Love is in the air, and creating a love for counting and learning is easy with this free printable Valentine’s Day activity! With the weather still being frosty and chilly it makes it the perfect time to use some of these free printables to add to our day. I love making printable activities that teach new skills while also being fun.
This free printable valentine’s activity involves counting, fine motor skills (hand/finger strengthening, bilateral coordination), hand-eye coordination, one-to-one correspondence, and of course, learning about new Valentine’s Day items.
It’s perfect for preschoolers and even late-age toddlers. My 2-year-old son was able to do this activity with some assistance!
These Valentine Counting Clip Cards are ABSOLUTELY FREE, but if you want even more fun activities you can check out my shop here!
Teaching Counting to Toddlers and Preschoolers
Learning numbers and counting is a skill that can start to emerge around 18 months old. Your child may first learn to count from the repetition of hearing you counting. However, they won’t have any understanding of what those numbers actually mean.
Around 2, they can begin to associate numbers with counting objects. This is a skill that you will be able to teach them by consistently counting and introducing numbers to them during everyday life.
Once you start showing your toddler or preschooler how and what to count, you’ll see how quickly they’ll catch on. Talking to your child about how many cars are in the driveway, how many carrots are on his plate, or how many cups are on the table are easy ways to make numbers part of daily conversation.
Read this post for more ideas on 16 Simple Activities to Teach Counting and Math to a Toddler or Preschooler.
What You’ll Need:
- Free printable counting clip cards (download below)
- Clothespins
- Cardstock or laminator (optional)
What to Do:
- Download and print the free printable sheets. For best quality, print on card stock (65lb is sufficient) or laminate using sheets and a laminator. This will help the cards to be more sturdy when your child is holding them.
- Cut the cards out on the line. You should end up with 4- 4.25″ x 5.5″ cards from each sheet.
3. Talk about each valentine’s item on the card so they learn new vocabulary.
4. Have your child or student count the items in each section. Have them locate and identify the number on the board.
5. Then, they can squeeze the clothespin and attach it to the number corresponding to the amount in that section. try to have them use only one hand for squeezing to strengthen those fingers. If needed, they can assist with their other hand. Also, have them try to hold the card with one hand while using the clothespins with the other to develop bilateral coordination. If this is difficult, assist them by holding the card yourself.
If you don’t have clothespins, you can have your child draw a circle around the number, use dot markers, heart stickers, conversation hearts, or any other small item you can think of!
Skills Addressed:
This activity will work on a few different skills that toddlers and preschoolers will soon be proficient in. Exposure is key to learning new concepts and strengthening skills and it’s never too early to start teaching your children math, numbers, and learning how to count.
The following skills will be strengthened with this activity:
- One to one correspondence – counting items one at a time using their fingers
- Number recognition – seeing and identifying numbers
- Fine motor skills – hand and finger strengthening by squeezing the clothespin
- Visual motor skills – hand eye coordination as they fit the clothespin on the page where the number is
- Bilateral coordination – holding the counting hard with one hand while the other hand places the clothespin on the card
Other Ideas for Valentine’s Day
Are you looking for other ways to celebrate this fun holiday with your kids? Here are some more suggestions from my shop and website!
- Fun and Unique Valentine’s Day Activities for Toddlers
- Fun and Unique Valentine’s Day Activities for Preschoolers
- Easy & Simple Valentine’s Day Crafts for Toddlers
- Valentine Pathway Game
- Valentine Puzzle with Letters and Numbers
I hope you and your students or children enjoyed this free printable Valentine’s Day activity, teaching them new math concepts of how to count and one-to-one correspondence while also strengthening fine motor skills and hand strength.
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