Week of the Young Child 2026:
April 11–17
Right now, communities across the country are marking Week of the Young Child, an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) that recognizes young children, their families, and the educators and programs that shape early learning.
The week is built around a simple idea: young children learn through hands-on experiences, relationships, play, and daily routines. NAEYC organizes the week into daily themes to highlight how learning happens across different parts of a child’s day.
Each day points to a specific type of experience, from singing and movement to cooking, creating, and working with others. These may seem ordinary, but they are experiences where children build language, early literacy, social skills, coordination, and confidence.
- 🎵 Music Monday reminds us that singing, dancing, and listening to music help build language and early literacy while encouraging movement.
- 🥕 Tasty Tuesday points to the learning that happens through cooking and shared meals, where children practice measuring, following steps, and trying new things.
- 🤝 Work Together Wednesday focuses on what children learn when they plan, build, and solve problems with others.
- 🎨 Artsy Thursday highlights the role of open-ended art in helping children make choices, express ideas, and strengthen fine motor skills.
- 🧡 Family Friday centers the people children rely on first. Families are children’s first and most important teachers, and those relationships shape how learning happens every day.
This week, we’re sharing one idea each day as a reminder that early learning is not confined to a classroom, it is built in the everyday moments of a child’s life. Check out these daily ideas for ways you can participate at home!
