News for Black Hills Early Learners
We are here to bring you fun activities for any child ages 0-5 years. We want to thank our local early learner providers and educators for their contributions to this weekly newsletter! We hope you find this useful and helpful during this very unusual time. Happy learning!
This week's theme:
Children's Literacy!
Children's literature is a great starting point to inspire activity ideas for you and your little ones.
Infant Corner
Activities for children under 1
Development
Babies love to put everything in their mouth. Board books, cloth books and vinyl books work best for infants.  Here is a list of first year favorite  board books.

Check out these tips on introducing books to your baby.
Play
Make your baby a book. Take pictures of family members and paste each one on cardboard to make a family album. Read the book by talking about each family member. “There’s Grandma. She has a big smile in this picture.”

Read aloud to your baby in a calming tone. In the first 3 months it does not matter what you are reading as long you read with expression and make frequent eye contact with your baby.
Busy Toddlers
Activities for children 1-3

Physical/Outdoor
After reading Brown Bear Brown Bear imitate the animals for a great gross motor activity with your toddlers.

Young Children love Pete the Cat books. Read and sing along with Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons. Then have a button scavenger hunt to develop both fine and gross motor skills
Science/Sensory
Read Good Night Moon. Ask your child how they think real bunnies sleep? Learn facts about rabbits with this video.

Watch the story of Chicken Little illustrated as the story is told. Explore gravity with this simple activity. Link to activity here
Literacy
Read an ABC book like Dr. Seuss's ABC: Amazing Alphabet Book or Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Write a letter on a sticky note and hide the letter in the room. Have your child hunt for the letter and name the letter when it's found.

Sing along version of the beloved Brown Bear, Brown Bear with Early Childhood performers Greg and Steve.
Creative Arts
Read the Rainbow Fish.
Use the story as an opportunity to talk about sharing and friendship. After reading the story have fun with Rainbow Fish Play Dough .

Check out Giraffes Can't Dance . Have an animal dance party. Call out an animal and make animal noises and dance like that animal. Let your child be creative and don't worry about how the animal really moves.
Hands-On Preschoolers
Activities for children 4-5

Physical/Outdoor
Play Simon Says with feelings/moods from the story. For example, say: “Simon says, be busy like a bee.”

Follow the link below to several fun motor activities based on children's literature.

Science/Sensory
Read and act out Going on a Bear Hunt with the author Michael Rosen. Then create a Bear Hunt Sensory Collage.

Children love getting messy, here is a fun sensory feet painting activity to go along with Peter the Cat: I love My White Shoes.
Literacy
After reading Guess How Much I Love You. Give your child hearts cut out of construction paper with “I love you because…” written on each heart. Your child can make a special heart card for someone they love. Ask them write and/or draw their message on each heart.

With your child listen to this book about sounds through the seasons Listen, Listen. Link to a listening ears activity here.
Creative Arts
Read together one of your child's favorite books and then ask them to draw a picture of their favorite part of the story.

Make paper cut monsters inspired by Glad Monster Sad Monster