Sample Days
Need ideas? You’ve come to the right place! The Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Foundation has developed a host of fun yet educational activities for your Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day. See below how your workplace can incorporate them into your program! You will find everything from icebreakers to problem-solving activities that allow girls and boys to explore what they want in their future.
Access the the complete 2023 Coordinator Toolkit here.
A New Generation At Work is coming. So let’s get started!
Corporate
On Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work™ Day, show the future generation of workers how your company affects everyday life. Do you make the cereal they eat or build the car their parents drive?
Coordinate interactive programs such as a roundtable discussion, provide a guided tour of the office, or have several departments conduct hands-on workshops based on their expertise. For example, girls and boys can create marketing materials with the Advertising/Marketing department, or learn interview techniques with Human Resources.
Here are some workshop ideas to incorporate in your day.
Accounting
Have the accounting department create worksheets on how to manage a budget and the importance of money management. For a project, girls and boys can create accounts with “vendors” they think would be good for the company to have relationships with.
Advertising/Marketing
Have an advertising employee or the creative director conduct a workshop that allows the girls and boys to learn about the advertising and marketing industry. Explain how it affects the company and then have girls and boys create their own ads or marketing materials. Bring samples of what your company has done in the past to give them ideas.
Human Resources
A perfect stop for the New Generation At Work to visit! Have an HR professional or the entire HR team conduct a workshop where they interview the participants and vice versa. Take it a step further and incorporate the Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Foundation activity, “What Do Adults Think?”
Payroll
Have a member of the payroll department demonstrate how employees get paid. Explain how time off is factored in (sick/personal/vacation), federal and state deductions, and savings plan deductions. Handouts can include sample time sheets and paychecks.
Public Relations
Have the public relations team work with the students to write an op-ed, a pitch letter, press release, or media advisory.
Publications
Have the students create a one-page newsletter, or an idea for a brochure. Briefly explain what the publishing industry is all about and why there is a publishing department in the company.
Online/website
Show the girls and boys the company website and explain how it benefits your organization. For example, is it used primarily as a communications tool or is it a vital part of your sales strategy? Have the children work on either a website of their own or give you suggestions for creating a Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day page for the company’s site.
Here is what the schedule could look like.
NOTE: Time may vary depending on number of participants and activities you would like to incorporate in the Day. Think about having adults sign their guests up for workshops before the actual Day. This will give all departments an opportunity to participate. Also, remember to factor in time for kids to go to the bathroom or to have a snack.
9:00 am – 10:00 am:
Registration and Breakfast. Address parents, relatives, mentors, girls, and boys. Welcome them to your organization’s Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day and briefly describe what they will be doing throughout the day. This is also a perfect time to give out the gifts for the day.
10:15 am – 11:15 am:
Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Icebreaker and Conversation Café
11:20 am – 12:20 pm:
Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Ask the Adults Activity
12:25 pm – 1:00 pm:
Tour the office
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm:
Lunch. It would be great if your organization would like to provide lunch; however this would also be a good time for the child to spend one-on-one time with the adult they came with.
2:15 pm – 3:15 pm:
Department Workshop (see above workshops for ideas)
3:20 pm – 4:20 pm:
Department Workshop (see above workshops for ideas)
4:20 pm – 4:30 pm:
Closing Remarks
University
This might be the first time the girls and boys participating in your Day are on a college campus. Give them a tour. Break the students up into groups, assign one or two tour guides depending on how large the group is, and show them around the university. Another activity could be pairing the students up with professors, administrators, and student organization leaders, which would be a great way for girls and boys to learn about life at a university. Also, have various schools within the institution conduct an activity. For example:
Med School
Conduct a lab. Have the students participate in a mock operation or dissection, or view a surgical operation via the web or television.
Law School
Have students participate in a mock trial.
Women’s Studies
Have students watch video clips on the portrayal of women and men in advertising and discuss.
Business School
Have students create a business plan.
Here is what the schedule could look like.
NOTE: Time may vary depending on number of participants and activities you would like to incorporate in the day. Also, remember to factor in time for kids to go to the bathroom or to have a snack.
9:00 am – 10:00 am:
Registration and Breakfast. Address parents, relatives, mentors, girls, and boys. Welcome them to your organization’s Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day and briefly describe what they will be doing throughout the day. This is also a perfect time to give out the gifts for the day.
