Labor Day -- Not Just A Day Off!

By Melody

Labor Day is actually more than a day off of work.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I love that perk -- a  chance to spend a little more time with the family and appreciate the jobs that we have, especially in the economy as it stands now.  My husband and I are grateful for our jobs, the communities we live in, and the communities we come from. 

How do we get our kids to realize the importance of Labor Day?  Well, when it comes to my kiddos, it's PROJECT TIME!  So, I found a cool site that has all types of crafts for various holidays (http://kidscraftzone.com/category/Labor-Day-Crafts.aspx). 

I chose to do two Labor Day projects just perfect for a creative three and four year old.  From start to finish, it was a good hour spent with the kids and the time flew by.  Both projects sprout conversations with your little ones regarding recognition of workers that contribute to our community (Project:  Occupation Collage); and an important lesson on giving back (Project: Helping Hand).

Check out my videos via:
http://youtu.be/KcFfdXy0C3I (Making an Occupation Collage)
http://youtu.be/gELZc9Pswzw (Giving a Helping Hand) 
My apologies for my poor camera equipment, but you'll get the gist...

All you need is stuff you probably have around the house already:

• Construction Paper;
• Colors/Markers;
• Stickers;
• Scissors;
• Tape; and
• Glue Stick.

When doing the Occupation Collage you can start conversations regarding mom and dad's careers; grandparents' careers; ask them what they want to do when they grow up.  The kids collages ended up very cute.  Emma focused mostly on the mail man; Jakson incorporated a variety of careers. 

 

When doing the Helping Hand project, I told the kids that part of being party of a community is not only contributing by doing your part, or your job; but it is also giving back to your community by helping others.  Helping others that may have helped you, or helping others that can't help themselves for any reason.  I asked them about people that have helped them, and who they'd like to help back by maybe giving that person a "Helping Hand".  It was a fun conversation, and I was suprised at how interested they were in both projects.

This project was easy, fun, educational, and a good lesson for young children about Labor Day.  Also, probably a good refresher for me, too.

The only unfortunate thing that came from the "Helping Hand" project is when the kids started hitting each other with their paper hands...thankfully, that occurred after filming. 

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