Children’s Week comes back around for 2021 starting today

Children’s Week was last updated during Battle for Azeroth, and though there are no updates for 2021, the holiday runs from May 3 through May 10 this year. Now that the pet cap will be raised in patch 9.1, you don’t need to worry about space for all these limited-time cuties.

I’ll confess, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Zandalari orphans while we were playing in BfA, but hey, pets are pets! I can corral orphans for adorable, bite-y little companions.

You can start the newest Children’s Week questline by heading to your faction’s local orphan caretaker to pick up the quest for a Kul Tiran Orphan Whistle or Casteless Zandalari Whistle.

• Orphan Matron Westerson at Hook Point in Boralus
• Caretaker Padae at the Hall of Castes in Zuldazar (behind the Spirits Be With You inn by the Grand Bazaar flight point, where the Herding Children World Quest is)

Here is where you take Liam, the Kul Tiran orphan:

• The Mountain Folk: meet the Roughnecks at the Roughneck Camp in Tiragarde Sound.
• Yo Ho, Yo Ho!: meet a pirate outside of Freehold in Tiragarde Sound.
• The Squid Shrine: see Shrine of the Storms from the beach near Mariner’s Strand in Stormsong Valley.
• Bird Friends: see the statue of Arom Waycrest at Arom’s Stand in Drustvar.
• Shapeshifters!: meet a druid at Ulfar’s Den in Drustvar.

And here is where Azala, the Zandalari orphan, goes:

• Loa of Winds: meet Pa’ku at Pterror Rise in Zuldazar.
• The Shifting Pack: meet Gonk at the Lair of Gonk in the Garden of the Loa in Zuldazar.
• The Frogmarsh: meet Krag’wa at Krag’wa’s Burrow in the Frogmarsh in Nazmir.
• The Sethrak Queen: meet Sethraliss at the Terrace of the Devoted in Vol’dun.
• Hunting for Gold: see The Golden Isle in Vol’dun.

At the end of the questline, we get get the option to choose one of four new pets. You can only get one pet per character, since it’s a reward from completing the orphan’s demands. However, you can use alts to get the other pets if you so desire, or just wait for next year.

• Sandy Hermit Crab Shell
• Beakbert
• Slimy Pouch
• Enchanted Saurolisk Scale

It doesn’t appear that we get a holiday-specific hearthstone toy with this event, unlike the other WoW holiday events, though thinking about it that makes sense. I’m not sure how a hearthstone toy of that sort would look anyway. On second thought, I probably don’t want one. It would probably spawn more orphans to herd.

To collect any of the other previous pets, here is a quick overview of where to go to start the orphan questline and what is available:

• Orphan Matron Nightingale in Stormwind or Orphan Matron Battlewail in Orgrimmar
  • Pet options: Rat Cage, Turtle Box, Snail Shell, or Piglet’s Collar
• Orphan Matron Mercy in Shattrath
  • Pet options: Egbert’s Egg, Elekk Training Collar, Sleepy Willy, or Legs
• Orphan Matron Aria in Northrend Dalaran
  • Pet options: Curious Oracle Hatchling or Curious Wolvar Pup

You can also pick up a couple toys. Just visit Craggle Wobbletop in Stormwind or Blax Bottlerocket in Orgrimmar to buy the balloon toys — Green Balloon and Yellow Balloon for 10 silver each.

The School of Hard Knocks bug doesn’t seem to have popped back up this year, which means you’re still on the hook for getting it done. Good luck!