Sweetheart Math

Sweetheart Math has become a tradition around here for Valentine’s Day.

My kids always enjoy getting their own box of conversation hearts and counting, sorting, graphing and eating them. I usually just draw up a quick sorting and graphing page, but this year I found some great printables from PreKinders!

These printables are wonderful and have saved me a lot of time. So THANK YOU PreKinders for these great printables and more activities here!

You’ll need a box of Sweetheart Conversation Hearts for these activities.

 

• Candy Heart Count
  1. Print this page from PreKinders here. Scroll down to find it.
  2. Put one candy heart in each heart outline.
  3. Count how many hearts of each color you have.
  4. Write that number in the boxes below.
     • TIP: Underline each color word with a crayon so pre-readers can “read” the words.
  5. Color each heart the same color as the candy.

 

• Color Sorting … Another great printable from PreKinders here. Again, scroll down until you see it!
  1. Sort each of the colors into the colored heart spaces. Our box had blue instead of white … no problem
  2. Count each color.
  3. Write the number on the heart.
  4. You can laminate these or simply slide them into a page protector and use a dry erase marker to use over and over again!

 

• Candy Heart Graph … PreKinders made this perfect candy heart graph printable here. My son just saw this and he’s so excited to print it and get sorting!
  1. Sort the candy hearts on the graph. I love that the color words are written in their color. So easy for the kids to read themselves!
  2. Ask some questions:
     • which color has the most?
     • which color has the least?
     • which color has three hearts? which has five hearts?
     • do any other the colors have the same amount of hearts?
  3. OPTIONAL: remove the candy hearts and color the graph!

 

• Write your own Conversation Hearts
  1. Cut out several large hearts
  2. Choose a candy heart with a message on it
  3. Use a crayon to copy the letters onto the large heart!

Click here for past Valentine’s Day ideas!

My Heart is Like a Zoo

It was my turn to host preschool at our house this week. With Valentine’s Day coming up, of course we had to do a fun Heart Day. I used some of the Valentine’s Day ideas I have posted before and threw in a few new ones.

 

• Sticker Name Page … an activity as the kids are coming in (so the moms can chat!)
  1. Write each of the kids’ names in the middle of a Valentine colored paper.
  2. Let them find their name and sit down.
  3. Scatter several foam heart stickers (available at craft stores right now) on the table.
  4. Let the kids decorate their name page!

• Read “The Day It Rained Hearts” by Felicia Bond … such a cute story. I love Felicia Bond’s illustrations. In this book, Cornelia Augusta collects several hearts that rain down. She makes Valentines with each one to give to the perfect friends.

• Read “My Heart Is Like a Zoo” by Michael Hall … another adorable book. Each page shows an animal made entirely from hearts! I love the rhyming story and bright colors.
  1. Take time to point out the heart shapes that make up each animal.
  2. See if the kids can find all of the hearts.

   

• Make a Heart Lion Valentine Card … using the book as our guide, we made our own heart lion on a blank card!
  1. Collect several paint chip samples (I got mine at Home Depot)
  2. Cut out a large orange heart, a medium yellow heart, and a small red heart.
  3. Give the kids one of each heart and step-by-step put together your lion!
  4. We added sticky-back googly eyes.
  5. The kids wanted to write in their cards, so we took time to do that. My 4-year-old was so excited to put his card on his brother’s bed for him to find!

     

• Read “Lilly's Chocolate Heart” and do an ABC chocolate heart hunt! (See original post here for the details and printables.)

 

• Musical Hearts Game … this was fun and the kids asked to do it over and over!
1. Cut out several large hearts from foam craft paper
2. Write a physical activity on each heart. We used:
• jump on one foot
• clap hands 10 times
• make a silly face
• wiggle like a worm
• run in place
• give everyone a high five
• jump 5 times
• do a rocket blast (squat down, count down 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and jump as high as you can!)
3. Play some fun music and have the kids walk around the hearts.
4. We chose one person to be ‘it’ each time.
5. Pause the music and do the activity on the heart.
6. Start the music and repeat!

