Valentine’s Day is such a happy time of year in my preschool classroom! Maybe it’s the fun colors and the hearts that are everywhere. Or maybe it’s the fact that we play and learn with candy for days! Candy hearts are such a great manipulative to use in the classroom. The sweet hearts in our candy hearts count & clip cards may not be real, but they are just as fun to use to practice counting, numbers, and fine motor skills with preschoolers and kindergarteners!
Candy Hearts Count & Clip Cards
This free printable set of candy hearts count & clip cards includes the numbers 1-10.
Each count & clip card has a jar of candy hearts on it along with 3 numbers on the side of the card. One of the numbers is the correct number of candy hearts in the jar on the card, and 2 numbers are not.
The prep work for this math learning center or busy bag activity is so easy and almost nonexistent! Simply print the file from the pink button below. Cut the candy hearts count & clip cards out on the gray dotted lines, and laminate if you are using with a group or just for extra durability.
Add a cup of clothespins to the math learning center and it’s time to play!
My preschoolers are becoming masters at clothespin clip cards. They love the counting clip cards that we have used during the school year, and have even gotten the hang of how the addition clip cards work.
To play, pick a candy hearts count & clip card from the pile or from a basket. Place it on the table and count the candy hearts in the jar on the card. Choose the matching number from the three numbers on the side of the card. Use a clothespin to clip or mark the correct number.
Continue to count the candy hearts and clip the matching number on each card.
In my classroom, my preschoolers also worked on 1:1 correspondence skills. We add one real candy heart on top of each candy heart in the jar while counting. This is just an easy extra step that reinforces counting and number skills!
What I love best about this Valentine’s Day activity is the fine motor aspect of it. But what if that part of it is too frustrating for your little learner. No problem. Add the clothespins in as an option, but consider also including heart mini erasers or buttons to use on the count & clip cards to mark the correct number. Fine motor and math skills are still being practiced.
Here’s a sweet treat for you! Check out the other heart themed activities from some amazing blogger and teacher friends.
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
Heart Letter Puzzles // Pocket of Preschool
Valentine Hearts Ten Frame Clip Cards // Mrs. Jones Creation Station
Heart Digraph Puzzles // The Kindergarten Connection
Printable Valentine’s Math Activities // Stay at Home Educator
Alphabet Hearts // Playdough to Plato
Valentine’s Day Emergent Reader // Sweet Sounds of Kindergarten
Heart Syllable Sort // Recipe for Teaching
Candy Hearts Count and Clip Cards // Modern Preschool
Heartbreakers Sensory Activity // Sugar Spice and Glitter
CVC Hearts // The Primary Post
Valentine’s Day Number Recognition Bingo Game // Schooling a Monkey
Valentine’s Day Activities (Heart Craft & Cutting Practice) // Fairy Poppins
Heart Counting Cards // Powerful Mothering
Sorting Hearts Fine Motor Tray // Teach Me Mommy
Candy Heart Estimation Station // The STEM Laboratory
Contraction Conversation Hearts // The Simplified Classroom
Chocolate Heart Play Dough Mats // Fantastic Fun and Learning
Jar of Hearts: Editable Sight Words to Read and Write // Liz’s Early Learning Spot
Hearts Make Ten Game // Sara J Creations
Heart Roll, Cover and Write Mats // Fun Learning for Kids
Heart Ice and Oil Density Experiment // Science Kiddo
Candy Heart Sentences // Pages of Grace
Heart Sight Word Match // The Letters of Literacy
Heart Name Crafts // Fun-A-Day
Now grab your own set of candy hearts count & clip cards for Valentine’s Day! Just click the pink button below:
Hope M says
Great resource! Thank you so much for sharing!! Love your resources!!!
Hope M says
Thank you for another great activity!