Feels Like Home: Helping Out with Take Your Kids to Work Day

April 26 is National Take Your Children to Work Day, and whether you plan to bring your little one or not, you can still get in on the fun.

Offices can be scary, intimidating places for kids, and you can bet your children—or the kiddos of your coworkers, employees, or bosses—are going to need some help getting through the day. Want to make sure things go smoothly for everyone involved? Here are some things you can do to help:

• Have an activity for all the kids – Create some sort of activity to get all the kids involved at once. Maybe it’s coloring pictures for your new clients or testing out a new product you’ve created. Whatever it is, the little ones will love “helping” their parents, as well as getting to know the other children in the office.
• Get all departments on board – The whole point of Take Your Children to Work Day is for our younger generations to get a glimpse into adulthood—how we spend our days and what it is we do to contribute to society. To really give your visitors an educational experience, find a way to get all departments on board. Have someone from each division prepare a short presentation or demonstration that shows what they do and how they do it. If they can find a way work in a hands-on activity, that’s even better.
• Stock up on snacks – Put out a bowl of gummy bears, Goldfish crackers, M&Ms, or pretzels—something small a child can snack on when stopping by your office. Trail mix is an especially good choice, as it gives the kiddo plenty of options to choose from.
• Prep some goodie bags – Give your young visitors something to remember your company by creating a fun goodie bag they can take home. Include a few branded items—pencils, erasers, paper, etc.—and make sure to add some fun things too, like a lollipop, stickers, a Mad Libs booklet, or some crayons.
• Write them a follow–up note – Send each kid you meet a thank you note for visiting your office, and if you have one, include a photo of their day on site. (Their parents will more than likely have one you can print!) They’ll love having a memento to stick on their bulletin board or in a photo album, and they’ll already start looking forward to next year.

National Take Your Children to Work Day can be a lot of fun for everyone in your office—make sure you get involved!