Labor Day Family Fun

Do you have plans for Labor Day yet? This is the holiday that marks the official end of summer for many people, so it’s important to make it a special day for you and your family to have fun and relax before everybody returns to the daily grind. Labor Day is a day set aside to celebrate the hard working people of America. And really, kids contribute to the labor force, too. Whether by babysitting, walking the neighbor’s dog, or just doing chores around the house, kids contribute to society in important ways, so Labor Day is a holiday for the whole family. Here are some fun ways you and your family can celebrate Labor Day this year.

• Go Camping. Pack up all the supplies you need for a day and night outside. Then, on the morning of Labor day, head out to the backyard. Restrict going into the house to emergencies only – at our house, needing to use the bathroom is considered an emergency, but you might prefer roughing it! With no TV, computer or video games to distract you, you’re all set for a day of family fun. Hold a relay race, barbeque dinner on the grill, roast marshmallows, and tell ghost stories. Pitch a tent and sleep under the stars. It’s an excellent way to relax and celebrate the end of the summer.
• Volunteer. Many nonprofit organizations schedule fundraisers around the long Labor Day weekend, so use this opportunity to teach your kids about the sense of pride and accomplish they’ll get from getting involved and giving back to their community. Pick a cause that your family cares about, and spend some quality time together doing a good deed. You’ll all feel good about it, and you’ll have done something that you can all be proud of.
• Try something new. Introduce your kids to a cuisine they’ve never tried before, like Korean, Indian, or Brazilian food. But don’t stop with the food. Before dinner, spend some time researching the region that your meal originated from. Look it up on a map, and show them where the area is relative to where you live. Find out some interesting facts about that region’s history and culture. Then head off to that restaurant that you’ve been wanting to try. You’ll get a good meal, and be able to have an interesting conversation about what you learned that day.
• Have a talent show. Give everybody in the family a chance to show off their special talent. Give the performers the day to prepare, and make sure you find out what everybody is planning so you can make a program for the event. At night, settle in for an evening of song, dance, storytelling… whatever special talents everybody wants to showcase.

There are lots of things that you can do with your family to make Labor Day special. Whatever you do, be sure to have fun and enjoy your special day. All of you deserve it.