There appears to be competing National Lemonade Days in America. According to the staff National Today, 20 August is the designated day to “join your community in celebrating National Lemonade Day!”[1] However, according to the website Holiday Calendar, “National Lemonade Day [should be celebrated] on the first Sunday of May!”[2] Maybe lemonade is worth celebrating twice! Journalist and historian Anne Ewbank reports the history of lemonade goes back hundreds of years. She writes, “The first written mention of lemonade-like drinks comes from On Lemon, Its Drinking and Use, an Arabic treatise written in the 12th century by the physician Ibn Jumayʿ, who wrote down a number of drink recipes that included not only lemon juice, but fruits, herbs, and spices. Jumayʿ recommended lemonade for its health benefits, and that reputation followed it into Europe, along with sugar and the lemon itself. The price of its ingredients initially reserved it for the very rich and the very sick. But refreshing lemonade could not be contained to the sickroom for long, and by the 17th century, Paris was filled with wandering lemonade vendors, who sold the drink from elaborate tanks strapped to their backs.”[3] The National Day staff believes the origins of lemonade go back even further. They write, “The use of lemonade dates as far back as ancient Egypt and has rooted its own beginnings all over the world.”
Lemonade and Young Entrepreneurs
As Ewbank explained above, lemonade and entrepreneurship go hand-in-hand. In modern times, wandering Parisian vendors have been replaced by children hawking lemonade from roadside stands. The Holiday Calendar staff explains that National Lemonade Day honors these young entrepreneurs. They explain, “The origins of this holiday date back to the days when kids would set up stands and sell lemonade in order to make some pocket money.” The National Day staff adds that National Lemonade Day is an opportunity “to teach youth about setting up their own lemonade stand and running their own company.” The National Day staff reports that National Lemonade Day began with a young girl and her desire to buy a turtle. They explain:
“The concept for Lemonade Day was created when founder, Michael Holthouse’s daughter, Lissa, wanted to add a turtle to her pet collection. With so many pets already in the house, Michael said no. Dedicated and determined, Lissa decided she would open a lemonade stand to raise money to buy her own turtle, and asked her dad for help. This brilliant and empowered idea gave founder, Michael Holthouse the inspiration for the National Lemonade Day Campaign. He wanted to give more children the opportunity to learn business skills, responsibility, financial literacy, goal setting, and teamwork just like Lissa. Giving children across the U.S. lessons that could carry all the way to their future. More than any pop album, or hip-hop song, this day is not just about fun and enjoying delicious lemonade, it’s about providing confidence to our youth and teaching them basic business skills — but listening to Beyonce’s ‘Lemonade’ at the same time doesn’t hurt.”
The National Day staff concludes, “Giving our youth an entrepreneur’s spirit at an early age has an incredibly positive impact on their success in the future, and when our children are successful, the world is successful! So let’s slice-up some lemons and get to stirring up some learning!” Freelance writer Joshua Sophy, insists, “The possibilities for small businesses for kids have never been greater! With the right guidance and resources, a kid-friendly business could be a potentially life-changing experience.” He suggests that some of the rewards of being an entrepreneur include:
• Learning New Skills: “Starting a business can help kids develop important skills such as problem-solving, communication, decision-making, and organization.”
• Exploring Passions & Interests: “Business ownership gives kids the opportunity to explore their passions and interests in a meaningful way.
• Gaining Confidence & Self-Esteem: “Engaging in the world of business encourages self-confidence and aids in boosting self-esteem.”
• Acquiring Financial Independence: “Kids can learn how to save, invest and make money by starting a business and becoming financially independent.”
• Supporting The Community: “Kids who start businesses are often at the forefront of helping their community through donations or services.”
Encouraging Your Child to Become an Entrepreneur
Of all the entrepreneurial activities children can pursue, lemonade stands are probably the most popular. Sophy explains, “Starting a lemonade stand is the easiest business to start. It provides a great opportunity to bond and teach your child valuable business skills.” He goes on to list 14 other entrepreneurial activities your child might want to pursue. They are:
1. Party Planning Business
2. Online Store
3. Pet Sitting Business
4. Dog Walking Business
5. Tutoring Services
6. Car Washing Service
7. Baby Sitting Services
8. Face Painting at community events
9. Musical Performer
10. Blog Writer
11. T-Shirt Designer
12. Sweets and Treats Stand
13. Book Author
14. YouTube Channel/TikTok Influencer
John Rampton, CEO of Calendar, asserts, “One of the best ways to help your children achieve success is to raise them to be entrepreneurial-minded.”[5] How do you do that? He suggests four ways parents can help. They are: 1) Encourage creativity; 2) Teach them to persevere; 3) Show them the value hard work; and, 4) Encourage risk-taking. He concludes, “By instilling these values in your kids, you’ll help them develop the skills they need to be successful entrepreneurs. So, don’t wait — start encouraging your children to be entrepreneurial-minded today!” David Dodge, CEO and founder of CodaKid, offers a few other suggestions for parents.[6] They are: 1) Teach them how to recognize opportunities; 2) Let them solve problems; 3) Inspire resilience; 4) Help them start enterprises early in life; 5) Teach financial literacy; 6) Teach goal setting; and, 7) Teach technology skills. He concludes, “Regardless of whether your child chooses the path of entrepreneurship, the skills described above will help your child succeed in any profession and in any organizational type.”
Concluding Thoughts
Journalist Dayna Winter asserts, “Parents who encourage their kids to start their own business at a young age enable them to get a head start on life. Whether they aspire to land a deal on Shark Tank or take their designs to New York Fashion Week, it’s never too early to get started in entrepreneurship. Today’s lemonade stand could be tomorrow’s Pulitzer.”[7] National Lemonade Day is an opportunity to encourage our children to be successful. Nicole Cassier-Mason, Chief Executive Officer of Lemonade Day National, reports that most of the objectives recommended by Rampton and Dodge are encapsulated in National Lemonade Day programs. She observes, “Lemonade Day has developed a playbook to unlock youth potential and talent through opportunity creation. Our program is infused with life skills, business and financial literacy, character education, career exploration, and mentorship. This approach builds 21st century skills, improves self-esteem, provides social-emotional learning, and plants the seed of innovation to create new mindsets. These growth mindsets can propel youth into success and enable important life steps while preparing them to transition into what comes next in life.”[8] The next time you see a lemonade stand think twice before passing it by. Purchasing a drink from a child could encourage that child in ways you may never know.
Footnotes
[1] Staff, “National Lemonade Day – August 20, 2023,” National Today.
[2] Staff, “National Lemonade Day,” Holiday Calendar.
[3] Anne Ewbank, “The Sweet History of Lemonade,” Gastro Obscura, 17 April 2023.
[4] Joshua Sophy, “15 Small Business Ideas for Kids in 2023,” Small Business Trends, 7 March 2023.
[5] John Rampton, “How to Raise Entrepreneurial Minded Kids,” Entrepreneur, 23 May 2022.
[6] David Dodge, “7 Ways to Teach Your Kids to Become Entrepreneurs,” Codakid.
[7] Dayna Winter, “The Grown-up Wisdom of 8 Kid Entrepreneurs,” Shopify, 3 March 2023.
[8] Nicole Cassier-Mason, “A Lemonade Stand Can Change Everything: How Lemonade Day Empowers Kids Through Entrepreneurship,” Business Wire, 15 March 2023.
