These free printable pumpkin theme counting 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.
For more fall themed preschool learning fun, be sure to grab these free printable fall dot marker pages, free printable fall bingo, and fall themed matching cards.
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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 pumpkins 1-12 with a row of three numbers along the bottom. Your child counts the pumpkins, then selects the corresponding 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 just point to their answer. This works well on the go. (We've used these cards a lot in the car!)
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 use 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 and a great way to get started with math manipulatives if you don't have any yet:
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- 【Toddler Educational Toy】: Great teaching toy for basic mathematics concepts. Matching and sorting colorful cups and rainbow counting bears help...
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Counting clip cards help your child develop and improve:
- Number sense
- Counting abilities
- Number recognition
- Subitizing skills
- Fine motor skills
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.
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.
Even if you have a clothespin and don't need them for this particular activity, check out the Stabilo Woody line. These dry erase crayons are awesome. You can even use them to mark reusable coloring pages, as shown in this post with free printable dinosaur coloring pages.
- Washable
- XXL lead applies as much pigment as 8 colored pencils at once
- Large width ideal for smaller hands
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 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 pumpkin theme count and clip cards PDF download
Please note that the lovely pumpkin 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!
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I hope your little learner has lots of fun with these pumpkin themed counting clip cards!
Be sure to grab these additional printables for your fall theme below:
Fall Theme Preschool Printables
Looking for free and low-cost preschool printables for your fall theme? You've come to the right place!
Do a Dot marker printables are no-prep fun for toddlers and preschoolers! Use them with dauber markers or small manipulatives for a greater fine motor challenge.
Reading is not required to play this cute fall picture bingo game! Toddlers and preschoolers can play it as a matching game or the whole family can get involved.
Help your child get the wiggles out with these free printable fall gross motor dice! They're perfect as a brain break or fun way to get active on a cold, rainy day.
Completing sequences, or "extending the sequence" in education lingo, is an important skill for preschoolers and pre-k students to learn. Help them develop their pattern skills with these fall themed pattern printables!
This free printable fall matching game is a great way to improve your child's attention to detail and visual discrimination skills. Even young toddlers can play with your help and older children can play as a face down memory game.
Help your child develop thier pre-math skills with these more or less worksheets! Pages include quantites of 1 or 2 or 1-5 so you can pick whichever your child is ready for.
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