The Ultimate List of International Women's Day Activities to Do With Kids
This is your ultimate guide to celebrating International Women’s Day with kids. We’ve got everything from themed food to activities, books, TV shows, movies, and online resources.
International Women’s Day is on March 8th, and it is a day that can serve as a launching point for education and inspiration. The campaign for International Women’s Day this year is all about choosing to challenge. As the International Women’s Day website shares, a challenged world is an alert world, and from challenge comes change. We are all invited to challenge ourselves to celebrate the achievements of women, raise awareness against bias, and take action for a more equitable society.
More: 5 Fun Ways to Celebrate Women's History Month With Your Child
The International Women's Day theme for 2023 is "Embrace Equity." The difference between "equality" and "equity" can be hard to understand, but they are unique concepts and not interchangeable.
Equality is focused on "fairness" and giving all people resources or opportunities. However, equity is focused on the context of a person's background, experiences and societal advantages or disadvantages. Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances, and some people may require more support than others to achieve the same outcomes.
The official International Women's Day website has some excellent resources and educational videos to explain the concept of equality vs. equity to kids. By focusing on improving women's equity this International Women's Day, the hope is to work toward solving the current imbalanced social systems that often prioritize men's achievements over women's.
If you choose to raise awareness about International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month this year or if you celebrate with your kids or the young women in your life in any way, share it on social media with the 2023 International Women's Day hashtag #EmbraceEquity.
Teaching Kids About Gender Bias
As parents, it is our job to raise our children promoting equity for women as a priority and providing opportunities for all children. We can strive for gender balance and representation in the toys, activities, books, shows, and movies we choose with our families. We can do our part to help our children feel strong, capable, compassionate, creative, and determined regardless of where they fall on the gender spectrum. All children can be raised to think, question, and persevere. Parents can focus on pushing imagination, curiosity, kindness, and adventure for all children regardless of their gender identity.
Celebrating women’s and girls’ achievements, while also increasing visibility is so important. Families can do this in various ways as highlighted on the International Women’s Day site:
- Celebrate tech women and their innovative accomplishments
- Applaud inclusion for women in sports
- Educate women on health choice decisions
- Build inclusive workplaces where women can thrive
- Increase the visibility of creative women and artists
- Help to forge women’s empowerment worldwide
Here are a few ways your family can celebrate International Women’s Day and do what you can to truly make a positive difference for women and girls:
International Women’s Day Crafts, Games, and Printable Activities for Kids
1. Flower Petal Personality Traits Craft
Make a flower with each petal representing something different the women and girls in your family are known for. You can choose characteristics like smart, curious, bright, capable, etc.. This descriptive flower activity is wonderful because it helps to build vocabulary as well as cognition by thinking about different personality traits. You can have your child make a flower that represents themselves, or they can pick a special woman or girl in their lives.
2. Famous Women Word Search
Learning more about famous women will be even more fun when it is tied to a printable word search for inspiration.
3. International Women’s Day Printable Coloring Sheets
If you’re introducing International Women’s Day to little ones, using printable coloring sheets is an easy way to provide them with a hands-on activity while you share stories about women and girls who are dreaming big and taking action. This is also a nice activity for any age as you listen to an audiobook with a strong female lead.
4. Play a Women-Focused Game
Games that feature girls and women are fun ways to focus on increasing and normalizing the representation of strong girls. Check out these game options.
International Women’s Day Themed Food
1. Supergirl Pancakes
Start the day off with some powerful supergirl pancakes with these cute gingerbread girl cookie cutters, and then reuse them again for cutting sandwiches for lunch!
Get it here.
2. “Raise a Fist” Cookies
Make some fun hand-raising, fist cookies to show the strength in females and show the fight for balance.
Get it here.
Books to Celebrate Powerful, Strong, and Fearless Female Leads
Reading books about inspiring women and girls is a perfect activity for IWD 2023, and at any time for that matter! This book list, perfect for ages 3 to 9, is filled with stories featuring girls from different cultures and backgrounds, exploring how dreams can lead to lifelong learnings. The more we can learn as families about women’s rights being human rights and essential for a better world, the better!
