Roll and count: Valentine’s Day Snail
Recommended Grade Level:
Type of Resource: PDF
Number of Pages: 5
Coordinating Activities
Valentine’s Day Snail Roll and Count Math Mat
- 1 Valentine’s Day snail math mat (landscape) with dice faces 1-6 along the top
- 1 page of instructions
Print the mat in color and laminate it so kids can use it again and again.
Required Materials:
- Paper, Printer, Ink
- Laminator (optional)
- Die or dice
- Heart stickers, foam hearts or play dough
Standards for Counting and Cardinality
This Valentine’s Day snail roll and count mat supports early math standards connected to counting objects, one-to-one correspondence and matching numbers to amounts.
Common Core State Standards: Mathematics
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.B.4: Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities. Kids connect the number they roll to a set of hearts.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.B.5: Count to answer “how many?” questions. Kids count the hearts on the snail’s shell to answer how many.
Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines and TEKS for Mathematics
- PK4.V.A.2: Children count up to 10 objects with one-to-one correspondence. Kids place one heart at a time as they count.
- PK4.V.A.3: Children count up to 10 items and show that the last number counted tells how many are in the set.
- TEKS K.2C: Count a set of objects and show that the last number said tells how many are in the set.
Virginia Mathematics Standards of Learning
- K.NS.1.a: Use one-to-one correspondence to find how many are in a set. Kids place one heart at a time as they count.
- K.NS.2.b: Build a set of objects to match a given numeral. Kids build a set of hearts to match the number they rolled.
Valentine’s Day Snail Roll and Count Math Mat helps preschool and kindergarten kids roll a number and count out a matching set of hearts with a hands-on printable math activity.
This little snail is ready for Valentine’s Day! Kids roll the die and decorate the snail’s shell with that many hearts.
The mat shows a smiling snail and the dice faces from 1 to 6 across the top so kids can match the dots they roll. Kids roll the die, find the matching dice face and add that many hearts to the snail’s shell.
Use one die for counting to 6 or two dice for counting and adding to 12. Foam hearts, heart stickers or small balls of play dough all work for building the set.
Laminate the mat and keep it in a math tub with a die and a cup of foam hearts for a quick Valentine’s Day math center.
How to Use Valentine’s Day Snail Roll and Count Math Mat
- Roll the die and count the dots.
- Find the matching dice face at the top of the mat.
- Count out that many hearts and place them on the snail’s shell.
- Clear the shell and roll again.
Small Group: Give each child a mat and a cup of hearts. Take turns rolling one die for the group, then everyone builds the set on their own snail.
Independent Practice: Set the mat in a math center with a die and a cup of foam hearts. Kids roll and build as many times as they like.
Easy Ways to Differentiate This Roll and Count Activity
Every group of kids has a mix of counting, number recognition and fine motor skills. These simple changes keep the activity familiar while meeting each child where they are.
For Children Who Need More Support:
- Cover the 4, 5 and 6 sides of the die to start with small numbers.
- Touch and count each dot on the die together before counting out the hearts.
- Point to the matching dice face on the mat before counting.
- Use larger hearts for kids who are still building hand strength.
For On-Level Practice:
- Roll one die and build the set on each turn.
- Have kids say the number word after they count.
- Count the hearts again to check the work.
- Have a partner roll and check the count.
For an Extra Challenge:
- Roll two dice and add them together for numbers up to 12.
- Show one more or one less than the number rolled.
- Roll twice and tell which number is bigger.
- Write the number on a whiteboard after each roll.
For Speech, OT, ELL or Special Education Support:
- Model the number word and give plenty of wait time.
- Accept pointing, gestures, AAC or any communication method the child already uses.
- Use tongs or tweezers to place counters for added fine motor practice.
- Repeat the same small set of numbers across several sessions.
- Talk about Valentine’s Day and name the heart colors as kids count.
Valentine’s Day Snail Roll and Count Math Mat Is Perfect For:
- Preschool and pre-K
- Kindergarten
- ELL and multilingual learners
- Valentine’s Day themes
- Math centers
- Morning tubs
- Small-group instruction
- Intervention
- Special education
- Speech, OT and early intervention sessions
- Homeschool preschool and kindergarten
- Substitute plans
