Ministry of Family unveils first national edition of Early Childhood Week

Th e Ministry of Family has unveiled details of the first national edition of Early Childhood Week, held under the patronage of Sheikh Theyab Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority.

Taking place from 16th to 22nd November 2026 under the theme “Every Moment Matters,” the Week will take place across the UAE, encouraging broader community participation in supporting children and their families.

The Ministry is organising Early Childhood Week in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) and partners from a wide range of sectors as part of the UAE Year of Family’s national programmes.

A total of 130 entities will deliver more than 300 events, including play-based learning activities, workshops for parents and caregivers, and experiences promoting family health and wellbeing.

The programme will also feature arts performances, storytelling sessions, cultural and heritage events, sports programmes and physical activities, community engagement initiatives, and events delivered in partnership with organisations from the health, education, technology, sport and community sectors.

The Week is designed for children up to the age of eight, their families and caregivers, offering opportunities to learn through play, develop skills and spend meaningful time together in ways that deepen family bonds. It will also introduce parents and caregivers to practices that support children’s development during their early years.

This year, families across the UAE will have access to a wide-ranging programme of events and experiences designed to support learning and wellbeing while encouraging greater family participation.

The announcement was made during a press conference organised by the Ministry of Family at Creators HQ in Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai, attended by representatives of partner organisations and the media.

Speakers included Sana Bint Mohammed Suhail, Minister of Family; Salem Al Rashdi, Executive Director, Organisational Enablement Sector, ECA; and Bashayer Al Shamsi, National Coordinator for Early Childhood Week.

Sana Bint Mohammed Suhail said early childhood is a pivotal stage in a child’s life, when children’s abilities take shape, their skills develop and the foundations of their personalities and interactions with the world around them are laid.

Creating a supportive family and community environment for children’s development is therefore a shared responsibility that calls for coordinated efforts and aligned priorities.

In line with the UAE leadership’s directives to foster family cohesion and reinforce the foundations of quality of life across society, the Ministry of Family is working with its partners to develop an integrated ecosystem to support children and their families through targeted initiatives and programmes that respond to families’ needs and the developmental requirements of children in their early years.

“The first national edition of Early Childhood Week provides an important platform for bringing early childhood issues to the fore and highlighting the vital role families play in supporting children throughout their early years,” Suhail said.

She added that the initiative is designed to bring children and their families together through meaningful experiences, while providing parents and caregivers with opportunities to gain knowledge and practical approaches that enrich their interactions with children and deepen the bonds between them.

The initiative also puts the objectives of the UAE Year of Family into practice by turning a focus on families and children into lasting everyday practices and fostering a community culture built around participation and positive interaction among family members.

Dr. Yousef Al Hammadi, Executive Director of the Knowledge and Impact Sector at the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA), emphasised that Early Childhood Week provides a unique opportunity for children and families across the UAE to come together through a diverse range of engaging, interactive, and age-appropriate activities that encourage play, exploration, and learning.

He highlighted that the week's activities and experiences are designed to reflect children's developmental stages and evolving needs, while creating meaningful opportunities for parents and caregivers to connect with their children and actively support their growth and development.

“Through Early Childhood Week, we aim to demonstrate how everyday moments of play, discovery, and shared experiences can positively shape a child's development. By bringing families together in stimulating and supportive environments, we reinforce the importance of the early years and empower parents to turn simple interactions into meaningful opportunities for learning, bonding, and growth.”

Early Childhood Week provides an opportunity to align efforts and complementary roles across government and semi-government entities, the private sector, and educational, health, cultural, sports and community organisations in support of children and their families.

These partnerships enable organisations to exchange expertise and draw on available resources to develop and launch joint initiatives that respond to early childhood needs.

They also give more families access to meaningful experiences and programmes that support their children’s development.

Together, these efforts lay the groundwork for lasting collaboration whose impact continues beyond the Week, while reinforcing the shared responsibility of different sectors of society to provide supportive environments for children and families.

Supporting organisations coming onboard as Community Partners are PureHealth Holding, Emirates Telecommunications Group Company (Etisalat) and the National Academy for Childhood Development (NACD).

During the press conference, the Ministry announced the launch of the “Everyday Moments for a More Connected Family” guide, featuring a set of behavioural tools developed by the Ministry of Family in collaboration with the Office of Development Affairs, represented by the Behavioral Science Group (BSG), to help Emirati families foster greater cohesion and closer relationships in conjunction with the UAE Year of Family.

