The Akron-Summit County Public Library’s Children’s Library and the Akron Art Museum recently celebrated National Week of the Young Child, with an event geared toward the youngest ones among us.
Through the week of April 13 through 18, parents and caregivers brought their toddlers to the Main Library to hear storybook-telling and child-friendly music, along with engaging in play time, singing songs and dancing.
Adorable babies, toddlers and children of all ages filled the room laughing and learning about how to read, as staff librarians enacted storybooks out loud. Afterward, the celebration continued at the Akron Art Museum, where children could paint, sculpt, draw with chalk, play with musical toys and tape together colorful collages on the museum windows. The week was all about reaching out to the community and their young children in support of children’s learning to prepare them for future education in kindergarten.
Librarians and Museum educators played an important role in supporting children’s preparation for learning by opening their doors and recognizing the national Week of the Young Child. The celebration was all about young children and child educators having the opportunity to be brought together to help prepare them for learning experiences and future education. These events acted as a pre-pre-school initiative.
How do these activities help young children learn new things and support healthy development?
“Children get exposed to color, texture and sound, which is really important for their development,” says Gina McGee, associate educator for the Akron Art Museum. “All of our programming, really the idea behind all of it is about living creative. So we are not stipulating that everyone become an artist, but just think creatively and approach life through a creative lens, and it is really important to us that families feel comfortable here and they can spend time together,…exploring, discovering things, we leave it open like this so families can work at their own pace.”
In the following video, librarians Sophia Vanderschyf, Anne Marie and McGee lead us through the series of events at the library and art museum during the Week of the Young Child.
