Week of the Young Child

Happy Week of the Young Child! This week folks across the country are celebrating early learning, young children, teachers, families, communities, and the programs and services that help every child thrive. Early childhood is a crucial stage in a child’s life. It lays the foundation for their well-being, personal satisfaction, and academic and professional success as they grow older.

At Children’s Museum of Atlanta, we’re committed to fostering a love of learning and exploration in young children. That’s why we’re thrilled to offer a variety of online resources and activities that families can use to celebrate the Week of the Young Child at home. (Of course, you can celebrate with a visit to your favorite place to play! 😉) From art projects, tasty recipes, storytimes and more, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Read on for 12 ideas, activity guides, and videos to help you celebrate this year’s Week of the Young Child and connect with your little one.

April 1: Kick-Off Saturday

Saturday, April 1 is the start of the Week of the Young Child! Kick-off the celebration by posting and sharing why you celebrate the WOYC and what you can do to prepare for it! Plan ahead, gather all your materials, check out any local events, and prepare to have fun!

April 3: Music Monday

Music Monday encourages children to be active and develop their literacy skills. Have fun with your friends and family by singing and dancing! See what songs or dance routines you and your little one can create!

Get musically inspired with these recommendations:

Teach them about sound waves and pitch

Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti-Do! Follow along and learn Songs with Miss Lydia! Explore pitch and notes in songs like “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” Teach your kiddo about sound waves by using items you already have at home.

Violet’s Music

Written by Angela Johnson and Illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith

Love music? Well, so does Violet! Join us for a storytime with Douglas as he reads about Violet’s adventure to find friends who love music just as much as her!

Create your own instrument

Gather materials around your house like rubber bands, cardboard, spoons, and lolly sticks, and see what instrument you can make with it! A kazoo? A guitar? Or even drums or tambourines? The list goes on and on!

April 4: Tasty Tuesday

Cook it up in the kitchen with your little one! Find ways to incorporate math, literacy, and science and introduce healthy habits to your child. Need an idea? Try this healthy strawberry arugula salad!

Here are some fun ways to make cooking interesting with your kiddo:

Make homemade ice cream

Learn the history of ice cream and follow this recipe to make ice cream at home! Yummy! Spice up the recipe by adding fruit, syrup, or even cereal. What flavors will you make?

Let them use their senses

Have your little one try different ingredients while you’re cooking and let them use their five senses – hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch – and have them describe it. This will help them pay attention to their senses by understanding and communicating about the world around them. Try this TiNY Club: Smelly Science activity!

Have them take control

Let your kiddo get excited about cooking by allowing them to decide what recipes to make for breakfast, dinner, lunch, or even all three! You can create the grocery list and set the table together. Not only will this be a great family activity to get everyone involved in the kitchen, but it helps promote healthy eating as well.

April 5: Work Together Wednesday

Teamwork makes the dream work! Experiencing teamwork helps little ones develop their social and early literacy skills. Grab some materials and work together! Build a fort out of pillows, blankets, or cardboard. Go on a nature scavenger walk together and create a list of things you would like to spot while you’re out and about like flowers, a bumblebee, a bird, and so on. Solve a puzzle together or even better – create one!

April 6: Artsy Thursday

Let’s get creative! Imagination helps build creativity, and social and motor skills within children. Use materials like clay, crayons, paint, or yarn for your art projects. Let’s see what you can create together! Need an idea? Follow along with this DIY Stamps tutorial and create your own fun and colorful stamps!

Get inspired by researching and learning about other artists and their techniques like Pablo Picasso, Alma Thomas, Van Gogh, and George Seurat.

April 7: Family Friday

Parents and families are children’s very first teachers. Family Friday encourages families to engage and support their little learners while acknowledging their important role in their kiddos’ lives.

End the celebration of the Week of the Young Child through meaningful and fun activities like creating a family tree, a collage of family photos, mailing letters to loved ones – especially those who live far away – and having some quality time like family dinners, game or movie night, or reading a book together! Get inspired by “Thank You, Omu!” by author One Mora with this TiNY Club: Pot of Gratitude tutorial to show how grateful you are for your loved ones!

Have fun celebrating the Week of the Young Child with your little ones! 

Remember, the Children’s Museum of Atlanta is here for you all year round, with a wealth of online resources and activities that you can access anytime, anywhere.

To stay up-to-date on all the latest news and events from the Children’s Museum of Atlanta, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter (scroll down to sign-up!) and follow us on social media. Our newsletter is the best way to stay informed about upcoming events, new online resources, and special promotions. And on social media, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on at the museum, as well as tips and ideas for family fun.

 We hope to see you soon at the Children’s Museum of Atlanta! 💙