Pet Count and Clip Cards

Count and clip cards are amazing tools to teach several preschool math skills! Plus, if you are doing a pet theme, these pet count and clip cards are the cutest way to incorporate math into your day!

Whether you prefer dogs, cats, or a low-maintenance pet like a fish or a gerbil, a pet theme is SO engaging to preschoolers and students certainly love to share about their own personal pets. A pet theme is one of our favorite preschool themes!

Pet Count and Clip Cards

Using Pet Count and Clip Cards to Teach Math

There are so many ways to use the pet count and clip cards to build number sense. Below, we’ve outlined all the math skills that can be taught or strengthened with these cards. The best part? The cards are a breeze to set up, and are always a kid favorite.

One to One Correspondence

One-to-one correspondence happens in the early stages of number sense. It comes right after rote counting, which is very first, and number recognition. During the one-to-one correspondence stage, children begin to understand the rule of counting. It’s the rule that each number translates to a specific quantity AND recognizes that numbers are a symbol to show a quantity.

The pet-themed count and clip cards naturally lend themselves to developing one-to-one correspondence along with numeral recognition and the understanding that each number is linked to a corresponding value. The counting cards are a great way to build number confidence and invite kiddos to share their favorite pet at the same time!

Compare Quantities

Learning to compare quantities helps preschoolers make sense of the relationships between numbers: three is one more than two, but it is one less than four. Most preschoolers naturally understand the concept of more or less, as they can quickly tell you if another child has more than they do!

Our pet count and clip cards allow for students to compare more than one card and sort by more or less after they have been counted and clipped. This can be done with a teacher, with a pair of students, or even independently!

a completed set of pet theme count and clip cards

Subitizing

What in the world is subitizing? Subitizing is the ability to recognize “how many ” in a set without counting individually. It’s the ability to know the number by “sight”. It’s also an ideal way to introduce simple addition and subtraction. Use dot cards, tally marks, fingers, and ten frames to help your little ones become subitizing masters! Subitizing practice is a vital part of your preschool and kindergarten math curriculums.

Check out our Subitizing 101 post for even more valuable math information about this important early math skill!

Our count and clip cards are a great way to practice subitizing! Start with the lower valued cards from 1-5 and ask children to identify how many animals they see without physically counting. Turn it into a game by flashing the card for 5 seconds and asking them to share how many animals they saw. Then count each animal together and celebrate those smart brains for working hard to identify the number of animals!

How to Use the Pet Themed Count and Clip Cards for Numbers 1-10

These simple print, cut, and play pet count and clip cards are ideal for building number sense and one to one correspondence, as each pet is pointed to as they count. Children will develop number recognition as well as increase hand strength as they use their pincer grip to open and close the clothespins.

Materials Needed

Pet Themed Count and Clip Cards (don’t miss the free printable!)

16 Clothespins

To Prepare

This set of printable cards includes 16 clip cards featuring the numbers 1-10. Each card has a group of pets on it for students to count.

Print the cards and then cut them apart on the lines. Feel free to laminate or print on cardstock for added durability.

Using the Count and Clip Cards

To begin this activity, we would recommend using only cards with the numbers 1-5. This will help to build number confidence and ensure that their number sense for numbers 1-5 is solid and developed. Once children are ready to move on, introduce numbers up to 8 and then later to 10.

Put 4-6 cards and clothespins in a tray and invite your preschooler to count out the pets on the card. Encourage the child to clip the clothespin to the matching numeral on the bottom. If the child is having trouble, model pinching the clothespin and clipping it to the correct number.

These pet count and clip cards can also be self-correcting! Simply write the correct number lightly in pencil on the back of the card. Remind children to count on their own first and then flip the card over to check their answer. Encourage them to do a silent cheer for their hard work! There is absolutely nothing better than glancing across the room and seeing a student (or two) celebrating their own successes.

a set of pet themed count and clip cards that is perfect for a math center

Why Preschoolers Love a Pet Theme

Kids absolutely love spending time with their pets, so this fun preschool theme checks all the boxes. Incorporate the hilarious book, The Pigeon Wants a Puppy as a read-aloud and have your little ones giggling with delight! Your preschoolers will certainly relate to a dog and cat theme! Or go a little out of the box and have your children make their own pet spider. Eeek!

Our friends at Preschool Teacher 101 have a pets lesson plan in their store for planning the perfect pet theme.