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WOYC Activity Resources

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There is so much that children learn as they sing, cook together, build together, create art, and celebrate with their families. Download the 2021 America for Early Ed + Week of the Young Child toolkit, which features resources, action steps, and sample social media posts as a guide for your 2021 WOYC celebrations. Together, we can make sure #ECEwins—across the country and in your community!

50 Proclamations in Honor of 50 Years of WOYC

Help us reach (and exceed!) our goal of having WOYC officially recognized in your community! Use the "Whereas & Therefore: #WOYC21 Proclamations to Advance the ECE Profession" toolkit to request a proclamation, from your elected officials, that moves beyond thanks and recognition. Once you secure a proclamation, post it on our interactive map and on social media using #woyc21. Together, let's make the 50th Anniversary of WOYC a milestone we will never forget—happy proclaiming!

Use these resources and Step It Up (SIU) activity ideas as you prepare for #woyc21! And view our #WOYC20 recap for inspiration!

WOYC Resources

Kick-off Saturday

Here are list of things you can do to plan for the week of celebrations!

Things you can do on Kick-off Saturday

  • Post a video, blog or social media post sharing why you celebrate Week of the Young Child and what you do to prepare
  • Consider hosting a virtual event where you can share your local proclamation or lead a fun activity.
  • Take some time for yourself and re-energize so that you’re ready for the week ahead
  • Plan for the week ahead:
  • Create a dancing playlist for Music Monday​
  • Gather ingredients from your kitchen for a Tasty Tuesday activity
  • For Work Together Wednesday, work with other educators in your program to draft a group letter to your elected officials, emphasizing the need to #InvestinECE
  • Replenish your arts and crafts supply for Artsy Thursday
  • Draft an email to parents explaining what they should expect during the week and how they can prepare for your Family Friday activity

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!

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.

Music Monday Sponsored by

Don't miss this new blog from our Music Monday sponsor: How to Use Music Throughout the Daily Routine

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. 

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

When children build together they experience teamwork and develop their social and early literacy skills. Grab some materials and create! 

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!

Work Together Wednesday Sponsored by

Don't miss this new webinar from our Work Together Wednesday sponsor: The Power of Joyful Reading

 

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.

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.

Artsy Thursday Sponsored by

At Bright Horizons® we are proud to be sponsoring Artsy Thursday with a virtual enrichment class families can enjoy at home with our very own Mr. David! We’re excited to be able to bring some creativity and heart into your home this week – join in on Thursday’s virtual enrichment offering at brighthorizons.com/week-of-the-young-child.

Family Friday

Parents and families are children’s first teachers. Family Friday focuses on engaging families to support our youngest learners.

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!

Looking to add the official logos to your event materials?

      

By participating in this event and posting video and/or photos, you are representing that you have written permission from each person in the video and/or photos, and if a child, written permission from the child's parent or legal guardian, to post the video and/or photos and use the likeness of such person therein. By posting the video and/or photos, you grant NAEYC the right to use the video and/or photo and/or any portion thereof in any manner it so chooses, including, without limitation, posting or sharing the video on NAEYC's website, Facebook page or Twitter account. 

Audience: Administrator (director or principal), Faculty, Family, Student (higher education), Teacher, Trainer
Age: Early Primary, Infant/Toddler, Kindergarten, Preschool
Topics: Event, WOYC, Other Topics, Family Engagement, Play, Subject Areas, Creative Arts, Art, Music and Songs, Math

Week of the Young Child

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