  

• Heart Snacks … here are several ideas:
1. Heart apple slice … Slice thinly and use a heart cutter to remove the seeds from the middles (I found these fondant cutters at JoAnn and Michaels)
2. Watermelon slices … not the cheapest this time of the year, but the red was fun and they tasted so yummy!
3. Heart cheese slices … we actually turned these into the heart-shaped frogs from “My Heart is Like a Zoo”
4. Heart sandwiches … I’ve seen these heart sandwich cutters at JoAnn and Michaels. I got mine at WinCo.

 

• Chocolate Heart Dice Game … we actually just sent these home with the kids. My 4-year-old had fun playing this game after preschool and lunch were over.
• Put numbers 1-6 on the back of six chocolate hearts (I added dots to my 2-year-olds game so she could just match the dots)
• Roll a dice (I found these eraser dice at Dollar Tree; any dice will do)
• If you roll a 5, turn heart #5 upside-down.
• Repeat until all of the hearts are upside-down.

Valentine’s Food Fun

 

• Heart Apple Slices … these are so easy and so cute! My kids gobbled them up.
1. I used this set of three heart cutters here. It says they’re for fondant but they worked just like any other cookie cutter! I got mine at JoAnn and I’ve seen them at Michael’s as well. With a 40% off coupon, they’re pretty inexpensive.
2. Cut an apple in thin slices horizontally.
3. Use a heart-shaped cutter right in the middle. Looks cute and gets rid of the seeds!
4. Serve plain or with a yummy dip.

• Heart Lunches … these three adorable lunches are by lisa storms. I use these same Easy Lunch Boxes for my kid’s lunches. Of course, you could do the same thing on a plate. We have sparkly heart-shaped plates that we pull out and use in February. My kids love them. Found them on clearance at Target a few years ago.
  1. Lunch #1
     • sliced strawberries look like hearts
     • heart-shaped sandwiches
     • almonds & conversation hearts in a fun cupcake liner
  2. Lunch #2
     • heart-stamped grilled cheese sandwich
     • carrot sticks
     • “bee mine” fruit kabobs … pineapple & sliced grapes
  3. Lunch #3
     • heart-shaped pancakes
     • strawberry yogurt w/ sprinkles (for dipping instead of syrup)
     • heart-shaped melon

• Hot Dog Heart … photo and idea from Family Fun.
  1. Slice the ends off a hotdog at a diagonal.
  2. Put cut sides together and poke an uncooked spaghetti noodle through.
  3. Add cheese cut to resemble an arrow on each end.

 

• Cinnamon Bun Hearts … I will be making these most definitely before Valentine’s Day.
  1. I got this idea and photo from Poppies at Play.
  2. Instead of rolling the cinnamon rolls straight across, roll up both sides until they meet in the middle.
  3. I use a piece of thread to cut them so they don’t smoosh.
  4. Once in the pan, pinch the bottom to make the heart shape!

• Valentine Chex Mix … recipe here. Yum!

Valentine’s Day BINGO

(free printable below!) 

 

We love to play BINGO for just about any holiday.

1. Just make a simple 3x3 or 4x4 grid and fill it with Valentine clipart. I love using Microsoft Clipart. It’s free, cute and easy to copy or download.
2. Print out your boards on cardstock (you can mix up the clipart or print them all the same, they don’t really notice when they’re young).
3. Print an extra set and cut apart to use as your draw cards.
4. Use marshmallows or conversation hearts as markers. Trade boards and play again!
5. I made up a few BINGO boards ready-to-print because I’m all about making things easy here.  Click print below for a set of four different BINGO boards. Enjoy!

 

(all of the clipart comes from microsoft clipart)

NOTE! My PDF uploading program is being funny. If you click on the little ‘S’ in the bottom-left corner of the box above, you should be able to print or download the Bingo cards.

Lots of Hearts!