The tools are structured around four key factors that help foster family bonds: meaningful conversations, presence, family routines and growth.

These factors reflect research highlighting the importance of everyday interaction among family members — through the conversations they share, the attention they give one another, the routines they build together and their ability to navigate challenges as one family.

Available in both Arabic and English on the Early Childhood Week website, the practical guide offers activities and ideas to help family members of all ages communicate more effectively and establish shared daily practices.

Early Childhood Week will feature a range of community events and experiences designed to strengthen connections between children, their parents and caregivers, and the wider support network across the social, health, education and sports sectors.

In collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and partner organisations in the UAE, the Ministry will organise the “Children’s Run” on 20 November to coincide with World Children’s Day.

The event will encourage children and their families to take part in a community activity that promotes movement and interaction.

The Ministry will also launch the “Go Blue” campaign to spotlight children’s rights, inviting organisations, institutions and members of the community to incorporate the colour blue into venues, activities and communications materials as an expression of support for those rights.

During Early Childhood Week, the Ministry of Education will deliver the “A Moment Together at School” initiative, bringing a child together with a parent or caregiver for a brief shared experience centred on reading, play, discovery or conversation.

Families will receive a take-home card to help them recreate the experience, promoting greater continuity between home and the educational setting and helping these practices continue beyond the Week, in accordance with arrangements made by participating institutions.

The practical guide and the take-home card accompanying “A Moment Together at School” are among the tools designed to help families carry the benefits of the Week into their everyday lives.

The Ministry will also monitor implementation of the initiatives and track participation and family engagement to help evaluate outcomes and identify opportunities to improve programmes and initiatives for children and their families.

The programme includes children’s tours of museums in Abu Dhabi, giving young participants opportunities to discover art, culture and heritage from a fresh and engaging perspective.

Knowledge will be shared in ways that engage children’s curiosity and suit their level of understanding, enabling them to become active participants in the journey of discovery rather than simply recipients of information.

In Dubai, the Community Development Authority’s (CDA) “A Child’s City… A City of the Future” experience will offer children opportunities for discovery, play and interactive learning.

The experience takes children on a journey through a miniature city inspired by their needs and aspirations for the future, allowing them to explore concepts including health, protection, learning, play, creativity, social inclusion and sustainability.

The programme will also include a musical performance in partnership with the UAE National Orchestra.

In Sharjah, experiences at the House of Wisdom will provide a dedicated space for babies, young children and their caregivers, alongside other activities centred on reading and creativity.

Ajman will host “Souq Al Freej,” a community experience inspired by the atmosphere of the traditional Emirati fareej. The garden of Ajman Chamber will be transformed into a miniature market run by children with their families taking part, bringing together heritage, national identity, hands-on learning and early entrepreneurship.

In Fujairah, “Ramsatna,” an initiative featuring Emirati vocabulary cards, will seek to deepen children’s connection with Emirati linguistic identity and cultural heritage.

It will encourage parents and grandparents to use local vocabulary in their everyday conversations with children, supporting the transfer of knowledge between generations.

During the Week, Umm Al Qaiwain will see the launch of the “Little Broadcaster Experience,” an educational and interactive initiative that opens the doors of a radio studio to children, giving them the opportunity to discover the world of media and radio broadcasting through simple activities tailored to their ages and abilities.

In Ras Al Khaimah, the “Early Childhood Carnival and Ma’an Labs” will feature a multi-location educational and interactive programme delivered by the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT).

It will bring together children and their families, education students and early childhood specialists, with the aim of bringing academic knowledge and contemporary educational practices to life through experiences children can engage with directly.

Early Childhood Week seeks to raise awareness of the importance of the first years of a child’s life, support the role of families and caregivers, and broaden participation across different sectors in providing environments and experiences that support children’s development and wellbeing.

The launch reflects the central place of early childhood and the family among the UAE’s national priorities and underscores the family’s role as a cornerstone of a cohesive and prosperous society.

By transforming public spaces into interactive environments for learning and play, the Week will also give parents and caregivers practical and accessible opportunities to connect with their children.

The Ministry of Family has invited families and caregivers to explore the programme, schedules and locations through www.ecweek.ae and the social media accounts of the Ministry of Family and the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority.

Families are also encouraged to download the practical guide, check attendance, booking or registration requirements with the relevant organisers, and select experiences suited to their children’s ages, interests and needs.

WAM