Have a Beary Happy Valentine's Day!

Bear-y Hearts is a simple and fun Valentine’s Day activity that you can do with your kids. It is a great opportunity for children to develop their fine motor skills while you spend some quality time together.

We love this activity because it incorporates so many fine motor activities all in one project that is fun for both toddlers who may need more assistance and for preschool age children who can do it all by themselves. You get to cut, count, match sort and so much more!

For the homeschool, you can integrate this activity into a science activity about bears, a holiday celebration of Valentine’s Day or as an opportunity to sort, count, classify, and match colors.

SUPPLIES YOU WILL NEED:

6 Sheets of construction paper in rainbow colors
Pair of scissors
Ruler
Rainbow Counting Bears
Stapler

INSTRUCTIONS:  

1. Take 6 pieces of differently colored construction paper.
2. Depending on age of your child, mark 2cm on each end of the paper and have them draw the line between the points.
3. Have your preschooler or toddler cut on the lines.
4. Take each piece and fold ends together, tucking in edges, and staple.
5. Crease bottom, creating a heart.    Voila!
6. Arrange hearts in a circle.
7. Count bears as you add into each heart.

PLAY IDEAS:

• First, match the bears into the correct colored cups.
• Use fingers to pick up the bears and put them into the hearts.
• Count how many bears fit in each heart.
• How many counting bears in total?
• Work on location words – In the heart. Near the heart.
• Problem solving – What can we do with the bears that don’t fit in the hearts?
• How can we make the hearts bigger?

SKILLS TOOLBOX:

• Fine Motor Development – strengthens hands, wrists, and little fingers as they grasp counting bears.
• Cutting  the paper strips
• Hand-Eye Coordination and Control as they pick and put bears in the hearts.
• Concentration to complete the task.
• Color recognition and matching between the bear counters and the paper strips.
• Sorting and matching the bears and heart.
• Counting the bear toys.
• Language development – Color names, placement words (in, on, under).
• Problem solving – Overcoming challenges in placement and getting little hearts.

We hope you and your little ones enjoy!!