News for Black Hills Early Learners |
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At the end of each activity South Dakota Early Learning domain and goals for the activities are provided. For a copy of the Early Learning Guidelines click on the photo. |
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Infant Corner
Activities for children under 1
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Early language and literacy skills are learned best through everyday moments with your child—when we are food shopping, visiting relatives, at the park, or eating out. Many of these activities provide infants opportunities to learn symbols, letters, and signs that help develop the earliest “reading” skills. Link here to learn more about Literacy Rich Outings .
Communicating and Oral Language Development Goal CLL-1
Tell your baby what you are doing before you do it. "I'm going to change your diaper now." Soon, your baby will know what you mean, and be able to respond, when you say those words!
Communicating and Oral Language Development Goal CLL-1
Create a Family Picture Book for baby for teaching your little one names and faces of your family.
Social Studies, Family and Community Connections Goal CD-10
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Busy Toddlers
Activities for children 1-3
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Add movement to a Scavenger Hunt to find objects for all the colors of the rainbow.
Motor Development Goal HPD-4
Do the bunny hop, frog jump, and lamb crawl from one side of the room to the other. Think: wheelbarrow walks, crab walks, donkey kicks, and bear walks with a Spring theme!
Motor Development Goal HPD-4
Spring might be just around the corner but it's still cold here in the Black Hills! Bring some snow inside and make mini snowmen at the table (on a plate or platter). You can spray the snow with colored water if you don't mind the mess!
Construction of Knowledge: Thinking and Reasoning Goal CD-1
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Construction of Knowledge: Thinking and Reasoning Goal-1
Legend tells us you’ll find gold at the end of a rainbow, but it’s just as much fun for toddlers to search for it in a Soothing Water Play Activity.
Construction of Knowledge: Thinking and Reasoning Goal CD-1
Easy and inexpensive Edible Sand sensory play you can literally make just in a few minutes and is safe to eat for young toddlers.
Construction of Knowledge: Thinking and Reasoning Goal-1
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Communication is a crucial aspect of cognitive development in children. Language development activities for toddlers is essential to enable learning. This video "10 Language Activities for Toddlers" will take you through some effective language development activities for 2-year-olds
Communication and Oral Language Development Goal CLL-2
This active way to move and learn is perfect if you have kids that like to bounce around your house. The Alphabet Pillow Jumping activity is a great way to get energy out when little kids are stuck indoors and do some learning at the same time.
Foundations For Reading Goal GLL-8
Swat The Balloon is a wonderful way for busy learners to practice their alphabet recognition and letter sounds.
Foundations For Reading Goal GLL-8
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Go on a Green Scavenger Hunt in your home or classroom. Practice counting and see how many green objects you can collect.
Mathematical Thinking and Expression Goal CD-4
Keep in mind when we are exploring numbers with toddlers it is all through play; and every day experiences and interactions! Songs can be a fun and effective way to begin exploring numbers with young children.
Construction of Knowledge: Thinking and Reasoning Goal CD-2
Grab your UNO deck and get ready to move! Assign each color a movement (hop, touch toes, etc.). As kids draw the cards, everyone completes the movement the correct number of times. Skip and Reverse work as usual. See more at the link here.
Mathematical Thinking and Expression Goal CD-4
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Playing games together, whether board, card, or outdoor games, encourages following directions and taking turns. Children have to learn how to play fairly by the rules. Additionally, it provides opportunities to handle winning and losing like a "good sport." Practice taking turns with your child by saying "my turn" and "your turn." Most important, focus on having fun while playing together.
Self-Regulation and Pro-Social Behaviors Goal SED-4
Listen skills are an important part of your child's social development. This childhood classic Red Light, Green Light requires listening and following direction skills. For toddlers, you may want to use signs to help them understand the directions initially. For example, you could make a round yellow "light" with a picture of hands clapping as a visual cue. As they become more proficient, you can remove the signs one by one and let them play by listening only. To play, one toddler is the "stoplight," and the others are bikes or cars. Let the kids decide. Next, the "stoplight" says "green light," and all the bikes come running towards the light. When the light calls out "red light," they all have to stop. If they fail to stop, they return to the beginning and start over. The first one to the "light" wins and gets to be the next "stoplight."
