Fun for Black Hills Early Learners

We are here to bring you fun activities for any child age 0-5 years. We hope you find this useful and helpful during this very unusual time. Happy learning!

How to find the right activities for your child. Each activities is marked by dots (•): • = Infant •• = Toddler ••• = Preschooler

Fun Activities • Sticky walls are made for baby activities. Using clear contact paper taped to the wall is an easy way to make a fun Baby Ring Grab. Link to Activity Here •   This blowing bubbles sensory play for babies is a fun sensory exploration of touch and delight. You don't need a ton of supplies or time for this simple activity. Link to Activity Here •• Friendship bracelets have never been cooler (or easier to make) than these awesome cuff bracelets you can make from Toilet Paper rolls! Each TP roll will make two bracelets. Link to PBS Kids Here for Activity •• Wrap favorite toys or puzzle pieces in tin foil and have your toddler unwrap them for a simple fine motor activity. •• Stuck inside on a hot or rainy day. Help your Toddler burn off some energy by making Activity Stations. Write different activities on paper and tape them throughout the room (10 jumping jacks, 15 toe touches, etc). Time your kids to see how fast they can run to each station and complete the activity. You can play this over and over and have your kids try to beat their personal best time. ••• Building with Marshmallows and toothpicks can be fun and challenging for your preschooler. Join in the fun and give it a try yourself! Link to Activity Here ••• While you have the Marshmallows make some Marshmallow Shooters. Link to Activity Here ••• Combining math with art is a fun and simple way to play number games for preschoolers. Follow these easy steps to make your own finger paint. Then join your preschooler as you practice painting numbers and shapes. Link to PBS Kids Activity Here

Outdoor Fun • For babies that are eating solids, make a fruit popsicle for baby to try. Since they will probably make a mess, no better place than outside •• Gather some flowers, leaves and sticks and make prints on playdough. Link to Activity Here •• If you have left over flowers make Flower Suncatcher to decorate your windows. Link to Activity Here •• Mud painting is messy and fun outdoor activity for Toddlers. Link to How to make mud paint Here.

••• Water Balloon Piñatas are the hit outdoor summer water activity for your kids! If you’re looking for a  summer outdoor activity  that can really cool everyone off quickly, this is the one for you. Link to Activity Here ••• Kids love to be out in the yard at dark on warm summer nights. Check out these fun Glow Stick Party Games your family can play together. Link to Activities Here ••• Have seen Sidewalk Chalk Obstacle Course on Facebook and been curious to make your own?. They are as fun to make as they are to do. Link to Activity Here

Everyday Moments For more brain building moments sign up at Vroom.org . Vroom Tips help you do more with your shared moments. Add learning to mealtime, bathtime, bedtime or anytime with over 1000 free ideas • While you're doing laundry, give your child some tummy time on different fabrics, like soft socks or a fluffy towel. Describe the textures to them like, "Do you feel the scratchy sweater?" Watch how they react to the sensation and respond back. • • When you're doing the dishes, let your toddler play with a clean sponge in a place where they won't get everything wet. They will love the texture. Show them how they can squeeze and absorb the water with the sponge. Ask them to describe the experience. ••• When your preschooler is included in your daily routines, they feel important and valued. Give your child small but important jobs to help you get chores done around the house, like wiping down the table after eating or putting clothes in the washing machine. Talk about what they are doing and appreciate their help: "Thank you so much for helping. It makes clean up more fun!"

Literacy • Many children use gestures before they speak. Show your baby how gestures and words work together. Practice using gestures with your child as another way to communicate. You can wave your hand and say "hi" or shake your head and say "no". •• This simple activity encourages your toddler to frame complete sentences. If they ask for a banana, you can ask them “Do you want a banana?” Encourage them to answer in a complete sentence. It will help your toddler learn to string the words together to make coherent conversation. It will help them learn to express himself better and boost their confidence too! •• Join the Authors of Peg + Cat books read the Lemonade Problem. Great to read on a hot day. Link to PBS KIDS Video Here •• Nursery rhymes are a great early literacy activity, and a fantastic way to get toddlers using their words. Because they are short they are easy to learn if recited over and over again. Kids love repetition. Here is a fantastic  list of nursery rhymes  with lyrics to use with your kids. ••• Keeping the beat of a song takes concentration and memory. When you ask your child to continue to clap to the rhythm while you clap to a different rhythm your also helping them learn to pay attention and use self-control. Encourage your child to clap along to the rhythm of a familiar song like "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." Guide them by clapping together. Then ask them to try to keep clapping while you clap a different song. This may be a challenge for both of you! ••• Letter writing practice is so easy and connects the sounds and print together. Take a regular sheet of paper and divide into 4 quadrants by making a line vertical and horizontal that cross in the middle. Write one letter in each of the 4 squares. Then, have your child draw a picture to represent a word that begins with that sound in the box. B for example may have a bear, banana, or basket in the square. ••• This ball theme alphabet activity is a fun way to practice identifying letter sounds while kicking a ball. Link to Activity Here