Welcome to the Week of the Young Child Guide!
2019 theme for Week of the Young Child:
Celebrating our Youngest Learners: Supporting Social and Emotional Development and Learning
April 8 - 12, 2019
My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing
By Nick Ortner & Alison Taylor
“Do you have the magic breath?” begins this picture book focused on mindful breathing. “Let’s see... Take a deep breath in... and blow it out!” A bespectacled child blows out bright, swirling patterns of color, a bit like a dragon’s fiery breath. “The magic breath is special,” Ortner and Taylor explain. “It helps when you have too many thoughts running through your mind.” A second child breathes out through her nose while thinking about something that makes her happy: her magic breath carries over two spreads, blowing the seeds off a dandelion. Thinking happy thoughts isn’t always easy, especially after a hard day. A somber child rests his hands under his chin, milky pastel clouds dripping raindrops around him. Readers are invited to visualize their own happy thoughts to help push the sad ones away. ~ Publisher's Weekly
Story times and events will be held at Rasmussen University campuses, local child care centers, or other organizations. Contact your campus for further information!
Through music, children develop math, language, and literacy skills - All while having fun and being active! Make up and record your own unique version of a song or write your own, and share it on NAEYC's Facebook page or post to Twitter using the hashtag #woyc18
TRY THIS: Find the beat to connect music, movement, and math. Practice clapping, drumming, or stomping to the beat of the music while counting.
This fun, food-themed day is about more than just cheese and crackers. Cooking together connects math with literacy skills, science, and more. With the rise in childhood obesity, you can encourage healthy nutrition and fitness habits at home and in the classroom. Create your own healthy snacks and share the recipes and photos of your creations on NAEYC's Facebook page or post to Twitter using the hashtag #woyc18.
TRY THIS: Measure your ingredients while making your snacks! Ask children if they’d like the same or different amounts of each ingredient.
When children build together they explore math and science concepts and develop their social and early literacy skills. Children can use any building material—from a fort of branches on the playground to a block city in the classroom, or a hideaway made from couch pillows at home. Build and share pictures of children’s creations on NAEYC's Facebook page or Twitter using the #woyc18 hashtag.
TRY THIS: Practice organizing blocks by size! Try building a block tower with large blocks on the bottom and little blocks on top!
Children develop creativity, social skills and fine motor skills with open-ended art projects where they can make choices, use their imaginations, and create with their hands. On Artsy Thursday celebrate the joy and learning children experience when engaged in creative art making. Use any materials—from crayons to paint, clay to crafts! Create and share a photos of your children’s creations on NAEYC's Facebook page or Twitter using the #woyc18 hashtag.
TRY THIS: Bring art outdoors! Offer dark and light paper, chalk and pastels, and suggest children create their own versions of the day and night sky!
Engaging and celebrating families is at the heart of supporting our youngest learners. NAEYC applauds family members’ role as young children’s first and most important teachers. Share pictures and stories about your family on NAEYC's Facebook page or post to Twitter using the hashtag #woyc18 as we celebrate the unique role families play in their children's learning and development.
TRY THIS: Invite parents for a Family Friday breakfast, where children can prepare and share breakfast treats with their families!
The Week of the Young Child™ is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the world's largest early childhood education association, with nearly 80,000 members and a network of over 300 local, state, and regional Affiliates.
The purpose of the Week of the Young Child™ is to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.
NAEYC first established the Week of the Young Child™ in 1971, recognizing that the early childhood years (birth through age 8) lay the foundation for children's success in school and later life. The Week of the Young Child™ is a time to plan how we—as citizens of a community, of a state, and of a nation—will better meet the needs of all young children and their families. https://www.naeyc.org/woyc/faq#
View the latest WOYC events on the NAEYC Twitter feed!
Please join us for a special webinar!
Live in the Moment: Mindfulness Practices for Early Childhood Educators
Wednesday, April 10th 7:30-9:00pm (Central)
Presented by
Mary Muhs, M. Ed., Department Chair-Rasmussen University
Alison Partridge, Director of Program Development - The Tapping Solution Foundation
In this Week of the Young Child webinar, participants will discover the importance of practicing mindfulness when working with young children. Learn to explain mindfulness and its benefits to both children and adults. Practice mindfulness techniques and adopt practices into your daily routine which can help you recover calm and focus while living in the moment.
Information coming soon!
Information coming soon!
Information coming soon!
Information coming soon!
Week of the Young Child Family Fun Fair at Heartland Community Church on Saturday, April 6th, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
This event is sponsored by Rasmussen University, and focuses on children ages birth through age 8. There will be child-centered resources and activities including: face painting, a bounce house, character appearances, a magician, and so much more!
We can’t wait to celebrate with you and your family!
Information coming soon!
Information coming soon!
Information coming soon!
Information coming soon!
Information coming soon!
Information coming soon!
Mindfulness Classroom Activities for Young Children
Early Social-Emotional Development: Your Guide to Promoting Children's Positive Behavior by 
Everyday SEL in Early Childhood: Integrating Social-Emotional Learning and Mindfulness into your Classroom by 
Personal, Social and Emotional Development in the Early Years Foundation Stage by 
Social and Emotional Development in Early Intervention. by For Children:
For Adults:
For more Education resources and support, be sure to visit the School of Education Guide. Click here!
