Each year the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) hosts the Week of the Young Child (WOYC) to recognize early childhood programs and focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families. As a provider, you play an important role in spreading the word! In addition to celebrating each day according to WOYC themes, share your knowledge and needs with local officials and other stakeholders. The more we can help others understand the importance of early childhood education, the better our profession, and the brighter the future for young children.
Kick-off Saturday
Share how you plan to celebrate WOYC with families and your community at-large through your parent engagement app, on social media, or via email. Include a link to NAEYC’s WOYC Overview.
Music Monday
Children benefit from shared music experiences in a variety of ways. Music activities inform literacy and numeracy skills, improve mood, encourage exercise, and expand creativity and imagination. Celebrate Music Monday by writing a song together, taking a listening walk, experimenting with sound by walking on bubble wrap, paper, foil, etc., or listening to and guessing sounds with a child-friendly app.
Tasty Tuesday
Enjoying a delicious meal or treat together has many benefits. In addition to experiencing a sense of community, food activities enable children to try new items, identify shapes, colors, and textures, and clarify their preferences. Take part in Tasty Tuesday by inviting each child to bring a special or preferred snack to share, baking allergy-friendly and arguably good for you black bean brownies, or creating a recipe together.
Work Together Wednesday
Children learn about teamwork by practicing it and seeing it modeled. Invite community helpers to talk with children about the ways their work relies on team effort. Firefighters, police officers, nurses and doctors, and constructions workers are just a sample of professionals who work in cooperation. Engage in a community project by painting rocks or simple ornaments and writing positive messages on them. Place the pieces outside for passersby to take as a memento.
Artsy Thursday
Create community garland. Set out basic shapes cut from cardboard, cardstock, or tagboard with an assortment of craft embellishments, nature items, loose parts, and glue. Invite the children, family members, and any visitors to decorate a shape. When the items dry, punch holes in the sides, and string them together to make garland to decorate a common area.
Family Friday
Families are children’s first teachers and our partners in supporting our youngest learners. Honor this relationship by hosting a family breakfast, inviting families to visit for a short parade featuring favorite toys or other items, or setting out sidewalk chalk for them to share simple messages or words of kindness with each other during drop-off or pickup.
Share your WOYC memories on social media using #WOYC2022. We’d love to see your ideas, too, on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @funshineexpress!
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