Heart Number Puzzles
This Valentine’s Day, work on numbers and counting with these heart number puzzles. They are easy to make, effective and your kids will enjoy them.
I love that this activity combines numbers, counting and puzzles. It is a fun way to learn about the different ways that numbers are represented. It is also great practice with one to one correspondence. The puzzle aspect also adds additional opportunities to develop critical thinking skills.
Materials Needed:
Construction paper
Marker
Activity Prep:
1. Draw two large hearts on each sheet of construction paper.
2. Cut the heart in half vertically and horizontally. You will now have 4 pieces for each heart.
3. Write the number on two of the pieces. Write tally marks to represent that number on one other piece. On the last piece, write dots to represent the number.
4. Repeat these steps for each heart number puzzle you would like to make.
Activity Details:
If your child doesn’t yet know the different ways to represent a number, it is best to do the puzzles with them at first. You can pick up one of the pieces with the dots and help them count the dots. Then look for a piece with that number on it. Then pick up the piece with tally marks on it and count those. Lastly, find the second piece with the number written on it. Then work to put the puzzle together. You can do this for every puzzle you made.
If your child is familiar with the different ways to represent a number, you can model how the activity is carried out and then give them the opportunity to do the remaining puzzles independently.
I keep the pieces in a plastic sandwich bag and pull them out when I would like Evan to work independently. He really enjoys doing them!
Here are some related activities you may enjoy!
Valentine’s Day Alphabet Scavenger Hunt