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8 fun things to do with kids on Labor Day

Dannielle Beardsley
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Whenever a holiday comes up, it’s time to dust off the parent playbook and find some fun activities for the whole family to be able to enjoy. For Labor Day, everyone is off of work, out of school, and ready to enjoy the day together. We know a cookout is probably a given, so what else is there to do while everyone waits for the food to be ready? Let’s check out Labor Day activities for kids of all ages.

Things to do on Labor Day

Go to the parade

If your city has a Labor Day parade, you need to go. Kids love parades. There is usually candy thrown for the kids to grab and so many sights and sounds for children to enjoy. For the parents, there are always cool old cars to check out.

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For everyone, there are usually animals of some kind (like horses) that everyone will get excited to look at. The adults will be filled with nostalgia from when they went to parades as kids and the children’s eyes will light up looking at everything.

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A family enjoying a cookout.

Deck out the cookout

Everyone is going to have a cookout – we know. But let the kids decorate! Let them pick out a theme and turn your backyard into it. Getting the kids involved in the planning will keep their little hands busy. If you are having people over they will love to tell everyone that they did the decorating.

They can plan the menu (with mom and dad’s help) and pick out the desserts. They can help make any appetizers. You can make it a really cute family event that the kids will remember.

Decorate for fall

Speaking of decorating, if you haven’t turned your home into the fall festival of colors and gourds yet, it would be a good day to do so. Letting the kids pick where the pumpkins or scarecrows go will give them a little home pride.

Anything to get them involved and keep them actively busy is the secret. Plus, you need to turn your home into an autumn oasis anyway. Whether you want to do the inside, outside, or try to get it all done, you can have your kids be little runners to put things where you want.

Find a local drive-in

If you want to get out of the house for Labor Day, look to see if a local church or library is hosting a drive-in event over the weekend. The movies are usually kid-friendly but still enjoyable for adults. The concessions will be extremely cheap or free, so you don’t have to worry about those movie prices.

Bring blankets, pillows, kick off your shoes, and enjoy a cozy movie together as a family.

A family enjoying an outdoor movie night.

Make your backyard a drive-in

If you can’t find anything in your area, turn your backyard into a little drive-in of your own. Screens and projectors aren’t that expensive and you can use them inside if the weather turns on you.

Using your projector only a couple of times pays for itself rather than paying for the whole family to go to a movie theatre. A BUGASUA Mini Projector comes with the screen, projector, every cable you’d need, and you can even play it off of your phone.

Backyard game time

What would a holiday be without yard games for the whole family? From Connect Four to Jenga, the large yard versions of your family’s favorite indoor games will keep the kids active all day. They can play the games alone or you can have a tournament throughout the whole day.

One last swim day

If you live in a hotter part of the country or have access to an indoor pool, take the family on one last dip. Most pools close after Labor Day weekend, so make the most out of your last time for the year.

If you have kids that are like little fish, they’ll appreciate one more swim. It will also wear them out, so if you want to have a quieter evening, you could maybe get them to bed a little early if they’ve been swimming all day.

A family going on a bike ride.

Family biking or hiking

If your family usually turns those Monday holidays into family adventure days, don’t skip this one. Get the bikes out, get the hiking boots on, and have a family fun day. Enjoy the (hopefully cooler) fresh air and get active together. Everyone will enjoy getting out and moving their bodies. It will destress the parents and get the kids nice and tired for bedtime.

If you are looking for things to do on Labor Day with the whole family, you don’t have to plan a big weekend trip or spend a ton of money going to a bunch of different places. The kids will only remember that they had fun. Find a few things from this list, or let your kids help you pick some, and enjoy your Labor Day with the whole family.

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