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 and advocates to help policymakers sign proclamations that honor and advance the early childhood education profession as part of the WOYC™. 

Articles on Playing and Learning with Music

For the Classroom:

• Teaching and Learning with Hip-Hop Culture

For Families

• Playing with Music at Home
• Support Math Readiness Through Music
• Sing With Me Baby!
• 10 Ways Babies Learn When We Sing to Them
• Message in a Backpack™–Make Animal Music
• رسالة في حقيبة الظه (Message in a Backpack™) اصنع موسيقى من أصوات الحيوانات (Make Animal Music) 
• 书包金点子 (Message in a Backpack ™) 制作动物音乐 (Make Animal Music)
• Mensaje en la mochila™: Los sonidos y la música de animales

View our 2018 Music Monday recap for inspiration.

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 your students may enjoy at home. Connect with families by engaging them in the history and tradition of meals from their countries of origin.

Articles on Cooking and Nutrition

For the Classroom

• Tacos Anyone? Preschoolers Investigate a Taco Truck
• 14-Day Salad: Using Project-Based Learning to Grow Microgreens
• Taco Cookbook

For Families

• "I Helped Mama Too!" Cooking with a Tiny Helper
• Heathy Fit Families
• Let’s Eat (Well)!
• Message in a Backpack™–Learning through Everyday Activities
• Mensaje en la mochila™: El aprendizaje en actividades cotidianas

View our 2018 Tasty Tuesday recap for inspiration. 

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

Step It Up Activity 

Your students 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 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! Check out the list of resources below to make your voice heard on topics from guided play to professional compensation.

Articles on Building Together

For the Classroom

• Making, Tinkering, and The Toy Store Project
• Over the Fence: Engaging Preschoolers and Families in a Yearlong STEAM Investigation

For Families

• Five Essentials to Meaningful Play
• Making at Home
• How to Support Children’s Approaches to Learning: Play with Them!
• 10 Prop Boxes for Ideas: Mini Learning Centers at Home

View our 2018 Work Together Wednesday recap for inspiration!

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 

Take your classroom art into the community! Find ways to display your classroom’s art projects for the community and while you have their attention, take that opportunity to educate them about the importance of high-quality early childhood education. 

Articles on Art and Creativity

For the Classroom

• How Process Art Experiences Support Preschoolers
• Preschoolers as Eco-Artists

For Families

• Message in a Backpack™ Family Field Trips: Museum
• Meaningful Art Projects Parents Can Fit Into a Busy Day
• Supporting the Development of Creativity

View our 2018 Artsy Thursday recap for inspiration. 

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. 

Articles on Engaging and Celebrating Families

For the Classroom

• Principles of Effective Family Engagement
• Using Technology to Engage Families 
• March of the Stuffed Animals: Activities for a Fun Family Night!
• Welcome Children and Families to Your Classroom
• NAEYC Topics: Family Engagement

For Families

• Am I Really My Child's First Teacher?
• Explore the Great Outdoors with Your Child 
• Message in a Backpack™–Bubbles
• رسالة في حقيبة الظهر (Message in a Backpack™) الفقاعات (Bubbles)
• 书包金点子 (Message in a Backpack ™) 泡泡 (Bubbles)
• Mensaje en la mochila™: Receta de burbujas