Day of the Child celebrated Saturday

Even though it is just a single day, the annual Week of the Young Child event offers a jam-packed agenda on Saturday, say organizers.

Since the early 1970s, the Yuma community has set time aside to celebrate with infants to 8-year-olds, said Ana Bribiesca, president of the Yuma County Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC).

"It's a great opportunity for families to come together with each other and all the organizations that provide services for young children. The celebration reinforces the need for professional intervention on behalf of young children."

It also promotes community awareness for the critical need of comprehensive development and early education of children, she added.

The Week of the Young Child event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at West Wetlands Park, 282 N. 12th Ave. The Office of the Mayor will have a representative to kick off festivities by reading the Proclamation for Young Children. Then children and parents can join in all the fun planned for the day, including free popcorn, Bribiesca said.

"Children will make paper butterflies. And we have newspapers and grocery bags so they can also make their own hats. We also have face and chalk painting and puppets. Also there's cookie decorating and our service organizations will teach the children dancing."

Several organizations will be on hand Saturday to meet and greet parents, answer questions and offer referrals, including the Children's Center Inc., Head Start, Yuma primary school preschool programs, Yuma County administrators and other service agencies, noted Bribiesca.

Saturday is also a great time for parents to take advantage of the chance to network among the various agency representatives to learn what family services they can avail themselves of, said Bribiesca.

"But the major idea is to have fun. It's a good idea for families like themselves to get together. It's a special day where they can be outdoors having fun with their own and neighbors' children. We want to bring the whole community together and hope to have a great day."

Also participating in the Week of the Child event is Arizona Western College's Child Development Learning Lab. The new AWC campus lab opened just two years ago with a goal to accelerate the quality of child care in the community by offering educational opportunities for teachers and child care givers, noted Allison Keough, director of the Child Development Learning Lab.

The day's events also provide a database from which to draw once children begin their full-time schooling in the primary grades, Keough said. She reminds parents the event is at no cost so it is stress-free, but she recommends that they bring a picnic lunch and soft drinks.

The West Wetlands Park offers a natural environment that helps children improve learning through experimentation. The event is a great way for parent to focus on their family and get ideas for things they can do at home, Keough said.

Keough also stressed that children can learn through games, which is time well spent.

"As childhood professionals, we know that children learn better through play. And by involving a variety of senses, sight, hearing, touch and smell so whatever new information they are exposed to they are likely to retain."

"We advocate for early childhood education and promote public policy. Our group provides opportunities for young families like concerts and dances. And we apply for local grants to fund our family events."

The Arizona AEYC also trains professionals in early childhood brain development, best practices in classrooms and how to discipline young children.