Take Your Child to Work Day – Thursday, April 23, 2026

Take Your Child to Work Day is an internationally recognized event held on the fourth Thursday in April each year. Originally launched in 1993 as Take Your Daughter to Work Day to encourage more girls to explore career opportunities, it has since expanded and is now celebrated around the world.

The goal of the day is to introduce children to a variety of careers and help them better understand the workplace. It's a valuable experience for both kids and adults. Children get to see what their parents do each day, while coworkers have the chance to connect on a more personal level by meeting each other's families.

Hosted annually by the Culture of Caring Committee, this event gives employees' children a fun, hands-on opportunity to explore future career possibilities—all inspired by a visit to one of the coolest places to work! Please RSVP by April 17^th.

Fun things to do at KCC on Take Your Child to Work Day 4/23/26

• 8:30 – 9:00 AM: Welcome! Decorate your name tag, hear about the day's events, and receive a campus map to guide you on your way! (Location: L101 Meeting Room/Old Bookstore)
• 9:00 – 9:30 AM: Tour the campus! Here are some fun things to see at KCC:
  • Hop on an ambulance and see what it's like to be an EMT (M Building/Health Careers).
  • Check out the artwork and sculptures in the Art Gallery (R Building/Arts & Sciences).
  • Admire the guitars being built or the cars being fixed (V Building/Technology wing).
  • Point out KCC's solar wind tower and the solar array (south end of campus).
  • Quietly peek in at a class in session to see college students in action.

Learning Stations

• 9:30 – 10:15 AM: Session 1
  
  • Silly Story Time with Rory Parilac - Let's get silly! At this story time for fun-loving folks of all ages, we'll share awesome stories, sing goofy songs, and play wacky games. Your KCC librarian will also share information about how a library works and what it offers your family—please join us! (Location: Library)
  • How Video Games Work with Professor Settle: A fun Unity demo shows how video games work (player, controller, and rules), then kids play a game where one gives commands, and the other follows them to reach a goal. It wraps up by showing how this is just like making a real game in Unity. (Location: V205)

• 10:15 – 10:30 AM: Snack Break (Location: L137/Cav Corner/Lower level of College Center)

• 10:30 – 11:15 AM: Session 2
  
  • Slime Lab with Professor Kawa: Explore the chemistry of non-Newtonian fluids! Young scientists will learn how liquid glue turns into stretchy slime using simple activators. This activity demonstrates polymers, cross-linking, and chemical reactions in a safe, gooey, and engaging way. (Location: R307)

• 11:15 AM – 12:00 PM: Session 3
  
  • Welcome to the Green House with Professor Ohrt: Join us for a hands-on experience where you'll explore plants, soil, and aquaponics in a fun and engaging way. Guests will also get to plant their own flower to take home. (Location: West Campus Green House)

• 12:00 – 12:30 PM: Closing celebration: Career Services will provide fun logic puzzles, word searches, crossword puzzles, and an occupation coloring book. Lastly, feel free to swing by TYCTWD the photo booth and receive a KCC swag bag. (Location: L101 Meeting Room/Old Bookstore)

Following the half-day programming, your child is welcome to shadow you for the remainder of your regularly scheduled workday, if appropriate for their age, your role, and your work environment. If shadowing is not feasible, you may choose to use personal or vacation time to conclude your day with supervisor approval or make arrangements to have your child picked up.

Do's for Take Your Child to Work Day: To make the best possible experience for both you and your child, please follow this list of do's:

• Research the Programming: Know what to expect from the day so both you and your child will be prepared and ready. See a schedule of fun optional events above!
• Know the age recommendations:  We don't recommend bringing in kids under 5 years old; additionally, if you work in a location with heavy machinery or other potentially dangerous equipment, consider saving your child's visit until they are in middle or high school.
• Assess your schedule: Keep important or lengthy meetings off your calendar on Take Your Child to Work Day. You may not get as much work done as you normally do, so prepare ahead of time to meet any goals.
• Provide expectations: Your child should know how they are to behave at the college. Set clear expectations.
• Have a backup plan: Younger children may not be able to make it through the whole day. Have a caregiver ready to pick up your child if needed.
• Check with your immediate supervisor: Be sure to check in with your boss and immediate colleagues before bringing your child in for the day.
• Inform your child's school: Contact your child's school and let them know their student will be with you for the day rather than in the classroom. Arrange make-up work ahead of time if needed.
• Introduce your child: Present your child to your coworkers when you arrive. Model for your child how to meet someone new in a professional setting.
• Reflect on the day afterwards: On the drive home or at dinner that evening, debrief about the day with your child. Ask them what they thought of your workplace, your position and the program.

Don'ts for Take Your Child to Work Day: There are some behaviors you will want to avoid. Please follow this list of don'ts as well:

• Force your child: If your child does not want to go to work with you, do not force them to. It will only lead to a challenging day for you and your child.
• Overstimulate: Know your child's limits. If they are getting overtired or seem to be losing focus, give your child a chance to decompress.
• Bore your child: Kids have shorter attention spans than adults. While you may be able to focus on a spreadsheet for several hours, your child may not. Bring something for them to do while you work if needed.
• Ignore your child: Don't expect to come into work and leave your child on their own. You must always be with them.
• Have a bad attitude: If there are parts of your job you do not like or colleagues who are difficult to get along with, try to put that aside for your child. Keep a positive attitude at work with your child present.
• Pretend your job is different: Your child will be impressed by whatever it is you do. There is no need to pretend you do something you don't.
• Bring in more than one child: Although you may have more than one child, please only bring one child with you each year; then next year, you can bring another child to work.

Should you have any other questions pertaining to Take Your Child to Work Day, please contact Kendra Souligne at ext. 8556 or Tierra Dixon-Sullivan at ext. 8127. Don't forget to RSVP by April 17^th.