You might even consider facilitating a virtual book club with a women or girls’ inspired book for your children and a few friends or with your child’s favorite team or club.
Here are 10 more books about diverse girls and women who dream big, lead, and take action:
Author: Patrick McDonnell
The inspiring story of Jane Goodall.
Author: Jennifer Fosberry Illustrator: Mike Litwin
The story of a little girl who is discovering herself and the adventures it takes her through.
Author: Rebecca Ann Langston-George Illustrator: Janna Rose Bock
Tells the world-changing and fearless story of Malala Yousafzai and her defiance against the Taliban’s rule to stand up for all girls’ rights.
Author: Brad Meltzer Illustrator:Christopher Eliopoulos
A box set of short, fun, and engaging biographies of real-life heroes and trail blazers.
Author: Ashley Spires
Follows a determined little girl and her dog as she tries to build the most magnificent thing.
Author: Eva Chen Illustrator: Derek Desierto
A fun and adventurous fairy tale and historical book through the journey of finding her shoes.
Author: Andrea Beaty Illustrator: David Roberts
Tells the story of a persistent and passionate little girl who has a dream of becoming an engineer and her wild imagination.
Author: Kelly DiPucchio Illustrator: LeUyen Pham
Explains the story of a hardworking and determined little girl who sets out to become the first female president.
Author: Jane Manning
Tells the story of a little girl who decides to stand up for herself and how she figures out a way to do it nicely.
Author: Ben Hatke
Follows a young fearless leader and all of her intergalactic adventurous.
TV Shows and Movies to Watch on International Women’s Day
You can binge watch these shows and movies all month long to show your children that girls can be strong, fearless, adventurous, and determined.
Price: Free to Prime users
Rating: G
This is a great show for young children. It follows a sister and brother as they continuously seek answers to life as scientific questions.
Rating: G
This classic cartoon follows an adventurous quirky school teacher eager to teach her students in an unconventional fashion by taking field trips.
Rating: TV-Y7
It features both a female and male superhero, fighting for good.
Rating: TV-Y7
A story that follows three good friends who go on lots of adventures riding freely on their horses.
Rating: G
Any of these wild movies are so much fun for the whole family with lots of journeys starring a brave little girl.
Rating: G
A beautiful film that follows two sisters as they discover their new house and neighbor.
Rating: TV-PG
This remarkable show stars a fiercely intelligent and determined young girl who has an unyielding love for knowledge and the world around her.
Rating: G
This is a classic animated film about a female warrior who fights for what she believes is right.
Rating: PG-13
This movie is rated PG-13, so it may not be appropriate for a younger audience, but it is a great film featuring a strong female role model.
International Women’s Day Online Resources
1. A Mighty Girl
A Mighty Girl is the motherlode of websites for raising strong girls. It is your one-stop shop to find the best books, shows, movies, toys, articles, and resources about raising mighty girls.
2. How to Raise a Self Confident Girl
In PBS KIDS for Parents’ “How to Raise a Self Confident Girl,” Katie Hurley arms parents and caregivers with easy reminders of questions and beliefs to share with their girls.
3. International Women's Day Teaching Resources
Teachers and parents who are looking for printable and downloadable resources about International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month can find an abundance of printables, themed packets, lesson plans, and more over on our site, TeacherVision.
4. Jane Goodall's Roots and Shoots
One of the most iconic strong women of our time will always be Jane Goodall. She is a world-renowned humanitarian and a wonderful role model for unstoppable passion and desire. Check out her main website, then her Roots and Shoots which focuses on education and youth leaders.
5. Volunteering as a Way for Girls to Lead
Learning new skills and volunteering with the community are awesome ways for girls to lead with courage. Parents can find additional ideas in PBS KIDS for Parents’ “How to Raise a Leader.”
6. International Women’s Day Campaigns
The official website of International Women’s Day is a must visit to join any local campaigns, marches, and activities to be a part of the change and movement.
