Resources for Celebrating the Week of the Young Child, April 5-11

The Week of the Young Child is almost here! Mark your calendars for April 5-11, 2025.

The Week of the Young Child is a national movement sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), promoting the importance of high-quality early learning.  This year, the week takes place from

April 5 through the 11. The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Teaching and Learning and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Child and Family Services have teamed up to recognize outstanding early childhood professionals nominated by their peers across the state.

Maine schools can also join the celebration and promote the vital work of early childhood professionals who are working in childcare programs and pre-K-grade 3 elementary classrooms by participating in Week of the Young Child daily themes.

Each day of the week will focus on a theme related to whole child development and playful learning:

• Music Monday
• Tasty Tuesday
• Work Together Wednesday
• Artsy Thursday
• Family Friday

As Fred Rogers wisely said, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But, for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”

When focusing on the whole student, ensuring the early childhood years are filled with opportunities for play fosters growth across all domains of development, including creative arts. The Week of the Young Child themes lend themselves well to encouraging playful learning to support all domains of children’s development.

For more information about how to bring the 2025 Week of the Young Child to your early childhood setting, please visit the NAEYC website.

Please be on the lookout for 2025 Outstanding Early Childhood Professional Spotlights the week of April 7 in the Maine DOE Newsroom, in the Maine DOE Update (subscribe here), and on Maine DOE social media sites (Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn).

For more information, please contact Maine DOE Pre-K Partnership Specialist Michelle Belanger at michelle.belanger@maine.gov.