week of the young child 2021 NJAEYC

We are proud to be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of @NAEYC Week of the Young Child! We can’t wait to see the activities you have planned to celebrate early learning. Get ready for a fun filled week!

 Remember to tag us in your posts showing how you are celebrating early learning, young children, their teachers, families and communities so that we can feature them all week long! Check out available resources to help you plan #WOYC21 activities below and at naeyc.org/events/woyc

Music Monday

Music Monday is more than singing and dancing, it’s a way to encourage children to be active while developing their early literacy skills and having fun with friends and family!

Featured Resource: https://youtu.be/tDeCVrIipig

Step It Up Activity

Make sure your state and local elected officials are all singing from the same songbook! Join the chorus for change and work with your states’ Affiliates to help policymakers sign proclamations that honor and advance the early childhood education profession as part of the WOYC®. Get inspired by what NAEYC’s affiliate leaders and partners did in 2020 to move beyond “thanks and recognition.” Also, don’t forget to access the new 2021 Proclamation Toolkit, an easy-to-use resource that will help you secure a proclamation to educate the public, bring attention to our issues, and provide an effective advocacy tool for the future!

Articles on Playing and Learning with Music

Inspiration from the Classroom:
For Families at Home

View our 2020 Music Monday recap for inspiration.

Tasty Tuesday

Tasty Tuesday isn’t just about eating your favorite snacks together. It’s also about cooking together and connecting math with literacy skills and science while introducing ways to incorporate healthy habits into children’s lifestyles. Use the tips, resources, and recipes below to get started.

Featured Resources:

Download: Alternatives to Using Food as a Reward

Download: Dig In at Home: Why Garden?

Download: Division of Responsibility in Feeding

Download: Healthy Eating for Preschoolers

Step It Up Activity

Explore the culture specific foods that the young children in your classroom may enjoy at home. Connect with families by engaging them in the history and tradition of meals from their countries of origin. Consider having families share a story or recipe about their favorite dish and the history behind it. Introduce your class to new ingredients and discuss where they are grown. Create a recipe book using images the children draw and share the book with the community. The creative opportunities are as endless as the meals themselves.

Articles and Resources on Cooking and Nutrition

Inspiration from the Classroom:
For Families at Home:

View our 2020 Tasty Tuesday recap for inspiration.

Work Together Wednesday

Work Together Wednesday Sponsored by Walden University

When children build together they explore math and science concepts and develop their social and early literacy skills.

Featured Resource: Breaking Down STEAM for Young Children

Step It Up Activity

The young children in your classroom aren’t the only ones who succeed when they work together. Take a moment to join NAEYC in advancing our profession by signing up for Power to the Profession; supporting your peers through the discussions on HELLO; reaching out to elected officials about the importance of investing in ECE; or inviting someone new to become a member. Working together makes us stronger together, and that means the impact we make can be monumental!

Articles on Building Together

Inspiration from the Classroom:
For Families at Home:

View our 2020 Work Together Wednesday recap for inspiration!

 

Artsy Thursday

Children develop creativity, social skills, and fine muscles with open-ended art projects that let them make choices, use their imaginations, and create with their hands.

Featured Resource: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV7suBStnUA

Step It Up Activity

Find ways to display your classroom’s art projects for the community to see, and while you have their attention, educate them about the importance of high-quality early childhood education. Here are some suggestions to get started:

  • Set up a gallery at a local business or public library to share your classroom art creations. Check out how one center set up an exhibition last year in their student center.
  • Include information about high-quality care as part of your art displays in community. Need brochures? Visit our online store: NAEYC.org/shop.
  • Create a digital gallery on social media or on your program’s website. Share using the hashtag #woyc21.
  • Create a print book to share with the community. Tip: Sell the book for fundraising your trip to an NAEYC conference!

Articles on Art and Creativity

Inspiration from the Classroom:
For Families at Home:

View our 2020 Artsy Thursday recap for inspiration.

Family Friday

Engaging and celebrating families is at the heart of supporting our youngest learners. NAEYC applauds family members’ role as young children’s first and most important teachers.

Featured Resources:
Engage Children’s Communities with Friends and Family Day!
Message in a Backpack™ Helping Your Child through Change

Step It Up Activity

Extend your NAEYC family! The early childhood education community doesn’t end outside the doors of your classroom. Connect with your local affiliate, encourage families to join our Family level membership, learn how to engage with your local policymakers, and more! There are endless opportunities to keep your entire community in-the-know about early childhood education. See how the The Akron Art Museum and the NAEYC’s MaineAEYC engaged their communities.

Articles on Engaging and Celebrating Families

Inspiration from the Classroom:
For Families at Home:

View our 2020 Family Friday recap for inspiration!