The NKBA celebrated “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.” By Loren Kessell
An especially animated young workforce poured through NKBA’s doors on a sunny April day last week, with smiles on their faces, as employees brought in their children for “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.” It was a full house, with 22 kids eagerly taking on the day’s busy itinerary.
They started by learning about the NKBA and what their parents do all day. Kids and their grown-ups introduced themselves and shared their favorite ice cream flavor or movie to break the ice before moving on to a grand tour of the offices.
During the tour, the children learned about the roles and responsibilities for every department while saying hello to the staff. Their eyes gleamed as they took in the sights. Some were repeat visitors, having attended the event last year, while a few newcomers joined the crowd.
The first activity was NKBA’s version of a “Nailed It” challenge, which involved using Rice Krispies Treats, chocolate, marshmallows and other edibles to create kitchen and bath-themed sculptures. The creations had to meet a 4” x 6” size requirement, presented on canvas boards. The junior designers showed their creativity and flair with such items as bathtubs, a toaster with the toast popping out and a self-flushing toilet.
One of the day’s most popular activities was slime-making. This involved simple science, as the young experimenters learned about polymers and color theory as they proceeded to create varying styles of goop.
“I loved slime-making because it was fun and I learned a lot,” Xira Millard, 9, said.
Xira is one of Elle H-Millard’s four children who attended. Millard, who holds CKD and CLIPP certification, is an NKBA Insider and Industry Relations Manager. She represents the NKBA at numerous industry trade shows and events throughout the year.
After slime-making, the gang broke off into two groups — the younger children played games to win prizes while the older crowd transformed into teams of engineers tasked with designing roller coasters. Their challenge was creating a mini thrill ride out of foam tubing that included a hill, a loop and a curve. They learned about kinetic energy and inertia, and cheers roared through the room as teams succeeded in sending marbles down the coasters.
“I loved making the roller coaster,” said Cameron Tyburski, 8, son of executive assistant Allison Tyburski. “We learned that the two hills give the marble speed so it can go around the loop and make it to the end.”
After their successes with games and conjuring roller-coasters, the kids came together to write their résumés. They discussed where they went to school, their interests and skills, and what they want to be when they grow up. Career aspirations ranged from cartoon animator to YouTube star.
Finally, the day concluded with an Easter egg hunt and a puzzle game that involved freeing puzzle pieces from a Saran Wrap ball. Once completed, the puzzle revealed a surprise to end the day: a shaved-ice truck was serving sweet treats just outside the building.
As a tired but happy young workforce clocked out, one thing was for sure — there was no shortage of innovation and new friends made on that day!
