Selecting Icons for Social Media Graphics

Find tips for choosing and using icons in social media graphics and captions.

Using Icons on Social Media Graphics

• Use simple, recognizable shapes. Stick to icons that children and families can quickly understand (e.g., apples, books, blocks, hands, houses).
• Choose age-appropriate imagery. Icons should reflect themes relevant to young children — think early learning, nutrition, play, and family.
• Maintain clarity at all sizes. Make sure icons are legible and meaningful even when scaled down for mobile devices.
• Use consistent style. Avoid using a mix of cartoon, flat, and realistic icons in one design.
• Support, don’t clutter. Use icons to enhance key messages, not overwhelm the design.

Examples of Icons for National Centers

📋 Program Management and Fiscal Operations

Icons should reflect organization, leadership, and communication in a way that is simple and accessible.

1. Clipboard with checkmarks
2. Calendar with a star
3. Pie chart or bar graph
4. Group of people around a table
5. Document with a pencil (planning/reporting)

🩺 Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety

Icons should represent physical and emotional wellness in a warm, child-friendly way.

1. Bandage or heart with a cross
2. Soap and water bubbles
3. Exclamation mark inside a triangle
4. Emergency kit
5. Shield with a heart

🏘️ Family and Community Engagement

Icons should focus on togetherness and support.

1. Adult and child figures holding hands
2. House with a heart
3. Handshake or linked hands
4. Tree with people as branches
5. Heart with multiple dots or people icons

📚 Education and Child Development

Icons should illustrate learning, play, and growth for young children.

1. Building or ABC blocks
2. Open book with sparkles or stars
3. Smiling child with an adult
4. Crayon or paintbrush
5. Puzzle piece