These free printable spring count and clip cards are a fun, low-prep way to help your child improve their number recognition, counting to 12 skills, finger strength, and fine motor skills.
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These cute counting clip cards are perfect for your spring preschool theme. All images are genetically spring-y, not related to a specific holiday.
Please see this post with Easter count and clip cards if you'd prefer an Easter theme.
How to print and and use spring count and clip cards
Counting clip cards, also called count and clip cards, are a fun, interactive way to practice counting and number recognition.
Count and clip cards help your child develop and improve:
- Number sense
- Counting abilities (these cards feature 1-12)
- Number recognition
- Subitizing skills
- Fine motor skills
You know what subitizing is, even if you don't recognize the word. Subitizing is the ability to recognize small quantities without counting them.
For example, you automatically know when you see two dots on a die that it means "2" without counting "1, 2."
These cards also help develop fine motor skills when your child uses a clothespin or manipulative to mark their answer.
If you don't have a clothespin, or if it's too challenging for your child, they can make their answer with a manipulative. We've used counting bears, pompoms, and even nature treasures.
For an extra fine motor challenge, have your child use bamboo toast tongs or plastic tweezers to place the manipulative.
We frequently use this set of counting bears that comes with a pair of tongs. It also comes activity cards, sorting cups, and a reusable storage box.
It's 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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Materials needed for count clip cards
You don't need much time or materials to print and use this low-prep preschool math activity.
Your free printable spring count and clip cards. The download is located further down the post. You'll see a big rectangle with a pink outline - you'll know where to click!
Paper or cardstock. If you're not laminating, use cardstock for greater durability.
If you are laminating, I recommend 32 lb "premium" paper. It's sturdier than normal printer paper and produces bright, beautiful images.
Laminator and laminating pouches.
Laminating is optional, but helps you make the most of your printer ink and time.
Printables typically only last for a couple of uses with young children if they're not laminated. Laminated printables can last for years and multiple children.
A laminator usually pays for itself after about 20 pages when compared to laminating at the store.
Scissors or a paper trimmer/cutter. I use this paper trimmer.
A clothespin or manipulative to mark answers. If your pages are laminated, your child can use a dry erase marker or (even better) a dry erase crayon.
We've started using Stabilo Woody 3-in-1 pencils instead of dry erase markers.
They're water soluble and can be used as watercolor pencils or as a dry erase marker. I think they're even better than dry erase markers because they don't have ink.
Stabilo Woody pencils are the answer.
Stabilo Woody crayons wipe off easily with a very slightly damp cloth. My daughter accidentally got some on the white painted fireplace surround and it wiped right off without staining, no scrubbing required.
If that sounds too good to be true, check out the video in this post with free printable dinosaur coloring pages. I demonstrate how well they color on laminated pages and how quickly they erase.
Check out the Stabilo Woody line. They have rich, creamy colors and my daughter loves them for drawing and coloring. I love that they don't stain and don't smell. They're a win-win.
- 8 times more color than a traditional colored pencil with extra color intensity, even on the darkest of papers
- Due to its chunky shape and size and indestructible lead it is perfect for children's hands and promotes a good grip
- The unique multi-talented pencil is a coloring pencil, watercolor and wax crayon all in one
How to use counting clip cards
Download the PDF and print the pages you want. The cards have numbers 1-12 with 4 numbers per page. You can use use one or two of the pages if your child isn't working on larger numbers yet.
Laminate the pages before cutting them out.
Cut out the cards. Make sure to leave the number choices along the bottom of each card attached to the image portion of the card.
Count, clip, and have fun learning! We usually count the images together, then my daughter finds and marks the correct number.
If you don't have a clothespin, or just want to mix things up to keep them interesting, your child can place a manipulative on top of their answer or mark it with a dry erase crayon or marker.
Free printable spring count and clip cards download
The sweet watercolor clipart in these printables is copyright by DigitalArtsi and is used under license. Thank you, Jane, for your beautiful artwork and generous licensing.
Like all free preschool printables on The Artisan Life, this preschool math 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.
You are not licensed to redistribute 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 spring themed counting clip cards! Make sure to grab these additional free printables for spring:
- Garden Critters Color Matching Jars for Spring
- Free Printable Teacher Appreciation Collaborative Poster
- Free Easter Bingo Cards
- Cute Earth Day Coloring Pages
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