Child Development Laboratory School marks Week of the Young Child with special events and mayor’s visit

Iowa State University’s Child Development Laboratory School is proud to celebrate Week of the Young Child, a national event recognizing the importance of early learning, young children, and the educators and communities that support them.

The Week of the Young Child, sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, highlights the needs of young children and their families while recognizing the programs and services that support them.

The Lab School, which marked its 100^th anniversary in 2024, offers full-day, year-round programs for infants through preschoolers. Each year, the school marks Week of the Young Child with engaging activities for young learners.

Ames Mayor John Haila visited the Lab School on April 1. During his visit, he toured the facility and signed a proclamation in support of Week of the Young Child.

Throughout the week of April 7 to 11, children will take part in a variety of activities, beginning with a campus music walk, where they will make music with child-friendly instruments alongside Lab School practicum students and Early Childhood Education faculty. Other activities will encourage children to try new foods by sampling unique fruits, work together to create outdoor forts, and express their creativity through sidewalk chalk drawings. On Friday, families can participate in outdoor games and activities with their children.

“For the Week of the Young Child, I always look forward to sharing the important work that we are doing in early childhood education with our community,” said Kala Sullivan ’11, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies. “There are extra special opportunities for families to celebrate the wonders of childhood, and we plan events to bring awareness to the campus community as well.”

Beyond providing high-quality learning experiences, the Lab School prepares Iowa State students to make lasting impacts in fields that serve children and families.

“Thanks to an expansive body of research, the impact of high-quality early care and education is irrefutable. In quality early childhood programs, children are learning emergent and foundational skills that all future academic and life skills will build upon,” Sullivan said. “The Department of Human Development and Family Studies’ ability to offer hands-on, experiential learning opportunities through the ISU Laboratory School and associated partner sites close to campus results in professionals who really stand out.”