Families Come in All Shapes and Sizes: Celebrate International Day of Families Together

Family is more than just a word. It’s a bond, a source of love, and a foundation for growth. But family doesn’t look the same for everyone. That’s why we celebrate International Day of Families on May 15, a global observance established by the United Nations to recognize the essential role families play in creating strong, supportive, and resilient communities. It’s also an opportunity for the UN to spotlight social, economic, and cultural challenges that families face around the world, from poverty and housing instability to access to education and healthcare.

Every family has its own story, traditions, and values, making our communities richer, stronger, and more vibrant. But it’s important to remember that family is not an exclusive term—families can be connected by birth, adoption, marriage, friendship, or community ties. They can be large or small, multi-generational, single-parent, blended, chosen, or any other form that offers love and support.

This International Day of Families, we invite you to celebrate the unique qualities of your family with stories, activities, and conversations that help us reflect on what family means. Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, teacher, or community worker, there are countless ways to explore and appreciate the beauty of family diversity.

5 Family Activities to Celebrate International Day of Families

These activities can be enjoyed with family, friends, in a workshop, or with a class.

Family Tree Art Project

Encourage children to create a family tree, but with a twist—this family tree can include not just relatives, but also close friends, mentors, and anyone who feels like family. Use markers, stickers, or cut-out pictures to make it colorful and unique.

A few examples of Family Tree Projects to get you started.

“What Makes Us Family” Jar

Set out a jar and some paper slips. Throughout the day, invite family members to write down what they love most about your family or what makes your family special. Read them together at the end of the day.

Family Photo Walk

Explore your neighborhood together, taking photos that represent your family’s story—your favorite park, a family tradition, a special place you love to visit. Compile the photos into a mini family album.

Family Conversations Cards

Create a set of conversation cards with prompts like “What’s your favorite family memory?”, “What makes our family unique?”, and “Who do you consider part of our family?” Use them over dinner or during a family game night to spark meaningful discussions.

Family Storytime

Take your family outdoors for a story time picnic. Bring along a selection of books that explore diverse family stories, cultures, and traditions. After reading together, talk about how each story is similar to or different from your own family.

5 Books That Celebrate Family in All Its Forms

A Family Is a Family Is a Family

By Sara O’Leary and art by Qin Leng

When a teacher asks the children in her class to think about what makes their families special, the answers are all different in many ways — but the same in the one way that matters most of all.

One child is worried that her family is just too different to explain, but listens as her classmates talk about what makes their families special. One is raised by a grandmother, and another has two dads. One has many stepsiblings, and another has a new baby in the family.

As her classmates describe who they live with and who loves them — family of every shape, size and every kind of relation — the child realizes that as long as her family is full of caring people, it is special.

A warm and whimsical look at many types of families, written by award-winning author Sara O’Leary, with quirky and sweet illustrations by Qin Leng.

Take a trip to Calgary Library to borrow this one and discover other books together.

I’ll Go and Come Back

By Rajani LaRocca and art by Sara Palacios

A tender, beautifully illustrated story about a girl in America and her grandmother in India, whose love stretches between languages and cultures—and across the world.

When Jyoti visits her grandmother halfway around the world, she is overwhelmed by the differences between India and home. At first she feels lonely and out of place, but soon, despite a language barrier, she and Sita Pati are able to understand each other. They form a bond—looking at books together, making designs with colored sand, shopping at the market, playing games, eating chapatis, and sipping warm milk with saffron to bring sweet dreams. When it’s time to part, Jyoti doesn’t want to leave, but then she remembers that in Tamil, people don’t say goodbye, they say “I’ll go and come back.” Sure enough, the two reunite the next summer when Pati visits Jyoti in America, and it’s Jyoti’s turn to make her grandmother feel welcome. Can they create some special memories that will last until the next time they see each other?

You can also find this one at Calgary Library.

Meet Your Family / Gikenim Giniigi'igoog

By David Bouchard with art by Kristy Cameron

Mother Earth, we come from her, we go to her, without her we wouldn't be here, she gives all of us life and because of her we are all one family. In many segments of Indigenous life we speak of Mother Earth, Father Sky, Grandfather Sun, and Grandmother Moon. Meet Your Family / Gikenim Giniigi'igoog is a rhythmic poem that will enlighten readers on how to view these important figures and share a greater concept of seeing the world as our natural family. Meet Your Family / Gikenim Giniigi'igoog is presented in both English and Ojibway. An additional softcover book written in Ojibway with a phonetics guide is included inside.

Love Makes a Family

By Sophie Beer

This fun, inclusive board book celebrates the one thing that makes every family a family . . . and that's LOVE.

Love is baking a special cake. Love is lending a helping hand. Love is reading one more book. In this exuberant board book, many different families are shown in happy activity, from an early-morning wake-up to a kiss before bed. Whether a child has two moms, two dads, one parent, or one of each, this simple preschool read-aloud demonstrates that what's most important in each family's life is the love the family members share.

Borrow it for free from Calgary Library.

The Invisible String

By Patrice Karst

The Invisible String is a heartwarming picture book that teaches children about the unbreakable bond of love that connects us to the people we care about, no matter how far apart we are.

Parents, educators, therapists, and social workers alike have declared The Invisible String the perfect tool for coping with all kinds of separation anxiety, loss, and grief. It's also been joyfully embraced as a year-round celebration of love--gifted at births, graduations, weddings, Valentine's Day, and beyond. In this relatable and reassuring contemporary classic, a mother tells her two children that they're all connected by an invisible string. "That's impossible!" the children insist, but still they want to know more: "What kind of string?" The answer is the simple truth that binds us all: An Invisible String made of love. Even though you can't see it with your eyes, you can feel it deep in your heart, and know that you are always connected to the ones you love. Does everybody have an Invisible String? How far does it reach? Does it ever go away? This heartwarming picture book for all ages explores questions about the intangible yet unbreakable connections between us, and opens up deeper conversations about love.

The Invisible String offers a very simple approach to overcoming loneliness, separation, or loss with an imaginative twist that children easily understand and embrace, and delivers a particularly compelling message in today's uncertain times.

Both the picture and audio book are available at Calgary Library.

At the Further Education Society, we believe that learning and connection begin at home. Through our free family literacy programs, we help parents and children build skills, strengthen bonds, and create lasting memories.

Celebrate International Day of Families by spending time together, sharing stories, and exploring new books. No matter how your family is shaped, the love and support you give each other make it special.