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What is International Women’s Day?
The first International Women’s Day was way back in 1911. IWD is a day to celebrate women’s accomplishments – economic, political, social, cultural, and more. Each IWD is also an opportunity to reflect on how we can improve conditions for women around the world. I imagine that it has a different meaning for different women around the world.
Celebrating International Women’s Day with Kids
Start with who and what you know
- What did you want to be when you grew up?
- Who was your childhood hero?
- What do you remember most about being a little girl?
You might be surprised to see where these questions lead.
20 Incredible Canadian Women – Women’s Day Activity
We’ve created a printable fact sheet where kids are introduced to some remarkable Canadian women. 20 women who made contributions to politics, civil rights, sports, and more.
Best Children’s Books for International Women’s Day
Check out this complete collection of amazing books for International Women’s Day. You’ll find International Women’s Day books for kids of all ages.
Or, have a read through the stories of these books about women in science
International Women’s Day Activities for Kids
Discover the stories of 20 historic Canadian Women with our printable fact sheet. We share the names and the stories of 20 inspiring women who left their mark on Canadian history. From artists to politicians and astronauts – you get all the facts and a plan for how to put those facts to use with your children or students.
Build a jigsaw puzzle of amazing women. I love Ridley’s Inspirational Women Circular Jigsaw Puzzle. We picked this puzzle up last year and added it to our IWD list of activities. I love how it provides little snippets about each and every woman. It’s fun to build and learn at the same time.
After you’ve read some books and learned the stories of remarkable women it’s time to get creative. Print our International Women’s Day Worksheet for kids and have your students or child, highlight a woman who inspires them. Whether the woman is real or fictional, someone they know or someone they met in the pages of a book – this is a creative way to acknowledge an awesome woman.
Online International Women’s Day Resources for Kids
If you can’t make it out to the library head online and explore these great online resources for information on women of influence.
International Women’s Day (official website) Discover the different events and initiatives taking place in your area and around the world. The theme for International Women’s Day changes each year. What is this year’s theme?
A Mighty Girl A fabulous website filled with inspiring stories about girls and women around the world and throughout history. Very engaging for young readers.
Because I am a Girl Plan Canada’s site specifically addressing issues around poverty that impact girls internationally.
Cook a Family Recipe for International Women’s Day
Recognize and acknowledge the women in your life. Women are the first to nourish their children and we continue feeding others throughout our lives. Have some fun baking some cookies or baking bread or preparing a meal for others. Write a note, sharing how you appreciate a particular woman (or women) in your life and your child’s life. Children are always watching how we behave, your actions speak louder than words. If you have a favourite family recipe, why not make it. My grandmother was the queen of baking pies. Whenever I bake a pie I think about my grandmother…plus I get to enjoy a delicious pie when I’m done!
International Women’s Day Craft Projects
If baking and cooking aren’t your strength, perhaps crafting is for you. Make and share a homemade gift with an important woman in your life – the crossing guard, the teacher, the police officer or the letter carrier. How wonderful to make a helpful gift for a woman in your life.
You can also get crafty with our inspirational colouring bookmarks for International Women’s Day. Print off the bookmarks and have fun colouring in the designs. Take inspiration from the quotations we’ve included. Don’t forget to add your own message to the blank bookmark. Will you add a quotation or another design?
Self-reflection
Many times what stops us from achieving our goals is our own self-doubt. Issues with self-esteem start at a very early age. Have your daughters, and sons, draw a self-portrait and write a few lines about themselves.
- What are their strengths?
- What do they love about themselves?
- What do they want to be when they grow up?
- Who is their hero and why?
When they are all done, read it and then put it away until next International Women’s Day. Pull it out next year and create another one. Turn this into an annual tradition and see how your child changes over the years. While you are at it, do one for yourself.
Make DIY International Women’s Day Pins
Here’s a cool International Women’s Day craft project for tweens and teens. Make your own IWD pins using shrinky dink paper. Personalize the message you write and create a design you love. These are great to share with your friends, teachers or coaches.
Creative International Women’s Day Worksheets
Here is an opportunity for kids to reflect, write and draw about a woman who inspires them. This free printable IWD worksheet has space for a drawing and has creative writing prompts. Children can write about someone they know, someone they’ve learned about, or a real or fictional woman who has inspired them.
Print and colour our 3 International Women’s Day colouring pages that feature inspirational quotations from some remarkable women. Another creative way to celebrate the day.
These are just a few ways you can make International Women’s Day more meaningful to your children. Don’t worry about cramming all of this into one day – these are the perfect activities for Women’s History Month or make time in your day-to-day life to think about the path that girls and women have had to tread to get to where they are today and the many challenges women are still battling.
How will you be celebrating International Women’s Day this year?
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Aw, this is so nice! I don’t know if this is bad but I didn’t even know there was a Woman’s Day. I love any opportunity to bake some treats and spend some time with the lovely ladies in my life, so I’ll be happy to do that!
Oh nooo… I am a day behind on this. My Russian family celebrates this more prominently than we do here and now I feel like a bad daughter-in-law for not congratulating her and celebrating her. My hubbie just said that she sent me a very sweet e-mail yesturday congratulating me and my daughter. BUMMER. Will have to send lots of cute kids pictures to her this week =) She is such an amazing women. I think it is great that many countries take a moment to value the roles of men and women. It is important that all people feel appreciated and this is just one way to do this.
Thanks for this post, I did not even realize it was International Women’s Day. I’m glad you found some great ways to share this with your child