These free printable Christmas count and clip cards are low prep, hands on way to help your preschooler work on their counting, number recognition, and fine motor skills. They’re great for homeschool preschool or a preschool classroom as part of your math center.
Although this post has been updated for 2021, these were some of the first counting clip cards we started using shortly before my daughter turned three. It’s been awesome to watch her grow and learn over the past year of using them. I hope these Christmas counting cards give your little one a year of learning fun, too.
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 & use counting clip cards
Count and clip cards are a fun, hands-on way to teach number and counting.
Counting clip cards help your child develop a variety of skills, including their number sense, counting abilities, number recognition, and fine motor skills.
Each card shows a quantity of Christmas themed images with a row of three numbers along the bottom. Your child counts the pictures, then selects the corresponding number. People typically use the cards 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. When my daughter first started using these cards, I held the card for her and she used both hands to operate the clip. Your child can mark the answers with a manipulative, like a counting bear, pompom, or nature treasure. They can also simply point to their answer.
For more fine motor practice, your child can use toast tongs or plastic tweezers to place a manipulative on their answer. In the picture below, you can see my daughter using a plastic tweezers and wool balls to mark a count and graph page:
We also like to use this set of counting bears that comes with tongs, cups, and activity cards. It also has a storage box (ours was dented a little on arrival, but has held up to a year of use, anyway.) This is the set we personally use and an easy way to get started with math manipulatives if you don’t have any yet:
- 【Counting Bears Toy】: Make fun for preschool learning. Counting Bears set includes 60pcs bears and 6 cups, 10 activity cards, 2 dices and 1...
- 【Toddler Educational Toy】: Great teaching toy for basic mathematics concepts. Matching and sorting colorful cups and rainbow counting bears help...
- 【Toy for Preschool Learning】: Counting bears as Montessori toys with dices and cups for toddlers help them notice differences between things and...
Materials needed
Getting these cards printed and ready is quick and easy. Here’s what you need:
- 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. You know your child best.
Laminate the pages before cutting them out, unless your laminator specifically instructs otherwise. If you cut first, them laminate, you have to cut everything twice. Laminating first is a real time saver!
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! If your child is new to this type of activity, use the “I do, we do, you do” method 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.
Make the cards self-checking for your child by marking the correct answer on the back of each card. Place a sticker or make a mark behind the correct number so it’s easy for them to flip the card and see if they’ve clipped the correct answer.
Free printable Christmas theme count and clip cards PDF download
Please note that the lovely Christmas clipart is copyright by Digital Artsi and is used under license.
Like all free preschool printables on The Artisan Life, this printable is licensed for personal and classroom use. You are also welcome to use it with scout troops, homeschool co-ops, etc. Basically, as long as you are personally organizing the activity, it’s fine to use these. Yes, you are also welcome to leave it for a substitute. Thank you to the considerate readers who’ve emailed to ask.
You are not licensed to redistribute or sell the printouts or digital files to others. Just send your friends or coworkers to this post so they can download their own copies!
If you agree to this license, click below:
I hope your little learner has lots of fun with these Christmas themed counting clip cards!
Be sure to grab these additional printables for your Christmas theme below:
Christmas & Holiday Printables
Looking for printables for the holidays? You've come to the right place! Discover Christams templates for DIY ornaments and decorations, Christmas games for families at home, and more.
Free Printable Christmas Planner
Stay organized and on-budget this holiday season with your free printable Christmas planner.
Christmas Unicorn Dot Marker Coloring Pages
These cute Christmas unicorn dot marker pages will delight your child!
Nativity Word Search Free Printable
Children (and older adults) will enjoy this Nativity themed word search. Answer key is included!
Nativity Coloring Pages (free printable Nativity coloring pages for adults)
These lovely, detailed Nativity coloring pages are perfect for adults, teens, and older chilren.
Free Printable Snowman Coloring Pages
These cute snowman coloring pages are a fun, no-prep winter activity.
Tropical Santa Gift Tags
Bring the beach home for Christmas with these free printable tropical Santa gift tags!
Free Printable Advent Calendar
This watercolor Advent calendar for adults will help you celebrate the season with a thoughtful quotation each day.
Free Printable New Year's Bingo
Keep your children busy until "midnight" with this free printable New Year's bingo.
Free Printable Christmas Games for Parties and Families
These 7+ Christmas party games are fun for kids and adults! Use them to keep your kids busy while waiting at a restaurant, as clean games for your office holiday party, or for screen-free holiday fun with your family.
Free Printable Beach Santa Christmas Coloring Pages
Color your cares away with these Hawaiian Santa coloring sheets!
Free Santa Bujo Planner Printables (for an organized holiday season)
Stay organized this holiday season with these free printabel bullet journal style planner pages.
Free Printable Christmas Crossword (with answer key!)
This free printable Christmas crossword puzzle comes with an answer key and cute illustrations to color.
Free Printable Christmas Matching Cards
These free printable Christmas matching cards are a fun game for toddlers or preschoolers. They can also be played face down as a Christmas Memory game.
Free Easy Winter Crossword Printable for Kids
This easy winter crossword is great for your little learners because it features picture clues instead of text-based clues. The answer key is included!
Free Christmas Dot Marker Printables
Do a dot marker printables are always popular with young children, and they're no-prep for you. Just print and hand them over to keep your little one busy and practicing their important fine motor skills!
Christmas Tree Alphabet Tracing Strips
These alphabet tracing strips are a low-prep way to teach your preschooler their letters. Grab the lowercase alphabet tracing strips for free!
Christmas Emoji Pictionary
Christmas emoji pictionary is no-prep fun for the whole family. Anser key included!
11 Free Printable Gingerbread Man Templates
These free printable gingerbread man teamplates are great for crafts, decorations, and even making your own Christmas cards.
Free Printable Christmas Light Templates
These free printable Christmas light bulb templates are perfect for preschool and kindergarten crafts, easy DIY ornaments, and more!
Printable Christmas Tree Outline Templates
Use these printable tree outline templates as coloring pages, for children's crafts, or easy DIY gift tags.
Free Printable Christmas Bingo
Get ready for screen free holiday fun with your family when you grab these printable Christmas bingo boards!
Free Printable Snowman Templates - The Artisan Life
These free printable snomwan templates and coloring pages are great for winter crafts. Your kids will also lvoe the cut and color snowman page!
Free Printable Christmas High Contrast Cards for Babies
Is there an infant in your life? Grab these free printable high contrast cards for babies!
Free Printable Christmas Tree Coloring Pages
Color holiday stress away with these free printable Christmas tree coloring pages.
Free Printable Advent Word Search
Get in the holiday sprit with this free printable Advent word search.
25+ Free Printable Star Templates (& extra large star pattern!)
These star templates are perfect for homemade Christmas ornaments and easy DIY gift tags.
Secret Santa Questionnaire
Make sure your gift exchange is a success with these free printable Secret Santa surveys.
Printable Ornament Templates
These free printable ornament templates are great for crafts, Christmas decorations on a budget, and even gift tags and Christmas cards!
15+ Free Printable Santa Coloring Pages for Adults
De-stress this holiday season with these free printable Santa coloring apges for adults.
Leave a Reply