We’re in full hibernation mode here for winter in New Jersey. It’s cold and frosty and I’d prefer to stay in my jammies and drink hot cocoa than venture out into the frigid air.
This makes it the perfect time to do some winter learning activities with my kids! I love making printable activities that teach new skills while also being fun.
This free printable winter activity involves counting, fine motor skills (hand/finger strengthening, bilateral coordination), hand eye coordination, one-to-one correspondence, and of course, learning about new winter 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!
I’ve included numbers 1-8 with this free printable, but if you would like the whole set up to 20, you can purchase them at my Teachers Pay Teachers 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 winter 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 or place a dot using dot markers or dot stickers.
Skills Addressed:
This activity will work on a few different skills that toddlers and preschoolers will soon be proficient in. Exposure is key with 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
I hope you and your students or children enjoyed this free printable winter activity, teaching them new math concepts of how to count and one-to-one correspondence while also strengthening fine motor skills and hand strength.
Check out my Teachers Pay Teachers shop for more activities like this one or to purchase the full version. You can also find more free printable and preschool and toddler activities on my site. Check them out via the menu!
