For more Thanksgiving themed preschool learning fun, be sure to grab these free printable Thanksgiving dot marker pages, free printable Thanksgiving bingo, and Thanksgiving themed matching cards. This post may include affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
How to print and and use counting clip cards
Counting clip cards, also called count and clip cards, are a hands-on way to teach numbers. Each card shows a quantity of items from 1-12 with a row of three numbers along the bottom. Your child or student counts the images, then selects the correct number. The cards are usually used with a clothespin to “clip” the answer, which is why they’re called “count and clip” cards. If you don’t have a clothespin (or if your child can’t use one yet), that’s okay. You can also have your child can mark the answers with a manipulative, like a counting bear, pompom, or nature treasure. They can also point to their answer. For more fine motor challenge, your child can use large tongs or plastic tweezers to place a manipulative on their answer. In the picture below, you can see my daughter using tweezers and wool balls to mark a count and graph page: We enjoy using this set of counting bears that comes with tongs, cups, and activity cards. It also comes with a reusable storage box. This is the set we personally use. It’s a great way to get started with math manipulatives at home. Subitizing is when you recognize small quantities without consciously counting them. For example, you automatically know when you see two apples that there are two. You don’t have to count them “1, 2” like a young child does. These cards can help your child develop their subitizing abilities.
Number sense Counting abilities Number recognition Subitizing skills Fine motor skills
Materials needed for count & clip cards
You don’t need much time or materials to print and use these pumpkin theme counting cards:
Your free printable. The download is located further down the post. Look for the row of purple arrows. Paper or cardstock. If you’re not laminating the pages, use cardstock. If you are laminating, I recommend HP 32 lb paper. It’s thicker than “normal” paper and produces crisp, bright images. To see it in use, see this post with the best paper for printables. Laminator and laminating pouches. Optional, but recommended to make the cards reusable. Non-laminated printables usually don’t last long when they’re being clipped. Laminating at home is way easier than dragging your kids to the office supply store to get them laminated. A laminator pays for itself quickly compared to the cost of having individual sheets laminated at the store. Scissors or a paper trimmer/cutter. I use this paper trimmer. A guillotine style paper cutter is better for cutting laminated pages, but a paper trimmer is safer for little helpers. A clothespin or manipulative to mark answers. If your pages are laminated, your child can use a dry erase marker or a dry erase crayon.
How to use count & clip cards
First, download your printable and print the pages you want to use. The cards have numbers 1-12 with 4 cards per page. You may want to use only the first page for a toddler or younger preschooler. Laminate the pages before cutting them out, unless your laminator instructs otherwise. This saves you from cutting everything twice. Cut the cards out. Make sure to leave the numbers along the bottom of each card with the picture area. Count, clip, and have fun learning! You may want to practice “I do, we do, you do” with your child. Count and demonstrate how to use the cards by yourself, then do the work together before having your child use the cards solo. You can make the cards self-checking for your child by marking the correct answer on the back of each card. You can do this with a sticker or permanent marker.
Free printable Thanksgiving theme count and clip cards PDF download
Like other free preschool printables on The Artisan Life, this printable is licensed for personal and classroom use. You are not licensed to redistribute or sell the printouts or digital files to others. Please send your friends or coworkers to this post so they can download their own copies! I hope your little learner has lots of fun with these Thanksgiving themed counting clip cards! Be sure to grab these additional printables for your Thanksgiving or fall theme below:
