The History of National Children’s Day

National Children’s Day was originally founded by Dr. Charles Leonard, a reverend at the Universalist Church of the Redeemer, who created it as a day for baptizing. He called it ‘Rose Day.’ After the date was changed several times, and the name changed to National Children’s Day, it was settled that it would be recognized on the second Sunday in June.

Rather than being associated with religion nowadays, the day is used as a reminder to unplug from all other responsibilities and to instead spend more time with your kids. Below are some ideas for a National Children’s Day well-spent with your little ones!

Explore the Outdoors

Get outside! It’s finally summertime again, and what better way to celebrate than to hit the beach or a park on a beautiful Sunday. Your kid will love exploring the outdoors, staying active, and enjoying the gorgeous weather with you.

Taking a stroll around your neighborhood is also a great opportunity to pick up litter off the streets or the sand, teaching your child about the importance of recycling and sustainability as a whole. Even better—any of the litter you pick up can be brought to the Bowfish Kids store on Asbury Ave., so that we can properly dispose of it as part of our Environmental Club initiative.

Encourage Creativity Through Art

Art is used by children as a means to express themselves and can be a favorite pastime for many. According to an article on artfulparent.com by Jean Van’t Hult titled, “Seven Amazing Benefits of Art For Kids That You Might Not Know,” art helps children in their development of fine motor skills, problem solving, and connecting with other kids. In fact, even scribbling helps children in learning to write! It also exercises their brain and has them using all different types of senses, depending on the activity. Spending National Children’s Day creating beautiful art with your kids is a great way to bond and spend time with them, while they reap the benefits of exercising their creativity. Your little one will love painting, coloring, and drawing and connecting with you.

So, what are you waiting for? Pick up some Crayon Rocks here at Bowfish Kids and get to work! They are the perfect shape and size to fit in your child’s hand, and come in a variety of lively colors.

Play Music

Make some noise—no experience required! Your kids will love getting loud and jammin’ out, whether they’re using their vocal cords or guitar strings. According to an article on brighthorizons.com, titled “Children and Music: Benefits of Music and Child Development,” music benefits children by helping to accelerate their  brain development and enhancing skills for school preparedness. In fact, exposing younger children to music aids them in learning sounds and even meanings for words.

Our brand partner Plan Toys offers a variety of fun first instruments your child is sure to cherish. Bop to a banjo or bang a drum with one of their sustainably-made products!

Family Game Night

Get the whole family together for a game night! Teach your little one about healthy competition while promoting quality time. According to an article on wnychildren.org titled, “Family Game Night-The Benefits of Game Play,” playing board games helps to teach kids social skills, such as taking turns, following rules, and learning how to win or lose. Game nights also help to promote family tradition building, while ensuring those traditions are fun and something to look forward to for your little one.

In need of some new games? Eeboo, one of our brand partners, has a whole selection that also double as being educational. Some of our favorites include the Spottington board game, the United States Bingo game, and the Make a Pie game. Grab some games and let the fun begin!

Tell Stories

Bedtime isn’t always a favorite for kids, but story time can certainly make it easier. In a blog post titled, “The Benefits of Storytime for Kids,” on simplewellfamily.com, a pediatric nurse practitioner explains the different benefits that come with having a story time. These include learning to develop listening skills, a broadened vocabulary, and practicing sitting still.

Round out National Children’s Day with your child’s favorite kids book, a made-up fairytale, or our favorite children’s book here at Bowfish Kids— “If I Had a Little Dream,” by Nina Laden. Explore the world from the perspective of a child and teach your little one all there is to be grateful for in this beautifully-illustrated children’s book.

No matter what you end up doing, whether it be creating art or exploring the town, having a family game night or playing music, we here at Bowfish Kids hope you have a wonderful National Children’s Day spent with the ones you love!