Yay! It’s time to bring on the Valentine projects. I usually set aside the week before a holiday to just do fun holiday preschool activities. The kids get more excited for the holiday and I like the change of pace. So this next week we’ll be doing lots of Valentine’s Day activities.

• Lace-y Valentine … I pulled this idea out of my Family Fun magazine
  1. Use valentine colors to paint a piece of cardstock. Let dry.
  2. Glue the painted paper to thin cardboard (like a cereal box)
  3. Cut out a heart shape, add more glue around the edges if you need to.
  4. Use a hole punch to punch holes all around the outside edge. My kids love to try, but the hole punch is usually a little too hard for them. Any suggestions??
  5. Let the kids write “I LOVE YOU” or another message on the back of the heart
  6. Knot one end of a shoelace (or ribbon or yarn with one end taped) and start lacing!

• Read ‘Sweet Hearts’ by Jan Carr … I love all of Dorothy Donohue’s cut paper illustrations!
1. This is a simple & cute book about a little bear who hides hearts all around for his family to find.
2. My kids like taking turns finding the hearts in the pictures
3. I plan to make the secret message hearts (below) ahead of time and hide them around the room so when we are finished with the books, the kids can go and find their own “Sweet Hearts”!

• Secret Valentine’s Day Messages … from Better Homes & Gardens!
  1. Cut out several hearts from white paper
  2. Write a message with white crayon.
  3. Use watercolors and a paint brush to reveal the message!

• Yarn Hearts … I’m still trying to decide if I’m brave enough to try this one from Family Fun.
  1. Make a cornstarch glue by mixing 1/4 cup cornstarch and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan. Stir until smooth.
  2. Heat over medium heat until thick and clear. Remove from heat.
  3. Cool to the touch.
  4. Cut red, pink or white yarn in foot-long pieces
  5. Place heart shaped cookie cutter on parchment paper.
  6. Push the yarn into the glue, then use thumb and finger to remove excess glue.
  7. Lay the yarn inside the cookie cutter. Repeat.
  8. Remove the cookie cutter and allow to dry for a day, or place the heart and parchment paper in the oven on low heat for an hour or two.

photo and idea from The Parent Drive Thru

• Red Heart Sticker Game … we don’t usually use face cards at our house, but I think I will get a set, just to pull out all of the heart cards for this cute game!
  1. Draw a large heart on a piece of paper.
  2. Only use the 1-10 (or even just 1-5) heart cards from a deck of cards.
  3. Shuffle the cards and draw one.
  4. Place that many stickers around your heart.
  5. Take turns and continue until your heart is full!

• Sort, Guess & Check Marshmallows … I modified this great idea from No Time for Flashcards.
  1. Use a veggie plate as a sorter. I just saw these clear trays at Dollar Tree! These work perfectly for sorting all sorts of things!
  2. Fill the center with colorful mini marshmallows.
  3. Use fingers or tongs to sort the colors.
  4. Cut out a heart shape from cardstock.
  5. Draw one large heart and one small heart inside.
  6. Let the kids guess how many marshmallows it will take to line the smallest heart.
  7. Line the heart with marshmallows and count as you go. How close were they?!
  8. Now have them guess how many marshmallows it will take to line the larger heart and count.
  9. Clear the heart and have them try again with the last two colors (they will probably guess much closer this time!)

 

• Musical Hearts Game … photos and idea from No Time for Flashcards
1. Cut out several large hearts from red, pink & white paper.
2. Write a physical activity on each heart … I love her ideas:
• Fly like a butterfly
• Wiggle like a worm
• Do the robot
• Jump on one foot
• Crab walk
3. Arrange the hearts in a circle on the floor. You can even laminate these or stick them to the floor with clear contact paper.
4. Play some fun music.
5. Walk around the hearts until the music stops and do that activity!
6. With my two kids, we’ll just take turns. They can both walk on the hearts, but we’ll choose the heart my 2-year-old is standing on first. The next time, we’ll choose the heart my 4-year-old is standing on!