numbers

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Children love a little creativity thrown into daily tasks, and wholeheartedly embrace these alphabet and number-matching games with clothespins and a heart. Along with offering fine motor practice, the activities promote literacy and math skills.

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Supplies to Collect

These alphabet and number-matching games are perfect for a Valentine’s Day theme and can be used any time of the year. Just the following few supplies are needed for the heart-themed clothespin activities:

spring-loaded clothespins
large foam heart
small foam or paper hearts
heart doilies and sticker hearts
white glue and glue paddle
hot glue gun
black permanent marker

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Preparing and Offering the Clothespin Activities

To prepare these heart-filled alphabet and number matching activities, select a large foam heart. Or cut one out from a generously sized piece of foam. I feature a pink heart for the activity, but any color heart would work fine.

Then choose spring-loaded clothespins to use. Old-fashioned wooden clothespins are up to the task. They are readily available for purchase at dollar stores, along with other kinds.

Invite little learners to clip clothespins onto the heart for valuable practice in developing finger strength and eye-hand coordination. Pass the heart around a circle during group time to give your little charges practice in turn-taking and sharing. As the children are passing around the heart, you could sing the following song to the tune of “Skip To My Lou My Darling.”

We’re passing the heart and adding a clothespin.

We’re turn-taking with our friends.

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Alphabet Matching Heart Game

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To give this valuable fine motor activity more mileage, write capital alphabet letters around the edge of the large foam heart using a black permanent marker. Then write capital or lowercase letters on small foam or paper hearts, and affix them to clothespins with white glue or a hot glue gun. Add a heart doily and/or heart-shaped stickers for decoration if desired. Invite little learners to match letters as they clip clothespins to the heart.

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Number Matching Heart Game

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For even more learning potential, flip the heart over and write numbers around the edge. You can go with numbers 1 to 10, or add numbers up to 25 if the foam heart is large enough. Then write the same numbers on small foam or paper hearts and affix them to spring-loaded clothespins. This time ask your early learners to match numbers when clipping clothespins on the heart.

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Benefits of Fine Motor Activities

As mentioned above, fine motor activities such as these alphabet and number matching games promote eye-hand coordination and finger strength. Practice using clothespins strengthens the pincer grasp. This is important for self-help skills such as buttoning, tying, and zipping, and for coloring, cutting, and using tools. They are great prewriting exercises.

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