidays
Even as you explain to children the importance of fair labor laws, the concept might be challenging for them to understand. Help make the holiday fun with these celebration ideas.
- Create a parade through your childcare center. Or invite older children to bring their bikes and mark off a section of the parking lot to do a more elaborate outdoor parade.
- Consider inviting parents for a late afternoon celebration that also serves as a kickoff for the new school year.
- Invite some guest speakers to tell your students more about different careers.
- Give families the day off to spend the long weekend together and plan your activities the Friday before.
- Print off some Labor Day facts and worksheets to teach older children about the important historical figures who fought for labor rights. Use this moment to do some history lessons on labor rights over the years.
Parent Engagement on Holiday Activities
Parent engagement with a childcare app can help ensure they know about holiday celebrations, days off and more. Plus, you can share photos and recaps of your classroom celebrations so they can ask their children more about it.
Here are some ideas for connecting with parents leading up to Labor Day.
- Share details about upcoming classroom celebrations to help parents prepare their children.
- Recap celebrations and the historical facts about Labor Day.
- Send a newsletter with some brief history about Labor Day so parents can understand its origins as well.
- Text photos of children engaging with your Labor Day parade.
- Snap photos of activities asking children what they hope to do when they grow up.
- Provide details about guest speakers who came to the class to talk about their careers.
Maximize your childcare app by engaging parents regularly and not just on holidays. The more engaged parents are, the more likely they are to stay with your childcare center.
Schedule a free demo of iCare Software to learn more about how we can help you open additional communication channels with parents of students enrolled at your center.