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 you will find South Dakota Early Learning Guidelines domain and goal for the activity. For a copy of the Early Learning Guidelines click on the photo.
Infant Corner
Activities for children under 1
Development
Tummy time — placing a baby on his or her stomach only while awake and supervised — can help your baby develop strong neck and shoulder muscles and promote motor skills. Tummy time can also prevent the back of your baby's head from developing flat spots (positional plagiocephaly). Tummy time can also help your baby build strength needed for sitting up, rolling over, crawling and walking.
Motor Development Goal HPD-4
Play


You know Tummy Time can help, but did you know it can make a difference in only a few days? Watch our Pathways Baby Bootcamp video to see before and after footage of the incredible difference Tummy Time activities can have on a child in just 5 days!

Motor Development Goal HPD-4
Busy Toddlers
Activities for children 1-3
Physical/Outdoor
Cut out pumpkins or jack-o’-lanterns (poster board works best ) Then lay them out to make trails for jumping
For toddlers they will simply love running down a straight or slightly curved path of pumpkins close together. If you want to make it more challenging make a hopscotch pattern.
Motor Development Goal HPD-4

These googly eye pumpkins are cute and just a little bit spooky! It’s a great workout for little fingers, too.
Motor Development HPD-5
Science/Sensory

Try this simple 2 ingredient recipe to create a pumpkin playdough.
Scientific Exploration and Knowledge Goal CD-9

Turn standard oobleck into a Halloween activity by making pumpkin oobleck with the insides of your carved pumpkin.
Construction of Knowledge: Thinking and Reasoning Goal CD-1
Literacy/Math

Oh, no! Pumpkin has a great fall! Here is a great pumpkin fingerplay toddlers will enjoy!

And three easy pumpkin songs to sing with your toddlers!
Communication and Oral Language Development Goal CLL-2

Teach your toddler how to count to 5 this Halloween by turning the Five Little Pumpkins poem into a playful fingerplay activity!
Mathematical Thinking and Expression-Goal CD-4

Social Emotional

As you can tell pumpkins lend themselves to so many activities. For social-emotional development here's one spin on helping kids talk about feelings using pumpkin faces to create a feelings game.
Self-Regulation and Pro-Social Behaviors Goal SED-5
Just like adults, children need to develop strategies for managing their emotions, so that they can build social-emotional skills. When children are more socially and emotionally aware and skilled, they can more effectively navigate relationships, calm down and problem solve when challenges arise. Read the following article on Talking with young children about emotions.
Self-Regulation and Pro-Social Behaviors Goal SED-5
Hands-On Preschoolers
Activities for children 4-5
Physical/Outdoor

Make your own pumpkin ring toss to work on motor skills in your classroom or at home.
Motor Development HPD-4
Grab some wooden hammers and golf tees to pound on pumpkins to strengthen fine motor development (getting those hands ready for writing) and hand-eye coordination.
Motor Development CLL-5
Science/Sensory
This erupting pumpkin brings Fall and science together in a way that kids of all ages are to sure to love!
Scientific Exploration and Knowledge Goal CD-9

This bubbly science experiment is a perfect way to combine Halloween science, fall, and so much more!
Scientific Exploration and Knowledge Goal CD-9
Literacy/Math
Make a simple pumpkin matching game for classroom or home.
Communication, Language and Literacy CLL-8

Let your preschoolers measure with pumpkins! How many pumpkins tall are you?
Mathematical Thinking and Expression CD-6
Creative Arts

Children enjoy painting with a variety of different objects. Fall is a great time to try this easy pumpkin painting idea that involves little preparation!
Creative Arts and Expression Goal CD-12

Halloween is almost here so here is a simple craft you can create in your classroom or at home with your little ones! The best part is that pumpkins are in-season all through the fall so this window decoration can stay up right through Thanksgiving.
Creative Arts and Expression Goal CD-12