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: Easter / Spring

Infant Corner Activities for children under 1

Development It's never to early to read to your baby. As soon as your baby is born, she or he starts learning. Just by talking to, playing with, and caring for your baby everyday you help your baby develop language skills necessary to become a reader. By reading to your baby you foster a love of books and reading right from the start. Play Snuggle Up with a Book: When you hold your baby close and look at a book together, your baby will enjoy the snuggling and hearing your voice as well as the story. Feeling safe and secure with you while looking at a book builds your baby's confidence and love of reading.

Busy Toddlers Activities for children 1-3 (Thank you to Tia Madsen with Northern Hills Alliance for Children in Deadwood for these ideas!)

Physical/Outdoor Music & Movement : Fill plastic Easter Eggs with items that make noise (rice, beans, beads, pebbles, etc) Put on some music on and shake & dance. Get Your Wiggles Out: Choose your favorite songs or click on the links below and have a dance party. Jim Gill's Dance Along Gong Song The Kiboomers Freeze Dance For Kids Science/Sensory Create an Easter Sensory box. Add in anything fun you have around your house. (Easter grass, Easter eggs, Popsicle sticks, feathers, stickers, rocks, etc.) Plant some seeds together as a family and watch them grow!

Literacy Obstacle Course that will be fun, allow you to use directional words and phrases, and get your kiddos moving! Link to activity here Listen to fun Easter stories below. Link to activity here Creative Arts Make your own FingerPaint Remember to have your child wear an apron or put on a large t-shirt to protect clothes when painting. Link to activity here

Hands-On Preschoolers Activities for children 4-5 (Thank you to Shannon Weaver with Northern Hills Alliance for Children in Deadwood for these ideas!)

Physical/Outdoor Take a sound walk - what do you hear? Birds? Cars? Make notes and observations with your child as you go. Download a sound walk Checklist

Science/Sensory Do some experimentation with some Crock Pot Applesauce. Link to activity here Try a smell and taste test game. Adults you choose a few food, blindfold your kiddo and see if they can guess the item by smell or taste. Encourage them to describe the smells or tastes they are experiencing (example: sour, sweet, salty) Some ideas: pretzel, lemon slice, chocolate. Plant some seeds together as a family and watch them grow

Literacy Read and Explore Have your child pick out their favorite book and when the book is done you can ask them questions about what happened or draw pictures. Listen to fun Easter stories below. Link to activity here

Creative Arts Try your hand at making some Oobleck! Link to activity here