Celebrate Week of the Young Child--April 19-25, 1998

Today we know more than ever about the importance of children’s earliest years in shaping their learning and development. It is increasingly clear that an adverse environment can compromise brain function and place children at greater risk of developing a variety of cognitive, behavioral, and physical difficulties. The good news is that a good start in life can do more to promote learning and prevent damage than we ever imagined.

The Week of the Young Child is a time to recommit ourselves to ensuring that each and every child receives the type of early environment--at home, at child care, at school, and in the community--that will promote their early learning. This year, plan and participate in Week of the Young Child activities in your community on April 19 to April 25.

Following are some suggestions on activities for your Week of the Young Child celebration:

Sponsor activities for parents at their children’s programs

• Have coffee and doughnuts for parents or family members when they leave their children in the morning.
• Sponsor a family appreciation time during the early morning or late afternoon by serving a special treat that the children have helped to prepare.
• Invite family members to come to lunch at the school or program.
• Invite grandparents to visit the program.
• Arrange for children to call their parents or special family member during the day. A different classroom can make calls each day of the Week.
• Have a potluck dinner for families.
• Arrange to conduct vision screenings and other heath screenings as a service to families served by your program.

Create something for public display

• A quilt can be constructed with children’s help, or families can each contribute to the design.
• Have parents and children trace their handprints on pieces of cloth to create a large banner.
• Design a photo collage, including all the children cared for in your home or program.

Arrange activities of interest to children

• Sponsor an essay contest for young authors, with such themes as "Early Years Count," "What I Like Best About Child Care (Preschool/Kindergarten/First Grade)," or "The Most Important Thing I Learned as a Young Child." Arrange to have winning essays published in a community paper.
• Sponsor a multimedia arts festival for children. Themes such as those suggested above can be used to encourage children to represent their ideas through various media--drawings, paintings, or other types of constructions.
• Hold a "chalk-in." Use the sidewalk for children to draw pictures of what they enjoy most about being a child.
• Involve children and parents in a community service project. Encourage children to take newly purchased art supplies or small toys to a local shelter. Other service projects include donating clothes for local or international organizations or sponsoring a canned food drive.
• Hold a story hour at a local library or bookstore. School-age children or high schoolers could be asked to read to younger children.
• Organize a community block party. Block off a parking lot or the entire street. Invite neighbors, program family members, and the rest of the community. Bring grills for a cookout or arrange for a giant potluck dinner. Be sure to have plenty of fun activities for children of all ages.
• Distribute this release to parents and the general public, and check out NAEYC’s Website (http://www. naeyc.org) for Early Years Are Learning Years releases and more information about the Week of the Young Child.

However you celebrate the Week of the Young Child, keep in mind that your efforts will play a large part in helping to make sure that every young child enjoys a childhood that will prepare him or her to be successful in school and in life. Remember, Early Years are Learning Years--Make Them Count!