Make Math more fun for kids by doing a fun home activity. Check out this counting and feelings activity for preschoolers. A Valentine’s day crafts activity that will teach number recognition and different feelings to children.
Maths are essential in children’s intellectual development. It helps them be logical, to reason in an orderly manner, and to have a mind prepared for thought, criticism, and abstraction. Consequently, maths generates attitudes and behaviors that help children solve daily problems.
It does this by creating values, habits, prudence, initiative, security, self-confidence, and the hunger to learn more. Thus, having an acute sense of correctness and respect, honesty, diligence, optimism, etc. That creates independent thinkers, so it is necessary to understand and manage the reality in which they live.
One way to develop maths in children is by doing practical life activities, as suggested by the Montessori learning method. Symbolic games, such as “playing” store where children can buy and sell items, helps them understand quantity and number ratio. This goes together with counting using their fingers, steps, the buttons of a shirt, the number of apples they are going to buy at the supermarket, or the number of forks they must put on the table at dinner.
Also, filling measuring cups with water or flour and measuring spoons will make them realize that numbers serve to prepare a recipe. This way, they will see that daily life tasks involve numbers. Therefore, it helps them with mathematics and relates their experiences to these tasks.
Considering that, the following math activity is based on the Montessori learning method. It is intended that children manage to associate quantity with a number and generate new concepts concretely. Later, they will be able to grasp abstract concepts more quickly.
THEME: VALENTINE’S DAY CRAFTS
HOW DO WE DO THIS VALENTINE’S DAY CRAFTS ACTIVITY
Topic: Tearing and coloring
Age: 4-6-year-old children
Goal: Through this Valentine activity, children will learn how to count and number recognition.
Difficulty level: Average. This math activity is designed for children to carry out autonomously by following instructions.
Skills:
- Self-esteem
- Focus
- Following instructions
- Fine motor skills
- Common sense
- Reasoning
- Abstraction
- Critical
MATERIALS:
- Printable of the activity or you can create the chart yourself
- Plastic cups with the numbers from 1 to 10 written on the base
ACTIVITY DEVELOPMENT
Step 1:
Children must do the counting, keeping in mind the number written on each plastic cup, and connect the cup to the number of dots drawn on the paper.
Step 2:
After counting the dots on the paper, put the cup with that number onto the drawing.
ACTIVITY RESULT
Valentine’s day crafts number sense using a board
FREE PRINTABLE VALENTINE’S DAY WORKSHEETS
Let kids practice their Math skills. Click the link below to download and print our free printable worksheets.
Download the Free Printable Math Worksheets
HOW DO WE DO THIS VALENTINE’S DAY CRAFTS ACTIVITY WITH CHILDREN OF DIFFERENT AGES?
CHANGES FOR CHILDREN UNDER 4 YEARS OLD
This Valentine activity can be developed with younger children. To lower the difficulty level, you should not need to change the materials. Suppose children do not yet know the numbers, and likewise, their counting is of smaller numbers. In that case, it can be done with those quantities and go little by little with the largest number; for example, if they can count 1 to 5, do those first, and then gradually add 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. This way, they will carry out an activity according to their development and skills.
CHANGES FOR CHILDREN OLDER THAN 6
This math activity can be done with older children. To increase the difficulty level, it is not necessary to change the materials. You can do this activity with larger numbers. After counting, children can write on the plastic cup base the corresponding amount and place it where it belongs. In this way, an activity appropriate to the children’s development and abilities will be carried out.
VIDEO DESCRIPTION – COUNTING FEELINGS
This video contains the step-by-step instructions of the activity “COUNTING FEELINGS,” designed for 4-6-year-old boys and girls. They will make cups with numbers connecting them to the corresponding quantity. This math activity will allow children to develop self-esteem, focus, following instructions, fine motor skills, common sense, reasoning, abstraction, and more. They will need the following materials to do the activity, a printable of the exercise or a drawing previously created by the parent, plastic cups with the numbers from 1 to 10 written on the bottom.
Do you like this Valentine’s day crafts activity? Make sure to check out our other articles.
- Here’s an awesome home activity, Let’s Wash the Hearts Sensory Activity for Toddlers (1-2 Year Olds)
- Check out this awesome Hearts with Beads Valentine’s Day Home Activity for Kids Fine Motor Skills (4-6 Year Olds)
- Give kids fun craft to do. Check out this Easy and Simple Heart Valentines Arts and Crafts for Kids (4-6 Year Olds)
- Let kids have fun with Fun Stamping Heart Valentines Day Art Home Activity for Kids (4-6 Year Olds)
Get super cute Valentine’s day outfit for your little ones, check out this Eiffel tower Valentine’s day bodysuit.
I’d like to know what you think of our Valentine’s day crafts. Please leave a comment below.
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