Outreach Ministries: Kid’s Career Day

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” This is a common question that we ask of children. Most of the time they just stare at us blankly. Kids generally don’t know their options beyond what their parents do for a living, and what they see on TV. Set up a career day so they can view a variety of options.

• Set an Age Range- The kids who will get the most out of such an event are a little older (between 8 and 12 years). They are starting to build a firm grasp of their identity and interests. By all means, have activities set up for younger children. Just don’t be disappointed if, at the end of the day, when you ask what they want to be when they grow up they still say Batman.
• Invite the Guests- Invite representatives from a bunch of different jobs to come and speak. Keep your audience in mind when selecting career fields. Hands on type jobs, as well as jobs that allow travel will be much more appealing then say, account management. Try to include examples a variety of disciplines: ex Arts, Sports, Communication, Outdoors, Science, Math, Social Studies, etc.
• Involve the Kids- Kids learn best by doing. They also have short attention spans, which make long lectures impractical. Ask the speakers to include an interactive section in their presentation. Cooks can set up a cooking station. Archeologists can fill a sandbox with “artifacts” and let kids dig for them. Doctors can help kids listen to their parent’s heartbeat, etc. If you have the space, allow the fireman to bring his truck, the police officer to bring her cruiser, and the EMT to bring his ambulance. Kids can be given tours of each vehicle and allowed to run the siren.
• Make a Lasting Impression - At the end of the day, provide children with white T-shirts and puff paint, (permanent markers work too, and are less messy) Ask them to draw a picture of their favorite career they saw that day. It not only forces them to slow down and digest the day’s excitement, but gives them a reminder to take home. You could also hand out grab bags with giveaways from the guest speakers. Give these empty bags to children as they arrive and allow them to fill up at their chosen career stations.

Helpful Links

RCareer Kids- A printable guide for planning a career day. Written with teachers in mind, but may be used by anyone.

Career Ideas for Kids Books- A set of twelve books that outline careers based on kids interests.

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