10 Last-Minute Tips for Bringing Your Kids to the Women’s March on Washington!
The Women’s Marches happening around the country Saturday will be historic! If you’re bringing kids, like many of us are, here are some thing you can do in the next 24 hours to make it great:
- Talk together about why you’re marching.
- Make signs together. It gets kids invested and they can show signs off with pride at the march. You can even dress up!
- Overdress for the weather. Right now the weather looks decent in DC but it’s a long time to be outside! Throw on those extra layers just in case.
- Make a last minute date to march with other kids. Or find some during the march. Choose a meet-up spot outside the box on this map:
- Grab stuff to make it more fun. Speeches by adults, no matter how stirring or lofty, can be tough for kids. Marching can be tiring. Bring a new toy. Prime yourself to tell made-up stories or games like I Spy or 20 Questions. Consider a phone or tablet as a last resort. It’s like travel–do what you need to do.
- Pack extra snacks, lunch, and water! There are some important bag restrictions at the DC march (scroll down on this page) but you are allowed to bring food, and your little ones will need it! And bring a treat to lift their spirits at a key moment.
- Stay found. Keep kids next to you and tell them to stay close. On Saturday AM, tag kids with your cell number and other vital info or sharpie it on their arm. Take a pic so you have one with the clothes they’re wearing to the march. Talk to them beforehand about what to do if they get lost (they can ask a parent for help, or police along the route). Have a meet-up spot for adults or teenagers if you get separated and phones aren’t working.
- Be flexible on Saturday. If kids get too cold or tired (or being there starts to feel unwise or unsafe), retreat. You showed up! Nobody says you have to stay.
- Consider a pee bottle or travel potty. There will be port-a-potties but lines can long. Bring wipes and hand sanitizer.
- Download the Women’s March on Washington app and check out the resources for parents and the Kids’ Scavenger Hunt
Most importantly, have fun–and thank you for teaching your kids to speak out for justice!
If you’re marching in DC, sign up for important last-minute updates for parents by texting ParentsMarch to 30644, or enter your cell number below.
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