Candy Hearts Math Games

   Did your kids get those little candy hearts for Valentines Day this year?  Before letting them eat them, consider one of these math games to do with them!
   This is what we did the other day with my toddler and preschoolers.  First I took the little boxes of candy hearts, one for each child, and emptied them into snack-sized ziploc bags so the kids could manage them and see them better.

Next, I cut hearts out of construction paper, one heart of each candy color, per child.

   Now it's time to start.  I didn't get pictures of this because my photography assistant had the day off... something about appendicitis, or the flu, or the plague,... big baby.

   Sit down with the kids, and give them each a set of hearts.  Have them spread their hearts out in front of them.  Then give them each a bag of candies and tell them not to eat them yet, that they can have one when the game is over.  Ask them to sort the candies by putting each candy on the paper heart that is the same color.  After they've done that, help them count the candies in each color group.  After they've counted all the color groups, ask them comparison questions like, "Which color do you have the most of?"  "Which color do you have the least of?"  put emphasis on the early math words "most" and "least". 

   With kids that are a little older, you can use the groups to create simple addition and subtraction problems.  You can give them a group of 7 pink candies, next to a group of 4 yellow candies, and ask them, "How many more pink candies than yellow candies are there?"  or conversely, "How many fewer yellow candies than pink candies are there?" 

   That's all for this week, I hope everyone has a fabulous Valentines Day weekend! 

                                               All my love, 

                                                     Abby :o)