Published: 04/04/2024 - 8:00 AM
This week celebrates and highlights the importance of early childhood programs and services.
We're celebrating Week of the Young Child (WOYC) from April 6 - 13, 2024. Organized by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), this week is an annual celebration of our child care centers, teachers, and the importance of youth development at early ages.
High-quality education between birth and eight years old has been proven to substantially increase a child's cognitive development and chances of success in school and in life. During WOYC, we will spend each day focusing on different pieces of learning and youth development - from motor skills to literacy to socialization.
We invite our communities to learn more about early childhood programs and the importance of high-quality learning at a young age. We also invite our readers to join us regardless of enrollment in a program as we share at-home resources for focusing on young child development.
Week of the Young Child
Music Monday
April 8
On Music Monday, we encourage children to sing, dance, listen to music, and play instruments. Not only does this help develop early literacy and fine motor skills, it also encourages movement and creative expression!
Home celebration ideas: Make time to dance together after dinner or turn up the radio while driving to the Y and sing along together!
Tasty Tuesday
April 9
The act of making food together allows kids to explore new foods while connecting math, science, and literacy skills to follow recipes. With the rise in childhood obesity, you can also use this time to create healthy habits!
Home celebration ideas: Recreate your favorite snacks together from scratch or ask your child to help you pack their lunch for the day.
Work Together Wednesday
April 10
Now more than ever, it is important to encourage teamwork and socialization. This allows kids to improve their social skills and any other skillset involved in the team task at hand. We'll focus on building things together to develop social, math, and science skills and concepts.
Home celebration ideas: Build a pillow fort together or have a block-stacking challenge.
Artsy Thursday
April 11
A focus on exploring art can lead to the development of their imagination as well as their fine motor skills and creative expression. Art projects can be open-ended to allow for more creativity and tailoring to your child's interests.
Home celebration ideas: Ask your child to draw their favorite animal or work on a coloring book together.
Family Friday
April 12
Celebrating families is a crucial building block toward future success. The NAEYC and YMCA value the role family members' have as children's first and most important teachers.
Home celebration ideas: Spend the day exploring your family's favorite past times and share a photo with your child's teacher or by tagging us on social media!
Follow along with what we're up to!
You can follow Greater Philadelphia YMCA Child Care us on Facebook and Instagram to see how much fun our students are having each day!
The Week of the Young Child is only five-days-long, but the YMCA's commitment to nurturing the development of every child in our care is ingrained in all that we do throughout the year. Click the link below to learn more about our programs.