How to Celebrate Week of The Young Child at Your Center

The Week of the Young Child (WOYC) is a vibrant annual celebration that champions early education, child development, and advocacy for our youngest learners. Sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), this annual celebration highlights the importance of the early years in shaping the holistic development of young children, from literacy skills to social skills, while also promoting high-quality initiatives in ECE. From childcare centers to home settings, providers and family members alike are encouraged to celebrate early childhood with a range of fun activities.

Throughout this week, educators, providers, and families are invited to join in on the WOYC activity by celebrating  in their homes, schools and classrooms, as well as sharing their projects on social media. Use hashtags such as #WOYC2025 to connect with a broader community and exchange your favorite songs, family photos, and creative endeavors. Below are the daily themes for WOYC 2025, complete with a template of activity ideas and suggestions that can be tailored to your unique setting.

Kick-Off Saturday

Kick-Off Saturday is the perfect day of the week to launch this exciting initiative. Designed to ignite enthusiasm in both families and childcare centers, this day sets the stage for a week filled with high-quality activity ideas and fun activities that support early education and child development.

Ways to Celebrate:

• For Providers: Childcare directors can show appreciation to their team by sending a handwritten note or a digital thank-you message—small tokens that help acknowledge the educators who work tirelessly to support children and families every day.
• For Families: Invite families to participate by sending home simple activity ideas. Encourage them to capture family photos of their children engaging in the activities so they can share these images with their peers on Monday.

At-Home Activities:

• Infants: Foster self-confidence and literacy skills by reading high-quality children’s empowerment books like I Am Enough by Grace Byers or Dream Big, Little One by Vashti Harrison. Use expressive voices and gentle touches to create an interactive reading experience that supports overall well-being.
• Toddlers/Preschoolers: Encourage families to bring a favorite photo of their child engaging in a beloved activity—whether it’s playing outside or doing an art project with crayons and playdough. Share these family photos during circle time, allowing children to articulate what they enjoy (for Toddlers this might require more assistance and probing questions from the educator). This is a special opportunity for young children to share something unique about themselves, feel proud of their interests and build their confidence in the classroom setting. 

Music Monday

Music Monday underscores the power of music in early education, enhancing coordination, language, and social skills. This day is all about exploring favorite songs and embracing music as a tool to inspire creativity and self-expression. 

Activities:

• Infants: Create a musical sensory bin with soft rattles, bells, and other musical instruments designed for the youngest learners. This sensory play not only supports auditory development but also introduces various sensory materials for exploration.
• Toddlers: Organize a freeze dance party where children groove to their favorite songs and freeze when the music stops. This fun activity helps them learn social cues and turn-taking.
• Preschoolers: Engage children in making simple, homemade musical instruments such as water bottle maracas or tissue box guitars. Encourage them to experiment with different sounds as they explore their homemade instruments, enhancing both their creativity and understanding of musical rhythms.

Tasty Tuesday

Tasty Tuesday focuses on healthy eating and incorporates engaging activity ideas that combine food exploration with child development concepts, such as fine motor skills and early math and science.

Activities:

• Infants: Provide a variety of soft finger foods like mashed avocado and ripe banana pieces and talk to the infants about the different textures they might be feeling. These foods allow infants to explore textures and practice self-feeding—a key aspect of early education and well-being.
• Toddlers: Set up small group snack stations at each snack table where children can select and decorate their own snacks. Use this time to discuss the benefits of healthy eating, helping them understand how nutritious foods contribute to their energy and growth.
• Preschoolers: Guide the class in preparing simple oatmeal banana muffins together. During this activity, talk about each ingredient’s role in maintaining a healthy body (i.e how bananas give our body fiber which helps our stomach process foods and oatmeal helps our heart and bodies stay healthy). 

Work Together Wednesday

Work Together Wednesday is dedicated to collaborative play that builds social skills and problem-solving abilities. It’s a day designed to help children learn the importance of teamwork in a fun and supportive environment.

Activities:

• Infants: Arrange soft stacking blocks and sensory bins filled with scarves or textured balls, allowing infants to explore while engaging in parallel play with their peers.
• Toddlers: Provide large foam blocks or cushions for a group building project. Encourage toddlers to share, communicate, and work together to build a tower or fort in the classroom. 
• Preschoolers: Challenge children to construct a fort using everyday items like chairs, blankets, and pillows. Once the fort is built, transform it into a cozy storytelling nook where educators can read books that emphasize teamwork and friendship, such as Our Class is a Family by Shannon Olsen or All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold. 

Artsy Thursday

Artsy Thursday invites children to engage in art projects that stimulate creative expression and fine motor skills. This day of the week offers plenty of opportunities to experiment with crayons, playdough, and other art supplies.

Activities:

• Infants: Set up an art station by taping down contact paper onto a table and cutting out assorted colorful tissue paper or fabric scraps. Encourage the infants to stick the scraps onto the paper. As they place the materials on the contact paper, they explore different textures and colors, helping them to develop both fine motor skills and sensory awareness. 
• Toddlers: Introduce a texture collage activity where toddlers use glue sticks and fabric scraps to create unique designs on construction paper. These fun activities help toddlers in developing their fine motor skills and artistic expression.
• Preschoolers: Create a mural wall on a large sheet of brown roll paper. Invite the children to draw with crayons, markers or even paint. This collaborative art project not only beautifies the classroom but also encourages creative thinking and teamwork as children build the mural together. 

Family Friday

Family Friday is the day to invite families to join in the celebration, reinforcing the connection between home and early education. This is a perfect time to acknowledge the essential role family members play in fostering child development and well-being.

Ways to Celebrate:

• Coffee Morning: Host a morning coffee and bagel gathering where families can connect with their children’s educators and embrace themselves in your center’s  culture and atmosphere. This initiative helps build a community of support and advocacy for early learning.
• Friday Pizza Party: Consider an afternoon BBQ or pizza party at your center to celebrate and bring together your community of families, educators and leaders. 
• Personal Touch: Send home a personalized note of thanks or a special keepsake from the child as a reminder of the love and effort that goes into each day of the week.

Activities:

• Infants: Encourage quality family time with books that highlight themes of love and connection, such as Guess How Much I Love You. Gentle reading sessions help improve literacy skills while strengthening the bond between caregivers and infants.
• Toddlers: Create a “Family Appreciation Jar” in the classroom. Throughout the week, encourage children to draw pictures or dictate to a teacher something they love about their family. Place their notes in a decorated jar, and on Family Friday, take time to read them aloud during circle time. This activity helps toddlers build connections between home and school while fostering gratitude and appreciation for their loved ones. Share the images and notes with families at the end of the week or through a parent communication app like Lillio. 
• Preschoolers: Have the children design “Thank You” cards using crayons, stickers and other art supplies. This simple art project not only builds fine motor skills but also teaches the value of expressing gratitude to family members.

Join the Celebration!

Throughout the Week of the Young Child, families, educators, and childcare centers are invited to come together to celebrate early childhood and the critical role of early childhood education. Whether you’re participating in these fun activities or simply enjoying high-quality time with your loved ones, each WOYC activity serves as a reminder of the power of advocacy and the importance of stepping it up for our youngest learners.

For more ideas, templates, and resources on early education initiatives, explore our blog and guides designed to support providers, family members, and all those passionate about ECE. Let’s make WOYC 2025 an unforgettable week filled with activity ideas, favorite songs, and creative projects that nurture both the mind and heart of every child.