Labor day is all about American workers throughout the decades. It’s important to provide your students with a better understanding of the holiday and guide them in showing gratitude towards their families and other hard-working people.
From labor activists to learning about all the changes throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, much has led to our present-day holiday. If you’re looking for engaging, unique activities to help students understand and maybe even teach about, this list of 29 activities will be your preferred reference list.
1. What Is a Community Helper?
A unit or lesson on American workers and how they affect the community is a great way to enter or end the holiday weekend. Create an anchor chart like this, and write cards to community helpers in your neighborhood.
Learn More: Ms. Watson
2. Labor Day History Timeline
Do your kids understand the point of this legal holiday? Why is there a three-day weekend? So many questions that can be easily answered by going over the American labor history and all that has happened throughout the years.
Learn More: Big Stock
3. Write About Hard-Working People
Another great lesson or unit idea for better understanding the federal holiday is learning about labor activists. Allow your students to review the list and work on their research and writing skills with a group or individual project.
Learn More: ALF-CIO
4. Write a Thank You Letter
This holiday for workers is overall a celebration of workers and all they do for our country and neighborhood. Help your kiddos show gratitude with these super cute thank you letters. It will only make the American people happier and more excited about the weekend.
Learn More: The Mailbox
5. Society Against Child Labor
Over the past few decades, the labor movement within the United States and other countries has been quite the time. It’s important for kids to see other countries and how child labor affects them. This lesson plan will help open their eyes to child labor unions worldwide.
Learn More: UN Works
6. Labor Day Cube
Making crafts for an all-American holiday is special to your child’s education. These crafts can also serve as a decoration for the weekend events to come. This cube is super easy and fun to make!
Learn More: Crayola
7. Labor Day Yoga
Wherever you decide to celebrate this year’s Labor day, a little labor day yoga will be fun, engaging, and entertaining for kids of all ages. Whether you’re going to a state park, holiday barbecue, or just hanging out at home, these yoga poses will make a great addition.
Learn More: Kids Yoga Stories
8. Labor Day Poem
This free, no-prep labor day read-aloud poem is great to teach about the holiday. Paying tribute to a plethora of different jobs and workers. This poem is great for the classroom as well as the ball park!
Learn More: Super Teacher Worksheets
9. Labor Day Online Scavenger Hunt
If your school year starts before labor day this year, then creating an online scavenger hunt might be a way to reach some standards while also teaching about the holiday. Before students leave for the holiday weekend, have them work on this online scavenger hunt.
Learn More: Education World
10. Labor Day Word Scramble
Learn all about the Labor Day annual celebration with this labor day word scramble. Before the fireworks display and the street parades take off, we must educate children about what is meant to be celebrated.
Learn More: Puzzles to Print
11. Labor Day Lantern
Anyone coming to the house to celebrate with you will surely highlight your child’s creativity in these lanterns. Other kiddos might even want a turn making them!
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12. Labor Day Facts
Look for low prep ways to prepare your students for Labor Day weekend. This simple and quick Youtube video provides facts about Labor Day that students will love to share with their adult counterparts during the annual parade and parties.
Learn More: Homeschool Pop
13. What is Labor Day?
Older and younger kids alike will eventually need to know and have a basic understanding of what Labor Day is. Don’t miss out on an easy way to teach them all about it. Start any Labor Day lesson with this video to get them in tune with what the fireworks party is really about.
Learn More: GIGIL | STEM Activities for Kids
14. Community Helpers Craft
These cute community helpers’ crafts are fun and engaging for kiddos of all ages. They can be a bit challenging and will definitely need some adult supervision and help. But they’re perfect for a puppet show or just a little classroom role play.
Learn More: Crafts with Toddler
15. Why is Labor Day important?
What’s the importance of Labor Day? Even as adults, we can sometimes forget and just enjoy this holiday as a three-day weekend. But there are actually some very important facts in history that everyone should understand and be grateful for.
Learn More: Simpleshow Foundation
16. Labor Day Story
If you’re working with more adventurous families and don’t find historical videos engaging enough, then this story may be for you. It’s engaging and a bit out of the box, giving a totally different perspective on understanding Labor Day.
Learn More: Kid Time Story Time
17. Labor Day Slime
Create some slime this labor day! Parents have tons of different activities to keep themselves busy during the festivities and cookout. But sometimes, kids can find themselves bored and looking for the attention of adults. This slime activity will keep them busy and give them something to play with!
Learn More: Hurri Kids
18. How to Draw Labor Day
Do you have an artist in the family or in the classroom? Both my kids at home and my kids in the classroom love these Youtube “How To Draw” videos. They’re not only fun but also pretty simple. The best part is they’re always unique to each artist!
Learn More: Art for All
19. Make a Labor Day Card
If you’ve decided to have your kids create Labor Day cards, then this might just be the outline of choice to follow. It might even be fun for students to visit nursing homes or assisted living facilities and learn about what the elderly did for jobs!
Learn More: Satnam Models
20. Labor Day Read Aloud
There’s no doubt that books are some of the best ways to learn about the past (hello boring History books). If you’re looking for ways to stray away from the history books, then this Youtube read-aloud is perfect. It provides nice illustrations and an easy-to-understand story.
Learn More: Accelerated Reader Reading Books 4 U
21. Labor Day Folders
Let your kiddos talk about their futures and see themselves as working Americans! These folders are super easy to make but are packed with so much information. Start by reading the fact cards before you even start coloring or decorating the folders.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
22. Community Help Hats
It really is all about getting to know, understand, and most of all, appreciate the community helpers in your neighborhood. Again, this is a great time to visit a nursing home or other elderly hot spot and have kids chat about the jobs and stories people had before.
Learn More: Tot Schooling
23. Labor Day Reading
Create your own Labor Day storybook! This is a great way to engage your kiddos in a Labor Story. Have them decorate their very own books to take home and read with a parent! These books are also simple enough for many emergent readers to read on their own.
Learn More: The Barefoot Teacher
24. Labor Day Bingo
Bingo is a game everyone knows how to play and loves. This could be a blast with family members from all over. If you’re feeling really motivated, you could even make cute little labor day crafts for Bingo winners to choose from.
Learn More: Buzz Buzz Bingo
25. Labor Day Trivia
Another fun one for the whole family or for a classroom filled with trivia game lovers. You could also turn this into a Jeopardy game or Review game for students. It could be a really fun Friday free time game right before the weekend.
Learn More: Etsy
26. Labor Day Flip Book
Flipbooks become more and more fun every year. Their engaging layout will attract students’ eyes while also giving them an easy way to keep track of what they learned. Each flap has a different plan, and kids will love the surprise every time they lift it!
Learn More: Elementary Nest
27. Labor Day Wind Whirlers
If you want to send your students off with a craft they can use at the parade this weekend; these wind whirlers might just be the perfect addition to your Labor Day unit. It’s both simple and consists of inexpensive materials.
Learn More: Earning and Saving with Sarah Fuller
28. Pool Noodle Fire Cracker
These are SO MUCH FUN. Pool noodles are pretty inexpensive compared to other party decorations. They can easily be bought at pretty much any Walmart or local store, and you and your kids will have so much fun creating these firecrackers.
Learn More: Home of the Holidays
29. Labor Day Song
A good song can never be forgotten. Songs ignite tons of different intellectual and even motor development skills. There is a song for every holiday, and Labor Day isn’t any different. This is the perfect idea for families and teachers.
Learn More: Appu Series
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