Conversation hearts are a familiar sight around Valentine’s Day, and their bright colors and sweet flavor make them especially inviting for preschoolers. These heart activities work well as simple table tasks that support early math skills.
From counting and sorting to tracing and measuring, this sweet Valentine’s Day theme gives preschool students a playful way to practice important skills while exploring a seasonal favorite. And of course, when the activity is over, everyone can enjoy a sweet little treat!
Candy Heart Counting Mats
Counting mats pair perfectly with conversation hearts during Valentine’s Day table work. In this candy heart activities setup, students look at the number on the mat and count out the matching number of candy hearts to place in the tens frame. This activity supports one-to-one correspondence, number recognition, and careful counting. As children adjust their sets and recount, they also practice self-checking and build confidence with early math skills in a playful, seasonal way.
As a bonus, older students can begin early subtraction practice. The teacher can instruct them to eat one or two hearts and determine how many are left.
Color Sorting with Conversation Hearts
Sorting by colors is an important preschool skill. Young students practice naming the colors and sorting the different hearts to match the six different sections of the sorting mat. After sorting the hearts, discuss with the students what things they notice. Is there a color that has a lot of hearts? What color has the fewest hearts? Do the different colors have different flavors? (Spoiler alert: Allegedly, yes, they do!)
Candy Heart Graphing
Every box of conversation heart candies is made up of different colors. Does each box have the same number of each color? Inquiring preschoolers will want to know – so this is a great way to find out! Students use these graphing mats to sort and count to see if the boxes are the same, which colors occur the most, and which ones are the most rare.
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There’s a Pattern Forming
Because conversation heart candies are different colors, they are perfect for patterning. Students practice emergent math skills by filling in the next heart in the pattern using a candy. It’s a sweet way to practice a very important thinking skill.
Measuring Up
Measuring with candy hearts introduces preschoolers to nonstandard units in a way that feels approachable and playful. In heart activities like this one, students stack the candy hearts to match the height of each picture, carefully lining them up as they build. Next, they count the number of hearts for each picture. Recording the number adds another layer of fine motor practice as children write the total for each object. This activity blends measuring, counting, and writing into one fun Valentine’s Day table experience.
Shape Tracing
Tracing shapes with conversation hearts gives preschoolers a chance to slow down and study each shape closely. In these heart activities, students place the candy along the outline of circles, squares, triangles, and other simple shapes. As they work, children strengthen fine motor control while noticing corners, curves, and straight lines. This activity supports early geometry skills and helps students build confidence with shape recognition in a calm, focused way.
A Sweet Holiday
These heart activities turn a familiar Valentine’s Day treat into purposeful table work that supports emergent math and literacy development. Through counting, measuring, tracing, and matching, preschool and kindergarten students practice important skills in a way that feels playful and inviting. Whether teachers use real conversation hearts or simple substitutes, this collection of activities offers an easy way to add seasonal learning to the classroom while keeping students focused and involved.
More Valentine’s Day Activities
Need more activities for Valentine’s Day? Try these easy and fun activities:
