What is Children’s Day at Work?
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.
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?
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.
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:
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: