Looking for a fun winter themed math activity? Try hot chocolate math!
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Hot Chocolate Math Activity
Print these twenty colorful hot chocolate cups and get out some mini-marshmallows.
Yes, the mini-marshmallows will be a real motivator.
You can also use white pom poms, which are much more expensive than mini-marshmallows but are also much less tempting.
This printable has twenty colorful cups of hot chocolate, labeled 1-20. These are good for my Two, because he needs a lot of work with one-to-one correspondence. After he counts items to three, he starts losing count. So we’ll keep doing more of this kind of thing until he has it down!
For my Four, this is just a quick fun thing for him to do. It’s below his ability level right now, which is why you’ll find more challenging activities in my post Letter H Math.
I’ve had a request for the printable with the numbers on the cup instead of on the hot chocolate. These are in the second part of the download.
I also had a request for black and white cups so kids can color them. You’ll find these at the end of the download.
P.S. These were one of my first printables, created in MS Word. Because of that, it was difficult to add new versions into the original file without leaving extra spaces after #9-10 and #19-20. Thanks for understanding!
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Amy @ No Greater Honors says
I love these! I was already thinking that I would have to do poms, too, not necessarily because marshmallows wouldn’t be fun, but seriously – my kiddos would probably eat as many as they counted out! 🙂
Anna Geiger says
I think our kids have something in common 🙂 Thanks for checking it out, Amy!
Amy says
I’m going to have my kids use a hole punch to punch out the correct number of “marshmallows”. Good fine motor to go along with counting. Thanks for sharing!
sydney howard says
I am going to use big marshmellows to represent 10s and little ones to represent ones and try to do numbers this way to 100. Could you add some that are higher than 20? and suggest that idea if interested 🙂
Thanks Sydney
Anna G says
Great idea, Sydney! I’m sorry that I don’t have time to alter this freebie right now. 🙂
Amber Davis says
Would be cute to use the white paint daubers too, maybe make a winter number book out of it.
Anna Geiger says
I like that idea, Amber, and have been tossing around in my head how to make it a winter number book after reading your comment. But it seems that white paint daubers aren’t so common – I don’t see them in the do a dot marker sets, and it wouldn’t show up on white paper anyway. Hmmm…. any other suggestions?
Valerie says
Dip fingertip in white paint; have child make correct # of marshmallows using their own fingerprints! Laminate mats for easy wipe-off so they can be re-used!
Karena says
Great idea!
samantha says
do you have these from 10 to 20? or something like this?
love this idea and thank you so much for sharing
Samantha
Anna Geiger says
Hi Samantha,
That would be easy to make and I’ll see how I feel in the next couple of days. I am 8 days overdue with our fifth baby and things are up in the air right now… and it’s hard to sit at the computer. If I don’t get to it in the next few days, I will probably get to it in the next few weeks.
shupekile says
this is a very good way of teaching learners its so interesting, learners cant be bored at all.
Anna Geiger says
Thanks for checking it out!
damaris says
emocionada por encontrar este material que compartiste, porque lo podre usar con los niños con los que trabajo, muchas gracias, esta hermoso!! =)
Anna Geiger says
No puedo hablar en espanol, pero mi esposo puede decir algunas cosas en espanol. Muchas gracias para su nota!
Chris says
I am a preschool teacher (former homeschooler) and love your printables! I place them on a Montessori-inspired shelf–kids get a workrug and do them as independent activities.
I’m going to use this one, though, as a math/arts activity. We are going to print with mini-marshmallows dipped in white paint. Good fine motor, too!
Thanks for the ideas!
Oh–and wanted to tell you the colored cups page 9 (where the 9 and 10 cups are) is not printing correctly–the 1 and 0 are smooshed together on the 10 cup. I’m not sure what the problem is.
Anna Geiger says
Hmmm… It printed just fine for me, Chris. Did you check my troubleshooting page? https://www.themeasuredmom.com/how-to-download-free-files/
rita burkeen says
I love the hot chocolate counting mats. But I have not been able to print them. Is something wrong with your web site or is it just me?
Anna Geiger says
Hi, Rita! Well I certainly hope it’s nothing wrong here… they did print for me. Did you check my troubleshooting page? https://www.themeasuredmom.com/how-to-download-free-files/ The #1 thing to try, if you haven’t, is to download to your computer and open from there to print. Did you try that?
rita burkeen says
Thanks Anna for your reply. I do have Internet Explorer. That could be the problem. Such a cute idea! Keep up your good work!
Anna Geiger says
Google Chrome is easy to install and use… if you decide to install it I’d love to know if you’re able to print them. 🙂
Jocelyne Bridle says
What great ideas! I’ve seen this activity used with cotton balls, as well, so we don’t have to worry about little nibblers. Although, the marshmallows are part of the fun!
Michelle Parrinello says
Can you use cotton balls?
Anna Geiger says
You can certainly use whatever you’d like – but try to find some small cotton balls, as the mats are not very large. I don’t think they’d work well for the larger numbered mats (11-20).
Jennifer Dawn says
What a cute idea! I’m pinning it right now, and I can’t wait to try it with my kids. They love marshmallows.
Anna Geiger says
I hope they have fun with it! 🙂
Diana says
Thank you! This is a great idea, my kids will love them!!!
Sidike Buayixiamu says
Thank you! This is a great idea.
Anna G says
You’re very welcome, Sidike!
Laura says
These are just the best. I originally printed 1 – 10 without the faces. When I printed 11 – 14 I (accidentally) printed the ones with the faces – now my daughter only wants to count with the ones with the happy faces. She loves these!