Every April, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) calls attention to the importance of high‑quality early learning with its annual Week of the Young Child® (WOYC) celebration. The 2026 WOYC will take place April 11–17, and this year’s festivities are extra special as they mark both the 55th anniversary of the event and 100 years of NAEYC’s dedication to young learners.

The Week of the Young Child is a joyful, community‑wide celebration of early childhood education, young children, their teachers, families, and all the adults who support their learning and development. Throughout the week, themed days like Music Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Work Together Wednesday, Artsy Thursday, and Family Friday highlight the many ways children learn through play, creativity, exploration, and meaningful engagement with others.

In our Head Start classrooms, we embraced WOYC by celebrating the whole child, encouraging exploration, imagination, and connection through activities that mirror these daily themes. Music and movement help children build language and motor skills; shared cooking or tasting experiences introduce math and science concepts; teamwork and creative art projects nurture problem‑solving and self‑expression; and family‑focused celebrations recognize the essential role families play in a child’s early learning journey.

Beyond being a week of celebration, WOYC reinforces the importance of early learning experiences that prepare children for lifelong success, and reminds us all that when we invest in our youngest learners, we strengthen our families and communities.

Watch for more photos and highlights from our classrooms this week as we continue to celebrate the Week of the Young Child and the joy of learning every day! Learn more about GLCAP Head Start programs at www.glcap.org/earlychildhood.