Kids Day
| Kids Day | |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | ARRL |
| When | Generally the first Saturday of January and the third Saturday of June |
| Hours | 1800 to 2359 UTC |
| Type | On-air event for young people; not a contest |
| On the air | |
| Suggested exchange | Name, age, location and favorite color |
| Calling | "CQ Kids Day" |
| Bands | Suggested frequencies on 80 to 10 meters; repeaters with permission |
| 2026 | January 3 and June 20 |
| Dates | |
| Recognition | Downloadable certificate of participation |
Kids Day is an amateur radio event sponsored by the ARRL twice a year to introduce young people to ham radio. For six hours on a Saturday in January and another in June, licensed hams invite children, grandchildren, Scout troops, school groups or members of the public to their stations and help them make contacts on the air.[1] It is not a contest: there are no points or winners, and the suggested exchange is simple enough for a young child: name, age, location and favorite color. This article follows the event information posted by the ARRL for the 2026 events.
When and how
Kids Day is generally held on the first Saturday of January and the third Saturday of June; the ARRL contest calendar gives each year's dates, which in 2026 were January 3 and June 20.[1][2] It always runs from 1800 to 2359 UTC, which in January is 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.[1] Stations may take part for as long or as short a time as they like.
To find other participants, stations call "CQ Kids Day". Each young operator gives their name, age, location and favorite color, and hears the same from the other side. A station may be worked again whenever a different young operator is at the microphone, so a busy station can talk to the same club station several times in an afternoon.[1] The ARRL suggests frequencies in the HF phone bands, listed below, and a favorite repeater may also be used with its sponsor's permission.[1]
| Band | Suggested frequencies (MHz) |
|---|---|
| 80 meters | 3.740–3.940 |
| 40 meters | 7.270–7.290 |
| 20 meters | 14.270–14.300 |
| 17 meters | 18.140–18.145 |
| 15 meters | 21.360–21.400 |
| 12 meters | 24.960–24.980 |
| 10 meters | 28.350–28.400 |
These frequencies sit in the phone portions of the US bands; operators elsewhere should choose frequencies that fit their own country's rules and band plan.
Unlicensed young operators
Many of the children who take part are not yet licensed. In the United States they may speak on the air as a third party, as long as the control operator is present at the control point and continuously supervising.[3] Apart from emergency messages, contacts with stations in other countries are allowed only where the United States has a third-party agreement with that country, so the ARRL reminds operators to observe these restrictions on DX contacts.[3][1] Rules on letting unlicensed guests speak differ from country to country, and operators outside the US should check their own regulations.
After the event
Every young participant can receive a certificate of participation, which is downloaded from the ARRL's Kids Day page and filled in with the child's name and the date of the contact.[1] The ARRL also asks stations to fill in a short online survey with their call sign, the number of young participants in three age groups (4 to 7, 8 to 12, and teenagers), the number of contacts and a few words about the experience.[1] Stories and photos can be posted to the ARRL's online Soapbox, and the ARRL needs a signed release form before it can publish photos of anyone under 18.[1]
History
Kids Day was running by the late 1990s; a club newsletter announcing the January 1, 2000 event reported about 400 participants in the previous two Kids Days.[4] For many years the event was organized by the Boring Amateur Radio Club of Oregon, which ARRL announcements still named as sponsor of the January 2022 event.[5][6] When January 1 falls on a Saturday, as in 2022, Kids Day can share the date with Straight Key Night.[6][7]
See also
- Youth in amateur radio
- Amateur radio in schools
- Scouting and amateur radio
- School Club Roundup
- Third-party traffic
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Kids Day, ARRL.
- ↑ Contest Calendar, ARRL.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 47 CFR 97.115, eCFR.
- ↑ CQ Chatter, Wood County Amateur Radio Club, December 1999.
- ↑ Kids Day is January 4, ARRL, December 2008.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Kids Day is January 1, 2022, ARRL, December 2021.
- ↑ Straight Key Night, ARRL.
External links
- Kids Day, ARRL