Women’s History Month provides an opportunity to teach children about the tremendous contributions women have made in the United States in a variety of fields, including art, science, medicine, math, education and other areas.

At Connecticut Children’s, we honor Women’s History Month with our team members, patients and their families by displaying signage in our hospital, providing educational resources to team members, sharing team member profiles, and much more. We also encourage families to try out new activities to better understand and appreciate the contributions of women in our country.

Here are some ideas to consider during Women’s History Month and all year long:

  • Take children on a virtual visit to the Women’s Rights National Historical Park. Located in Seneca Falls, New York, the Women’s Rights National Historical Park tells the story of the first Women’s Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls in 1848 and highlights women’s struggles for civil rights, human rights and equality.
  • Read children’s books written by authors or illustrated by artists who are women. To get you started, PBS.org has a list of children’s books that honor Women’s History Month. So does the School Library Journal. 
  • Learn about women featured on postage stamps. While many women have left their stamp on American history, only some are featured on United States postage stamps. Take a look through this guide from the United States Postal Service.
  • For additional ideas, take a look at this article on Connecticut Children’s Growing Healthy Blog, which offers even more ideas for how you can honor the month with kids – from arts and crafts, to watching videos, to sending thank you notes to women who are helping to shape your children’s lives.

And here’s some background information on Women’s History Month. Similar to other culture months, this one began as a weeklong celebration in 1981 after Congress passed a law authorizing the week of March 7 as Women’s History Week. The week was chosen to correspond with the celebration of International Women’s Day, which is recognized annually on March 8. After being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project and other advocates, Congress expanded the celebration in 1987 to cover the month of March and the month has been recognized as Women’s History Month ever since.