10:15 am – 12:00 pm:
Campus Tour
12:00 am – 1:00 pm:
Group Activity
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm:
Lunch. It would be great if your organization would like to provide lunch; however this would also be a good time for the child to spend one-on-one time with the adult they came with.
2:15 pm – 3:15 pm:
Job Shadow
3:20 pm – 4:20 pm:
Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Bingo and Conversation Café
4:25pm – 5:00 pm:
Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Imagining the Future
Stay-At-Home Parent
Show your child what it takes to manage a household. Have your child or children assist you with making lunch and preparing dinner, laundry, cleaning, bookkeeping, food shopping, attending to the car, taking care of a younger sibling(s) in the household. You can also include the Ask the Adults activity, or research the salary and title for each job you perform by using a newspaper or the web. Add it all up to demonstrate the monetary value of your work… it’s probably in the six figures!
You might also consider, if you have a friend who works at home, having your kids work at their home for the day and vice versa. Both families can convene for lunch and share their experience.
Construction Site
Show girls and boys what goes into constructing a building or home. You can start the day by explaining the project your company is working on and showing participants the plans. Introduce the workers and briefly explain what their role is on the project. Break the participants into small groups and have them draw a model and build it. They can discuss their models at the end of the day. For lunch do something fun! Buy boxed lunches and if the weather permits pair up the girls and boys with construction workers on site and eat outside. Remember to provide safety clothing and accessories for all participants. Learn more about safety and insurance issues.
Here is what the schedule could look like.
NOTE: Time may vary depending on number of participants and activities you would like to incorporate in the day. Also, remember to factor in time for kids to go to the bathroom or to have a snack.
9:00 am – 10:00 am:
Registration and Breakfast. Address parents, relatives, mentors, girls, and boys. Welcome them to your organization’s Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day and briefly describe what they will be doing throughout the day. This is also a perfect time to give out the gifts for the day.
10:15 am – 12:00 am:
Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Bingo and Conversation Café
12:00am – 1:00 pm:
Lunch. It would be great if your organization would like to provide lunch; however this would also be a good time for the child to spend one-on-one time with the adult they came with.
1:00 pm – 3:15:
Build Your Own Site. Explain the project your organization is working on and show the blueprints. Have the children draw a site that they would like to build. Break the children up into groups with at least one worker per group and start building.
3:20 pm – 4:00 pm:
Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Ask the Adults and Wrap Up
Restaurant
Have girls and boys take orders, greet and seat patrons, or learn the business side (ordering food and supplies, working with vendors, managing employees, etc.) by shadowing restaurant workers. Teach them table setting and etiquette. They can demonstrate what they learned by setting up the room/tables for lunch with their parents, relatives, or mentor. Another activity could be having the chef demonstrate making a dessert or main course dish. Time management, customer service, and tip percentage are just some of the things participants will learn.
Here is what the schedule could look like.
NOTE: Time may vary depending on number of participants and activities you would like to incorporate in the day. Also, remember to factor in time for kids to go to the bathroom or to have a snack.
9:00 am- 10:00 am:
Registration and Breakfast. Address parents, relatives, mentors, girls, and boys. Welcome them to your restaurants Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day and briefly describe what they will be doing throughout the day. This is also a perfect time to give out the gifts for the day.
10:15 am – 11:15 am:
Restaurant tour and cooking demonstration
11:20 am – 12:20 pm:
Shadowing the hostess, servers, and managers
12:05 pm – 1:00 pm:
Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Conversation Café
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm:
Lunch. It would be great if your organization would like to provide a buffet lunch; have the girls and boys assist in setting up the room/table.
2:15 pm – 3:15 pm:
Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Bingo and Ask the Adults
3:20 pm – 4:00 pm:
Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Wrap Up Activity and Closing Remarks
Home Office
If you operate a business from home, freelance, or work from home on certain days, there are great ways to share that experience. Develop an agenda that will allow your child to see the many tasks you perform. Throughout the day, explain the benefits and challenges of working from home and demonstrate how you communicate to clients, colleagues, or supervisors. Use the Ask the Adults activity to share insights about how you manage work and family life.
Have your child fax items, draft a newsletter article, or make a reservation for the two of you for lunch. If your job requires tasks outside, such as meetings, take your child along (make sure you inform the party you are meeting with beforehand).