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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
This short video will explain the skills and behaviors you can expect from your baby at every stage from birth to 3.

If you have concerns about your babies development contact
Play
Use an empty diaper box and create a fun “pull along” toy and safe place for baby to sit.
Construction of Knowledge: Thinking and Reasoning
Goal CD-1
Play Sound Sleuth with babies in your care.
Construction of Knowledge: Thinking and Reasoning
Goal CD-1

Babies are easily entertained by the simplest activities. Most of the time they don’t even need fancy toys, but everyday, household objects like a whisk.
Motor Development Goal HPD-5
Busy Toddlers
Activities for children 1-3
Physical/Outdoor

Use one of your child's books that has lots of real life pictures on one page Cover a few of the pictures on each page with post-it notes. You may need to use some different sized post-its depending on the size of the picture. Allow your child to turn the pages, and tear off the post-it notes to discover what is hiding underneath. This activity works on fine motor skills and helps build vocabulary.
Communicating and Oral Language Development
Goal CLL-3
Get toddlers moving with this Friend Movement group activity sung to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb."
Physical Health and Growth Goal HPD-2
Science/Sensory
Put a blob of paint on paper and let your toddler paint with a comb. If you have large paper you can have two children work together on the painting.
Construction of Knowledge: Thinking and Reasoning
Goal CD-3
Rice and Ice Sensory Activity is a fun activity that provides an opportunity to play with rhyming words, explore 
scientific concepts and learn about primary color mixing.
Construction of Knowledge: Thinking and Reasoning
Goal CD-2
Literacy/Math

Story stones are a fun addition to any playroom or classroom. They make great story-telling prompts and they spark creativity and imagination.
If you love to be creative and paint rocks you can make homemade story stones.
Foundations For Reading Goal CLL-4

Explore math concepts with this simple activity. While playing outdoors, find a stick, then ask the child(ren) to find one that is longer or shorter. Each time they find a new stick, hold it up to the other one and compare. Finally, lay all the sticks on the ground and order them by size. 
Mathematical Thinking and Expression Goal CD-4
Creative Arts
This easy toddler friendship art gets two toddlers working together as they roll their art activity in a jar back and forth to each other.
Developing Relationships Goal SED-3

Painting with marbles and balls is the perfect combination of creativity, experimentation, and exploration for kids.  Choose a variety of balls with different textures.
Construction of Knowledge: Thinking and Reasoning
Goal CD-1
Hands-On Preschoolers
Activities for children 4-5
Physical/Outdoor
Create a Friendship obstacle course for children to go through in groups of 2 or 3 friends. You could have a double balance beam where they need to hold hands as they walk on, crawl under a table together, hop into a hula hoop together, etc.
Motor Development Goal HPD-4

A paper chain can be a fun way to count down to a visit with someone special, a meet-up with a play group, or a special classroom event. This version sets the stage for a lesson on what it means to be a good friend.
Developing Relationships Goal SED-3
Science/Sensory
Inexpensive PVC pipe cut to various lengths and an assortment of fittings, such as T’s and end caps will get preschoolers working together creating structures.
Construction of Knowledge: Thinking and Reasoning CD-3

This sensory lesson includes a kindness activity for kids that is short and sweet.
Self-Regulation and Pro-Social Behaviors
Goal SED-6
Literacy/Math
A writing center either at home or classroom can provide children opportunities to develop writing skills. Provide cards or fold paper into card size along with crayons, pens, pencils and markers. Encourage children to write or dictate messages to their friends.
Foundations For Writing Goal CLL-9

A question of the day is a graphing activity that can be used to teach young children in preschool or kindergarten how to collect and organize data in a graphic representation as well as teach them how to analyze the data. Some questions related to friendship could be:
  • Was someone kind to you today?
  • Did you show kindness to anyone today?
Mathematical Thinking and Expression Goal CD-6
Creative Arts
Here is a group art activity to reinforce the idea of sharing with friends after reading the book Rainbow Fish.
Self-Regulation and Pro-Social Behaviors
Goal SED-6

Offer a variety of items and invite children to make simple friendship bracelets from toilet paper rolls.
Creative Arts and Expression Goal CD-12