News for Black Hills Early Learners
We are here to bring you fun activities for any child ages 0-5 years. We hope you find this useful and helpful during this very unusual time. Happy learning!
At the end of each activity domain and goals for the activities are provided. For a copy of the Early Learning Guidelines click on the photo.

Infant Corner
Activities for children under 1
Development

You may not think your tiny baby is capable of learning language and literacy, but there are a number of things you can do to establish pre-literacy learning that will enhance your child’s future ability to communicate.
Communicating and Oral Language Development
Goal CLL-1
Developing motor skills helps your baby learn how to use and control their body. This domain covers both gross motor (control of arms, legs, torso) as well as fine motor (fingers, hand/eye coordination).
Motor Development Goal HPD-5
Play

See if your baby will repeat back to you some simple phonetic sounds—lip smacking, mamama, bababa, papapa, dadada, etc. While they may not be ready to speak actual words, understanding how to form these simple sounds will lay the foundation for their speech skills.
Communicating and Oral Language Development
Goal CLL-1

Turn a milk jug into a way for your infant to practice fine motor skills.
Motor Development Goal HPD-5
Busy Toddlers
Activities for children 1-3
Physical/Outdoor

Encourage your toddlers to jump and grab as they match shapes.
Motor Development Goal HPD-4
Provide a variety of wintery materials to make cutting practice more exciting. Cotton balls, white or iridescent pipe cleaners, bubble wrap and packing peanuts are perfect.
Motor Development HDP-5
Science/Sensory

Use cotton balls for a sensory experience when creating snowflakes with your toddler.
Construction of Knowledge: Thinking and Reasoning Goal CD-1

Children and adults will be fascinated by the blobs in a bottle.
Scientific Exploration and Knowledge Goal CD-9
Literacy/Math
Simple letter tracing with paint and q-tips to encourage writing skills.
Foundations for Writing Goal CLL-9

Use children's love for stickers to help them explore numbers.
Mathematical Thinking and Expression Goal CD-4
Social Emotional
Help toddlers learn alternative ways to express themselves with the book "Hands Are Not for Hitting" Read the book and do activities.
Self-Regulation and Pro-Social Behaviors Goal SED-4
Hands-On Preschoolers
Activities for children 4-5
Physical/Outdoor

During winter keeping your preschoolers active can sometimes be a challenge. Add simple gross motor dice to add to the fun.
Motor Development HDP-4
Make an igloo with packing peanuts is a great way to practice fine motor skills and talk about different types of homes!
Motor Development HDP-5
Science/Sensory
Oobleck is fun for kids and adults alike. Frozen oobleck is cold and squishy, and it doubles the fun of normal oobleck.
Scientific Exploration and Knowledge Goal CD-9

Winter is a good time to feed birds and encourage your child to observe them. Here is a simple way to feed the birds. And no peanut butter required for those with food allergies.
Scientific Exploration and Knowledge Goal CD-8
Literacy/Math
Create the characters for Ten on The Sled Book to make a magnet or flannel story.
Foundations for Reading Goal CLL-4


This counting snowballs number game is a fun hands-on way to help kids with number recognition and counting.
Mathematical Thinking and Expression Goal CD-4
Creative Arts

Magnet Painting is a fun process art activity that kids will really enjoy! Use heavy magnets to move metal objects through the paint.
Creative Arts and Expression Goal CD-12

This glittery snow paint recipe is so easy to make! It looks so beautiful and has a lovely texture, too!
Creative Arts and Expression Goal CD-12