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The world lost a truly inspiring soul when Dolly Parton passed away last month. Story after story extolls her kindness, humility and humor not to mention her incredible undeniable musical talent. While Washington state hasn’t officially declared Sept. 25 as Dolly Parton Day (yet), families can still pay tribute to one of country music’s biggest stars and have fun as a family while they’re at it.
I came up with nine Dolly Parton-themed activities for kids and parents to help carry on her legacy. Each idea is simple and follows one rule — it spreads joy. Each takes little to no prep and can work with kids of any age. And if all goes to plan, these activities will help share your smile to others, just like Dolly wanted.
Donate to Dolly’s Imagination Library
As a former English teacher, Dolly’s commitment to helping kids read always moved me. Since the program started in 1995 (it expanded to Washington state in 2022), Dolly’s Imagination Library has gifted more than 300 million books to over 3 million kids who have registered to receive free books. An impressive statistic to champions of literacy.
If you want to expand your child’s reading horizons or your family isn’t able to make a donation, set aside some extra reading time with your kids on Sept. 25 and make Dolly proud. Families can also host a book swap with friends or bring books your kids have outgrown to your neighborhood Little Free Library.
Dress like Dolly
Dolly was known for her ornate outfits and her love of bling. So lean into rhinestones on Sept. 25 and don an ensemble Dolly would appreciate.
Host a family dance party
Celebrate the Queen of Country with a quick family dance party. Spin a few of Dolly’s hits or if your kids prefer, listen to some family favorites. But here’s the kicker — start it at 9:25. A.m. or p.m.? That’s up to you.
Color a coat of many colors
If you’ve heard Dolly’s song “Coat of Many Colors” you probably know it’s about a coat her mom sewed for her from rags when she was young. And you probably also know about the way kids teased her because of that coat. Dolly has said that while the song is about a painful memory, it’s also about “acceptance and hope.”
Have kids color their own coat of many colors to celebrate Dolly and the hope she brought to many through her songs.
Collect winter coats (of any color) and donate them
Dolly grew up in a one-room cabin in Tennessee and often spoke of scraping by. Unfortunately, many kids and families in Washington are still scraping by. Support them by collecting winter coats or hosting a coat drive in Dolly’s honor ahead of our rainy season.
One Warm Coat is a reputable, charitable organization that has local donation resources and information on hosting a coat drive. There are a number of places around Puget Sound where families can donate winter coats. Plus, the third Thursday in October (Oct. 15) is National Share the Warmth Day — a great day to drop off your donations!
Complete a “9 to 5” kindness challenge
Leaning into the Dolly Day theme, help kids spread kindness with random acts throughout the day. Here’s the challenge part: See how many things your family can check off your kindness list between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The winner gets bragging rights until next year.
Need ideas? We’ve got a few suggestions that take less than 10 minutes.
Make “What Would Dolly Do” bracelets
Remind friends and family to follow Dolly’s lead when you make beaded WWDD bracelets. Kids can get creative with the colors they select. Then it’s just a matter of finding friends who need a little pick-me-up to share them with.
Bake like Dolly
Who knew that Dolly had a line of boxed baked goods and frozen dinners? Not me. But I’ve never met a cookie, cake or brownie mix I didn’t like and I’m always looking for an excuse to make one. Choose one with your kids, set aside some time and get down to baking. Make Dolly proud by sharing your creations with friends and neighbors.
Share a memory
Sometimes spreading joy is as simple as sharing a memory of someone and what they meant to you. Families can pay tribute to Dolly online if they have something to share. You can also just scroll through the tributes to get a feel for the impact Dolly made.
