How to Celebrate the International Day of Happiness [7 Ideas]

Smiling girl

What is the International Day of Happiness?

Happy International Day of Happiness 2023! 

Happiness is about experiencing positive feelings such as contentment and joy. International Day of Happiness is a day that encourages people to focus on what truly matters in life, and that is happiness. This year it is on Monday, 20th March 2023. While adding some happiness to every day is important, the International Day of Happiness is an excellent opportunity to celebrate happiness with your family. Here are some fun activities you can try out to celebrate the International Day of Happiness with your kids…

Activities for Kids to Spread Joy on the International Day of Happiness

1) Share Your Happiness with Each Other

One of the best ways to celebrate the International Day of Happiness with your family is by sharing your joy with each other. Take some time to sit down with your family and ask each other what makes you happy. Share your happy moments and memories, and remember all the fun activities you have done as a family. This is a great way to create a positive and happy atmosphere in your home.

Child hugging soft toy

2) Bake Some Treats Together

Baking is a fun and creative way to celebrate the International Day of Happiness with your family. Not only is baking a fun activity, but you can also enjoy the delicious treats you make together. You could bake some gingerbread biscuits together and give them yummy happy faces by creating eyes and a smiley mouth out of fruit.

child baking gingerbread

3) Go Outside and Play

Spending time outdoors is a superb way to promote happiness. Spend some time in the garden together. You can jump on the trampoline, play hide and seek around the climbing frame, go on a garden scavenger hunt, or play any other games your family enjoys. Spending time outside in nature can boost your mood and help you feel happier.

children climbing on gate

4) Do Some Arts and Crafts

You can draw, paint, or make crafts together. Creating art together is a great way to celebrate the International Day of Happiness. A really simple craft to try is creating happy potato prints. You’ll only need a few things: paint, paper and potatoes.

You will need the following:

📜 Paper

🎨 Paint – bright colours to spark happiness, like orange, yellow and pink work well

🥔 Potatoes – big baking potatoes work well

Instructions

  1. Cut a smiley shape into your potato or try other shapes, like stars using a biscuit cutter to indent the outline and then finish cutting with a knife.
  2. Let your kids loose on the paint and stamp the potatoes into the paint and then onto the paper.
  3. Leave their creations to dry.
  4. Display where all the family can see to give you a little bit of happiness every day.

This is a great way to let your kids express their creativity and spend time together doing something fun.

heart shaped potato print

5) Have a Picnic

Having a picnic is a fun and easy way to celebrate the International Day of Happiness. Pack some sandwiches, fruit, and drinks (and don’t forget those biscuits you made earlier!) and head outdoors together. This is a great way to enjoy nature and spend quality time together as a family.

kids' picnic table with cake and juice

6) Make the Wildlife Happy

There’s a whole host of activities you can encourage your kids to do to make the animals and insects in your garden happy; it’s not just about happy humans! Why not get your kids to build a bug hotel to keep garden minibeasts content and cosy or scatter some wildflower seeds so that you will have a host of happy bees in your garden in the summertime?

Doing activities like this is a great way to get your children to spend time in nature and get involved in the outdoors. It also teaches them how to look after wildlife and make the planet happy.

bug hotel

7) Give Back to Your Community

Giving back to your community is a compassionate way to celebrate the International Day of Happiness. You could donate something to a local food bank or help at a community event. This is a great way to teach your children about the importance of giving back and positively impacting the world.

community donation box

What is Happening Around the World on the International Day of Happiness?

The International Day of Happiness is celebrated around the world; families share online what makes them happy and how they celebrate the day with loved ones.

Schools sometimes have special events like dressing in clothes that make you happy or a happiness post box where children can post compliment cards to their friends.

Local community hubs might host events like bake sales or pop-up craft tents to spread happiness and joy in the local community, so keep a lookout in your local area.

child with party streamers

It’s time to share happiness! What are you doing to spread more happiness? Don’t forget to share your ideas with us @PlumPlayUK #LifeAtPlay.

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