Materials List:
– Candy hearts
– Children’s tongs
– Small plates or bowls for holding candy hearts
– Timer (optional)

Preschool Learning Objectives:
– Develop fine motor skills by picking up and stacking small objects (candy hearts) using tongs
– Promote critical thinking by strategizing how to stack the candy hearts without them toppling over
– Encourage hand-eye coordination
– Practice counting and sorting skills

Preschool Teacher Instructions:
1. Set up a designated area for the activity with small plates or bowls filled with candy hearts.
2. Demonstrate how to use the tongs to pick up and stack the candy hearts.
3. Encourage students to use the tongs to carefully stack the candy hearts as high as they can.
4. Allow students to explore and experiment with different stacking techniques.
5. You can also introduce a timer to challenge students to stack as many candy hearts as they can within a set time limit.
6. Provide positive reinforcement and encouragement as students engage in the activity.

Teacher Tips for Differentiated Instruction:
– For students who may have difficulty using tongs, offer hand-over-hand guidance to help them practice using the tongs.
– Provide varying levels of support based on each student’s individual needs.
– Encourage students to verbally express their thought process as they strategize how to stack the candy hearts.

Assessment suggestions:
– Observe students as they participate in the activity to assess their ability to use the tongs to pick up and stack the candy hearts.
– Take note of each student’s fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving abilities during the activity.
– Encourage students to count and sort the candy hearts as they stack them to assess their math skills.