It is true that this is now something of a tradition in February each year. However, sharing and participating in candy heart-related activities remains a fun and creative way to teach kids about love, stimulate their senses, and aid their development. We’ve sourced a sweet collection of 20 colorful and engaging candy heart activities that tick all the boxes, and that your preschoolers are sure to love!
1. Sorting Candy Hearts
This is an excellent way to stimulate your kids’ cognitive capabilities. Provide a selection of heart candies in various colors, shapes, and sizes. Divide the children into groups and assign each group a sorting task, according to color or shape. Encourage children to count and keep track of their sorted sweets.
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2. Estimating the number of Hearts
Give each child a container of mixed candy hearts and ask them to estimate how many are in the jar. After they’ve made their guesses, have them count the actual amount of candy hearts. Discuss the findings and how their predictions contrasted with the actual count. Use this game to help kids learn about estimating.
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3. Candy Heart Matching Game
Contrary to what many think, little ones enjoy the thrill of putting things in order. Help improve this trait by creating pairs of candy hearts with similar attributes. Mix up the pairs and have kids take turns finding matches. Encourage them to describe the attributes they used to make their matches.
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4. Build a Heart Collage
Set up a candy heart collage activity by providing paper and a variety of candy hearts for kids to arrange and glue onto their paper to create a unique design. Encourage them to use color and shape to create patterns and designs.
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5. Candy Counting Game
One of the first things kids learn is to count. Encourage their mastery of it with this nifty activity. Set up a stack of candy hearts for each child and give them a number card to match the corresponding number of candy hearts. Spur kids to count the correct number of candy hearts and match them to their number card.
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6. Do a Rainbow Experiment
Colors draw adult attention and kids are no different in this regard. You’ll need a cup of water and a white piece of paper. Have kids place the candy hearts on the paper, add water, and observe how the colors mix and spread to create a rainbow effect. This activity helps kids learn about color mixing and the movement of liquids while having fun.
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7. Candy Heart Spelling Game
Repetition is a preschool teacher’s best friend. Write simple words, like “love” or “mom,” on index cards. Then, give the kids a bunch of candy hearts to use to build the words. Encourage kids to match the letters on the index cards with the corresponding candy hearts. This activity helps preschoolers develop their early literacy skills while having fun with candy.
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8. Make a Sensory Bin
At their level of life, kids are teeming with curious energy and this is one activity that can give them expression. Fill a large container with a base material like rice or beans, add in a variety of candy, and encourage kids to explore the bin with their hands in search of candy. This activity stimulates their senses and helps develop their motor skills.
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9. Create a Candy Graph
Provide a variety of candy hearts in different colors and a large piece of paper divided into columns. Have kids sort the candy hearts by color and place them in the corresponding column on the graph. Encourage kids to count and record the number of candy hearts in each column. This helps kids learn about sorting, counting, and creating graphs.
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10. Candy Heart Stamping
Play to a preschooler’s curiosity and provide paint and a variety of candy hearts as stamps. Have kids dip the candy hearts into the paint and then press them onto paper to create colorful designs. This activity helps develop their fine motor skills and encourages creativity.
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11. Discover New Patterns
Encourage kids to use candy hearts to create patterns and designs. This activity helps develop their understanding of patterns and strengthen their motor skills.
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12. Taste Test
Provide a variety of candy hearts for your kids to taste and motivate them to use their senses to describe the taste, texture, and appearance of the candy. This activity stimulates their senses, helps develop their descriptive language skills, and promotes healthy habits such as trying new foods.
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13. Candy Heart Symmetry
All you’ll need for this activity is a large piece of paper, a pencil, and a variety of candy hearts. Have kids draw half of a symmetrical design and then use the candy hearts to complete the design by adding the second half.
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14. Sticker Art
Set up this sticker art activity for preschoolers by providing a variety of candy heart stickers and a large piece of paper. Encourage kids to use the stickers to create colorful designs and pictures.
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15. Weave New Candy Hearts
Provide a loom for the kids, strips of paper, and a variety of candy hearts. Inspire them to weave the strips of paper over and under the loom and then add the candy hearts to create a colorful design.
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16. Go on a Scavenger Hunt
There’s no telling how thrilling a hunt is for a curious mind! Place a variety of candy hearts around a designated area. Provide clues to help the kids find the hidden hearts. They get to keep the candy as their reward for finding them. This activity promotes problem-solving skills and physical activity, and it also helps to encourage rewarding oneself as one achieves their goals.
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17. Paint Printing
Give the kids a variety of candy hearts and a large piece of paper. Encourage them to use their candy hearts to make prints and designs on paper by painting sweet cards.
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18. Count in Little Clusters
Encourage mathematical thinking. Let kids count the candy hearts in twos or threes, and then record their results on paper. As their abilities improve, widen the gap between numbers as learners practice skip counting.
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19. Solve Math Using Counting Mats
Provide large pieces of paper with various numbers written on them, and a corresponding number of illustrated candy hearts. Encourage kids to count while placing the correct number of candy hearts on each mat to match the written number.
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20. Measure with Candy Hearts
Encourage kids to use the candy hearts to measure the length and height of objects, record their results and compare measurements. Ask questions before commencement. “How many candies make up the length of items?” Allow the kids to predict. This activity helps develop their prediction and comparison skills.
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