Naperville invests in its children
Jayne Carpenter knows that investing in young children is like building a strong foundation in construction.
"You start with a strong foundation, and if you don't build a strong foundation, 20 years later you have cracks in the house," says Carpenter, early childhood specialist at the DuPage Children's Museum.
Naperville will spend a week dedicated to this investment from April 11 to 17.
The nationally celebrated Week of the Young Child includes family-friendly events, musical concerts and celebrity story readings sponsored by the DuPage Children's Museum and the Naperville Park District.
The week opens with celebrity story telling at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 11, at the children's museum. Readers include Naperville Mayor A. George Pradel, DuPage Children's Museum Executive Director Susan Broad, Naperville Park District Executive Director Ray McGury, 95.9 The River DJ Scott MacKay and NCTV17 News Anchor Dolly McCarthy.
On Monday, a Mother Nature storytelling session starts at 3:15 p.m. at the Alfred Rubin Riverwalk Community Center, 305 W. Jackson Ave., and includes a 40-minute program complete with props, puppets and young volunteers. The event is free, but preregistration on the park district's Web site is required.
Throughout the week, a variety of activities take place, including introductory classes on ballet, tap dance, soccer and T-ball in addition to several yoga classes for parents and tots. All classes require preregistration on the park district's Web site.
Children learn best through open-ended play where they can make their own decisions that teach problem-solving skills for later in life, experts say.
"We know that a child's brain has the most development in the first three to five years in their life," said Alison Segebarth, children's museum director of marketing and membership. "You're hard wiring your brain for your future creative thinking and problem-solving skills. It's when young children are most fertile in absorbing and making connections and figuring out their world."
Young children are honored every day at the museum, Segebarth said, but this citywide emphasis reiterates the importance of learning to parents and the public.
In addition to other activities, a concert by The Naturals takes place at the children's museum on Thursday. Every third Thursday of the month is dedicated to families of children with autism spectrum disorder. The Naturals is a Chicago-area band with two members who have autism. The event begins at 5 p.m. and admission is half price.
On Friday, Jeanie B! performs at Washington Junior High School, 201 N. Washington St. Tickets are required and are available at the museum or the park district office. The concert is free with a donation to Loaves and Fishes Community Pantry.
At all of the events throughout the week, donations of nonperishable items will be collected for Loaves and Fishes.
Week of the Young Child was founded in 1971 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the world's largest early childhood education association.
"We've come a long way since (1971), but we have a long way to go," Carpenter said.
For information and a complete list of events and times, visit dupagechildrensmuseum.org or napervilleparks.org.
"Early investment is the best investment," Segebarth said. "It creates a great foundation for future learning and future development."