Celebrate NAEYC'S Week of the Young Child 

National Association for Education of the Young Child "Week of the Young Child" is April 12-18. Use these ideas and resources to celebrate young learners in your classroom or at home.

Music Monday

Every young learner marches to the beat of his or her own drum, so what better way to celebrate Music Monday than by letting young learners design their own drum?

On FantasticFunandLearning.com, it details five easy ways to make a DIY drum, with the simplest method requiring only two paper bowls and some staples. Of course, the fun part is letting the young learner personalize his or her drum with markers, glitter, and whatever else you have on hand. Check it out here. https://www.fantasticfunandlearning.com/diy-drums-to-go-with-hand-hand-f...

Taco Tuesday

The NAEYC has created Taco Tuesday with the idea that young children interaction in cooking will be an easy way for them to learn simple math at the same time, as well as promoting fitness by promoting healthy eating with healthy recipes. On FoodWithKidAppeal.com, it provides an easy way for parents and kids to build healthy taco dinners together.

It suggests using:

• Black beans
• Whole wheat tortillas
• Cilantro
• Fresh avocado instead of guacamole
• Reduced fat sour cream and cheese

And suggests to avoid using:

• Meat, because the cheese provides enough protein
• Packet seasonings that are typically high in sodium.

Work-Together Wednesday

Work-together Wednesday is intended to bring young learners together. A great activity on TeachersHub.com is a simple way to do just that; it's super easy as it only requires one prop.

In order to do the activity, get a piece of rope and make a circle in your classroom or home. Tell your your young learners the rules: fit everybody within the circle.

"Once they have accomplished this, congratulate them again and see if they are up for another challenge. Continue to make the rope smaller and smaller until you see that your students are beginning to run out of solutions as to how they can all fit within the circle. Eventually, the circle will be much too small to fit every student. The goal is for students to cooperate with each other and work close together to come up with creative solutions," according to the site. 

Artsy Thursday

Arts and crafts are a great opportunity for young learners to express themselves. A favorite craft idea from TeachingVillage.org prompts young learners to use their imagination to make "strange creatures."

Using googly eyes, pom-poms, and glitter, young learners will create their own monster and transfer it onto construction paper. The child will then pick a word to describe their creation and write it on the paper.

Family Friday

NAEYC'S "Family Friday" is designated to celebrating family traditions and the uniqueness of every family with the young learner. In your home, take time to share with your young learner exactly what makes your family special. In the classroom, set aside time to let students share about their family. Don't forget to share your family traditions by uploading them to Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #woycfamfriday and be included in the national conversation!