Have the children research different types of occupations and their accompanying salaries and wages. Have students look through magazines to find pictures of hard-working folks on the job in various situations, and paste these pictures onto a piece of paper and write the facts they have learned about the chosen jobs. They can then present what they learned to the class. Their parents can take part by coming into the school to tell about their careers.
Have the children write thank-you notes to workers in your community for a job well done. The recipients can include teachers, police officers, emergency medical technicians, doctors, letter carriers, firefighters and coaches. Students can come up with their own creative, colorful designs. If they can deliver the notes personally, children can interact with the community workers.
Play an information computer search game by throwing out specific questions about Labor Day. Have the children divide into groups and ask them questions about the holiday's history. Questions can concern what president was involved in establishing Labor Day, the first celebration and its importance. Award a prize to the group that finds the answers most accurately.
Let the children dress up like community workers, such as doctors, veterinarians, grocery store workers, letter carriers, chefs and teachers. They could then create a play or puppet show about the value of a good work ethic and how important it is for a functioning society.