The national Children’s Day at Work will be held again on Friday 20 November 2026. The purpose of the theme day is to increase children’s inclusion, family friendliness in working life and children’s understanding of working life. This year, workplaces are particularly encouraged to collaborate with local schools and day-care centres.
Children’s Day at Work is organised for the ninth time this year. The theme day has gained more popularity year by year: last year, 1,177 workplaces representing different parts of Finland signed up for it. The purpose of the day is to familiarise children and young people with working life and to serve as a reminder of the right of children to be heard and participate in society.
“Even we, as the organisers, have been surprised by how popular the Children’s Day at Work event has been year after year. At the same time, it’s hardly any surprise when you’ve heard the excited feedback from the participating children and adults: evidently, the theme day has succeeded in creating moments that allow taking a peek behind roles and being more present as human beings. After all, making working life better is also one of our goals,” says Juuli Hurskainen, Director, Communications and Advocacy, Central Union for Child Welfare.
Children’s Day at Work provides children with an opportunity to familiarise themselves with different professions, workplaces and working life practices. The theme day also allows work communities to examine their own activities from the perspective of children, and gives children visibility at workplaces.
Many ways to get children involved at workplaces
There are many ways to participate in the Children’s Day at Work. Employees can bring a child they know to work with them, or the workplace can also invite a group of children from a nearby day-care centre or school for a visit. The work community can also send employees to talk about their profession, working life and different career paths for children.
The Children’s Day at Work allowed 11-year-old Evia to join her mother’s friend at their workplace, a day-care centre. “It was really fun there. We played outdoor games and board games selected by children. I got to read a book for the children and helped them get dressed. The best part was getting to play with and take care of the children”, Evia says.
This year, workplaces are especially encouraged to collaborate with schools and day-care centres in the local area. Schools can also participate in the Children’s Day at Work theme day, for example by providing children and young people an opportunity to plan lessons or interview school staff.
“It is particularly important that children get positive experiences of working life and work. At the moment, not all parents or guardians are employed or have a job that enables them to bring their child to the workplace,” says Elina Pekkarinen, Ombudsman for Children.
The activities on the day can include familiarisation with the workplace, workshops, following meetings, interviews with professionals, brainstorming or other participatory activities. Based on experiences gathered at workplaces, children’s visits bring joy, new perspectives and a sense of community to the working day.
Registration is open
Sign your workplace up for Children’s Day at Work on the theme day website. All kinds of workplaces from different sectors are welcome to participate in the day, where possible.
Use the hashtag #LapsetMukaanTöihin when posting about the Children’s Day at Work on social media.
The Children’s Day at Work will be held on World Children’s Day, 20 November 2026. The theme day is organised by the Office of the Ombudsman for Children and the Central Union for Child Welfare and their partners. The organisers hope that the theme day will stimulate discussions on the family-friendliness of working life as well as children’s right to inclusion and involving them more in society.
Read more:
- Children’s Day at Work
- Frequently asked questions about Children’s Day at Work
- Children’s Rights Week
Additional Information:
Juuli Hurskainen, Director, Communications and Advocacy, juuli.hurskainen@lskl.fi, tel. +358 50 3533 480
Elina Pekkarinen, Ombudsman for Children, elina.pekkarinen@oikeus.fi