Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo
  • YouTube

Not Just Cute

Whole Child Development

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Speaking
  • Podcast
  • Books
  • Contact
  • New? Start Here.

Valentine Candy Heart Count

February 8, 2010 by notjustcute Filed Under: Celebrate!, Learning through Play and Experience 8 Comments

Here’s a fun math activity that combines counting, one-to-one ratio,  numeral recognition, color recognition, sorting, graphing, number comparison, and well, sugar!  That’s a lot to do in one activity, but I  promise, your kiddos will enjoy it nonetheless.  And it’s only partly because of the sugar part. 

Children are natural sorters.  That’s why they create collections, line up possessions, and don’t want their food touching each other on their plates.  Use that natural compulsion in this Valentine candy heart activity.

Start out with this Candy Heart Counting Sheet.  (Under each color name, I usually draw a line in the corresponding color just to help out.  *** OR print one of these new, updated sheets: Full Color or Black and White.)  Give the children each a small amount of candy hearts.  The amount will likely depend upon the child’s ability level or familiarity with counting.  Briefly show them how to sort and count by lining up the  candies on the boxes.  Observe and help out as they go along. 

As each child finishes, ask questions similar to those on the bottom of the sheet.  How many do they have of each color?  Which color do they have the most of? etc.  If you’re working with older children, you may want to have them color in the boxes after they remove the candies to create a bar graph.  You could also extend the activity by having them create patterns with the candies as well!  Math has never tasted so sweet!

For more Valentine’s ideas, check out the Valentines, Friends, and Communication unit page here.

Top photo by apletfx.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Comments

  1. amber fischer says

    February 9, 2010 at 11:20 am

    what a great valentine’s activity!! love it!

    Reply
  2. Nicole says

    February 10, 2011 at 10:08 am

    Thanks for sharing this awesome activity. My daughter and I did it yesterday and she wants to do it again today!

    Reply
    • notjustcute says

      February 10, 2011 at 1:21 pm

      So glad she enjoyed it. Your pictures are darling! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
  3. Lysa Miller says

    January 10, 2013 at 12:26 pm

    I would love to share this on my blog, is that ok?

    Reply
  4. Diana says

    February 6, 2013 at 3:06 pm

    My son rolled the printable scroll-style, tied it with a ribbon, and attached it to a box of candy hearts with a tag that read, “You can count on me.”

    Reply
    • Amanda @NotJustCute says

      February 6, 2013 at 9:02 pm

      I love that idea! Thanks for sharing, Diana!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Will You Be My Valentine? | Not Just Cute says:
    February 2, 2011 at 1:03 am

    […] from the past that I often use, like these Five Valentine Treats ,and the sweet math activityValentine Candy Heart Count , and I always bust out my post office dramatic play area to coincide with the season of love […]

    Reply
  2. Weekend Reads 2.14.14 | Not Just Cute says:
    February 14, 2014 at 1:35 am

    […] Candy Heart Count {NJC} […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

search this site

Privacy & Cookies: This site may use cookies to customize your experience. Learn more by reading our Privacy Policy.

I’m Amanda Morgan. Here’s what I’m about…

In early education, there is too much distance between what we know and what we do. I bridge the gaps that exist between academia, decision-makers, educators, and parents so that together, we can improve the quality of early education while also respecting and protecting the childhood experience.

Content Copyrighted (2008-2025), Amanda Morgan, All Rights Reserved

Get Our Newsletter & Developmental Guide

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 · Swank WordPress Theme By, PDCD

 

Loading Comments...