INSIDE: Handprint Counting Mittens is a fun way to practice counting in winter! This fun painting and counting activity is a fun way for toddlers and preschoolers to visually see and learn counting to 5 on their hands.

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This fun painting activity is a great way for toddlers and preschoolers to practice counting with their fingers as well as learning one to one correspondence. Although not the ideal way to count for older children counting larger numbers, using fingers to count can help young children learn math skills more effectively.

For older kids mental math skills are encouraged but to get to that point takes time and will develop with age. But before that young children need physical objects like fingers, blocks or beans to represent the quantities they are trying to count. This activity is a great way to practice those skills in winter!

How to Make Handprint Mittens for Counting

Grab your blue construction paper and cut out 5-7 mittens large enough for your little one to make a handprint on. Now another way to do this is to make the handprints first on the blue construction paper and then cut out mitten afterwards. If you are cutting out the mitten prior to doing the handprints, cut out 1 or 2 extra for them to practice or make handprints with for fun!

Pour some white paint on to a paper plate. Ask your little one to show you five fingers on their hand. Dip their hand into the paint and make a handprint on the construction paper mitten. Be sure to use the same hand that would fit in the mitten.

Take the next mitten and ask your little one to show you 4 fingers on their hand. Next, dip the back of their hand into the paint covering the backs of their fingers and the back of the hand with paint. You can use a paint brush to make sure to get everywhere. Make a 4 finger handprint on the mitten. Use the paint brush to fill in any areas that did not get painted.

Repeat this with the 3, 2 and the 1 fingers. You can also do one for no fingers to represent 0. Simply make a fist print!

Mitten Counting Practice

Let the handprint mitten dry and come back later on that day or the next and review the numbers. You can label each mitten with the numbers and ask your little one to remake the numbers on their hands and practice counting.

Supplies

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• Blue construction paper
• White washable paint
• paperplate
• Paint brush
• Scissors

WILL YOU TRY HANDPRINT COUNTING MITTENS WITH YOUR TODDLER OR PRESCHOOLER THIS WINTER? PIN IT FOR LATER!