Developing Relationships Goal SED-3
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Hands-On Preschoolers
Activities for children 4-5
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Physical/Outdoor
March Madness! Time to play some of the traditional basketball games such as P-I-G or H-O-R-S-E. If you aren't equipped with a basketball hoop try the basketball freeze dance. Kids dribble the ball along with the music, but they have to freeze once the music stops.
Motor Development Goal HPD-4
What’s the best part of Lucky Charms cereal? The marshmallows! Fill large bowls with Lucky Charms, then see who can sort out the marshmallows fastest. To make the game more challenging use a tool like a spoon, tweezers or chopsticks.
Motor Development Goal HPD-5
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March 20th is the first day of spring. That makes this a great time to consider creating a Mud Kitchen for your outdoor play. The mud kitchen is a natural place to learn and explore.
Construction of Knowledge: Thinking and Reasoning Goal CD-2
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Science/Sensory
Have you ever tried to catch a leprechaun? Leprechauns are mischievous and magical little guys, so we have never actually gotten a good look at one. Work with your preschoolers to design and build a St Patrick's Day Leprechaun Trap.
Construction of Knowledge: Thinking and Reasoning Goal CD-3
March is a great time to explore things that are green.
This Chemistry Experiment involves a reaction between copper and oxygen, also know as an oxidation reaction that turns pennies green.
Scientific Exploration and Knowledge Goal CD-8
This Rainbow Cabbage Science project visually illustrates how plants consume water. As the leaves of cabbage drink up the colorful water they will transform right before your eyes!
Scientific Exploration and Knowledge Goal CD-8
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Literacy
For St. Patrick’s Day set up this ABC Gold Scavenger Hunt and have your preschooler search for gold and practicing the alphabet.
Foundations of Reading Goal CLL-8
Emergent writing is the first step taken by children learning to write. Emergent writing develops as children begin to understand that writing is a form of communication, and that their marks on paper can be used to convey a message. They begin by creating drawings and symbolic markings that can represent their ideas and thinking. A child's writing will eventually evolve into proper letters and words, but all the visual and written communication they practice before this stage is considered emergent writing. Writing is an important part of children’s literacy development, so children benefit from regular experience writing everyday. For more information on Emergent writing check out this article on NAEYC's website, "Promoting Preschoolers Emergent Literacy." Young Children, Nov 2017
Foundations for Writing Goal CLL-9
A fun way to explore emergent writing with preschoolers is to make a cornmeal paste for a Sensory Writing experience.
Foundations for Writing Goal CLL-9
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Math
Combine math and gross motor skills with this simple St. Patrick's Day Gross Motor Game. First create a life size game board by laying shamrock shapes on the floor and then roll the dice.
Mathematical Thinking and Expression Goal CD-4
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Object Graphs are a great way to introduce graphing to young children. You can purchase floor graphs or link here to learn how to make one from a shower curtain. The ideas for what to graph with children are endless but if you need a few ideas start here.
Mathematical Thinking and Expression Goal CD-6
This St. Patrick’s Day Gold Hunt Math activity is mess-free, fun, and for preschoolers. If you don't have gold coins to hide, cut them out of yellow construction paper.
Mathematical Thinking and Expression Goal CD-4
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Creative Arts
Children's art will sparkle in the light once finished. This St. Patrick Process Art activity, lends itself to the making of art, rather than a specific product that might be achieved with a craft.
Creative Arts and Expression Goal CD-12
These adorable Mini Shakers can be fun to shake and dance along with music. But there’s lot more learning activities you can do with them.
Creative Arts and Expression Goal CD-12
Salty Rainbows don’t last long but are a tempting and lovely project to watch and make.
Creative Arts and Expression Goal CD-12
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imagination BOOK STOP
For lesson plan ideas around books that families receive from the Imagination Library go to Black Hills Reads Resources. Each Book Stop features information about the book, discussion ideas and activities.
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