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
Communication plays such an important role in our lives. It is the cornerstone of healthy relationships. It is the vehicle for sharing our joy, fear, and other emotions. It is how we learn new things at school and work, and teach others those same skills. The benefits of communication long outlast childhood.
Communication and Oral Language Development Goal CLL-1
Play

The communication skills that babies learn during their first year sets them up for success in developing reading, writing and social skills for later in life. Watch the video below Parents' Guide to Baby's Communication.
Communication and Oral Language Development Goal CLL-1

Think your baby is too young to reap the rewards of reading? Think again. Research shows it's never too early to start enjoying books with your little one. 
Foundations For Reading Goal CLL-4
Busy Toddlers
Activities for children 1-3
Physical/Outdoor

Use a parachute or a bedsheet and place it flat on the ground. Put several jingle bells on the sheet and have children gather round and lift the sheet. Have them shake the sheet gently to make it jingle bell. Do this while singing “Jingle Bells”
Motor Development Goal HPD-4
Kids usually need some guidance and lots of practice as they learn how to cut with scissors. Before cutting, kids need to develop hand strength. Then, to operate a pair of scissors, they need to master a grasp and release motion.
When kids are able to open and close scissors with a grasp and release motion, they are ready to make small snips into a variety of objects.
Motor Development Goal HPD-5
Science/Sensory

Create a simple sensory Snow Window with your toddler.
Scientific Exploration and Knowledge Goal CD-9

Christmas Cookie Cloud Dough has an amazing texture, crumbly and moldable at the same time. It’s a bit messy but cleans up easily.
Scientific Exploration and Knowledge Goal CD-9
Literacy/Math

Listening is at the heart of language development. This simple jingle listening games requires several children to play.
Communicating and Oral Language Development
Goal CLL-1

Count out 5 to 10 candy canes with your toddler. Then have them close their eyes while you hide them. Say when they are hot or cold while they look for the candy canes. Help them count and keep track of how many they have found and how many more they need to find.
Mathematical Thinking and Expression Goal CD-4
Social Emotional

Toddlers watch how you express your emotions, and you can set a good example when you manage your emotions in positive ways. For example, you send a powerful message when you respond to your frustrated toddler with calmness and understanding.
The holiday season is often fraught with emotions. Many adults find themselves stressed, excited, joyous, and sad—sometimes all in the same day! It’s helpful to remember that the children in our lives are often dealing with the same strong emotions. Make these simple emotions masks with kids and talk about feelings.
Self-Regulation and Pro-Social Behaviors Goal SED-5
Hands-On Preschoolers
Activities for children 4-5
Physical/Outdoor

Create a relay game out of getting on the winter gear in the "Get Ready for Snow!" gross motor game.
Motor Development Goal HPD-4
These snowflakes are easy to cut and great fine motor practice. String them together to make snowflake garlands.
Motor Development Goal HPD-5
Science/Sensory
This crystal snowflake is made by dipping shaped pipe cleaners into borax dissolved in boiling water. As the water cools, borax forms crystals that cling to pipe cleaners making this magical Christmas tree decoration.
Scientific Exploration and Knowledge Goal CD-9

Whip up a batch of festive reindeer toothpaste to get your preschooler excited about about chemistry. This activity requires just a few ingredients but the final result is oh so awesome!  
Scientific Exploration and Knowledge Goal CD-9
Literacy/Math
Becoming good listeners, and learning to actually follow through with the requests, is an ongoing process in early childhood. Play Santa Says using the rules from the classic Simon Says game.
Communicating and Oral Language Development
Goal CLL-1

Time is a hard concept for young children. It’s abstract and basically meaningless to them. They can’t touch it or quantify it. Make a red and green linked paper chain to the number of days left until Christmas. Remove a link each day until it is Christmas! Link to Video on How to Make a Simple Paper Chain.
Mathematical Thinking and Expression Goal CD-6
Creative Arts

Process art is all about the process of painting with objects of various textures and exploring the senses as they are involved in different ways to paint. Try painting with pine cones, evergreen branches and jingle bells.
Creative Arts and Expression Goal CD-12

Make beautiful sticker resist starry night cards.
Creative Arts and Expression Goal CD-12