Valentine's Day Math Ideas
Heart Numbers 1 to 6 Matching
Select a piece of pink construction paper for
each child. Randomly write the
numerals 1 to 6 on each paper. Give
each of the children six heart stickers
that have been numbered 1 to 6.
Let the children attach the stickers
on or next to the corresponding numerals on
their papers.
Candy Heart Estimating
Give each child a small cardboard heart and ask
them to estimate how many
candy conversation hearts will fit on the surface
(area) of it. They can record
this on a piece of paper (for younger children,
you may have to dictate it for them).
Then, have them glue one on every inch of
the heart. When it's dry, have each
child count the number of candy hearts and
write how many were able to
fit on the heart. Was their estimate too big, to
small or exactly right?
Valentine Counting
Youngsters will take counting skills to heart
while working at this center.
Cut sentence strips in half to make cards. On each
of the cards, place
a different number of colorful valentine stickers. To
correspond with each
of the cards, glue a numbered heart cutout to the closed
end of a spring-type
clothespin. A youngster selects a card, finds a "heart pin"
with a corresponding
numeral, then clips that heart pin to the card. If desired,
program the backs of
the cards for self-checking. Store all of the cards and
heart pins in a string-tie envelope.
Five Big
Valentines (Flannel Board Fun)
Five big Valentines from the corner
drugstore,
I mailed one to a friend - now there are four.
Four big valentines, lovely ones to see;
I mailed one to mother - now there are three.
Three big valentines, red and shiny new;
I mailed one to daddy and now there are two.
Two big valentines, the best is yet to come;
I mailed one to Grandma - now there is one.
One big valentine, the giving's almost done;
I mailed it to Grandpa, and now there are none.
Valentine Post Office
Cut slits in the lids of five large
margarine tubs. Number five heart stickers
from 1 to 5 and attach one to
each tub lid. Cut heart shapes out of index
cards. Number the shapes
from 1 to 5 by attaching sets of small stickers
(or draw on sets of the hearts
with a red felt tip marker). Let the children
take turns "sorting the
valentine mail" by inserting the heart cutout
through the slits in the
matching numbered tubs.
Heart Number Hop
Cut a large heart shape for each child out
of construction paper.
Write a familiar numeral on each of the hearts,
repeating
numerals, if necessary. Have the children sit in a circle.
Place a heart face down in front of each child. To start the game,
stand
behind a child. Have that child pick up his or her heart, identify
the
number on it and place in back on the floor. Then while you sit
down in
the child's place, have him or her hop from child to child
that number of hops
to find out who gets to take the next turn. Continue
playing until each
child has had a chance to do a "heart number hop."
Sweet Tic-Tac-Toe
Add a new twist to the traditional game of
tic-tac-toe with conversation
heart candies. To prepare, make a game board
by cutting out a large
construction paper heart and drawing a tic-tac-toe grid
in the center.
Then laminate the heart for durability. Next, gather
five pink conversation
hearts and five green conversation hearts. Place
the pink hearts in one
snack size resealable plastic baggie and the green hearts
in another
baggie. Invite a pair of children over to the game and have
each child take
a baggie. Direct each player to use his/her candy hearts
to play tic-tac-toe
on the game board. The game ends when a child places
three
of his hearts in a row. Tic-tac-toe, Valentine!
Graphing Colored Hearts
Prepare a graph with numbers along the bottom.
The children will use
stickers or heart shapes to complete the graph. You may
also choose to use heart conversation candies.
Valentine Sort
You can prepare this for the flannel board or
make the pieces from
construction paper. Cut
hearts of different sizes and shapes, the children
can use them to make
patterns, sort them into groups or sort them
by size.
Broken Heart Number Match
Cut ten large hearts from construction paper. Cut the
hearts in half so the children
can match them together to make the heart. On one
side of the heart print a
number. On the
other
side of the heart glue small pink hearts to
correspond with the printed number.
Laminate for durability.
Pre-K Fun Theme Pages are
for educational reference only!
No copyright infringement is intended.
I do not claim any of these as my own ideas.
They are shared from friends and fellow group
members.
Thanks for sharing all your great ideas!