Pin the Heart
An educational take on a classic childhood game.
— June 30, 2024
Did you enjoy playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey when you were a child? Your goal being to pin the tail where it belongs on the donkey’s butt while being blindfolded. If so then you know it is a game full of giggles and laughter. However, there is not much educational value.
What if we can use that same game to entice peals of laughter and uncontrollable giggles but enable our children to learn from it? We can with the new game, Pin the Heart.
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A week of heart themed activities.
Pin the Heart is a great game to kickstart the week of Hh is for Heart. This week offers heart themed activity ideas. From showing others they are loved to learning about anatomy, you will not want to miss out on these free lessons, book suggestions, and printables. Click the button below to learn more.
Getting ready for Pin the Heart game.
Preparation is simple!
Free printable
First up is printing the hearts, you can find this for free below. If you plan to laminate then print on regular paper. If you do not, then I recommend cardstock. We will place tape on the back to act as our pin so I prefer to laminate. But if you do not have a laminator then printing on cardstock works well too.
The printable offers the choice of a heart shape or a human heart. I prefer to use both because my younger children prefer using the heart shape and my older child likes the human heart.
Art
Next, you will need your child. Bring out craft butcher paper. You will need at least 18″ wide paper. Another option is to collect brown packing paper that arrives from online purchases and tape it all together.
The size needs to allow your 3-5 year old’s body to be traced on it. Have them lay down and then use a washable marker to trace the outline of their body.
Now, let them color the body. My five year old’s contribution was to color blue and red lines to represent veins. He did this with a very determined frenzy while my three year old made our person look a little demented. Let them have free range, it is their art project.
Heart marks the spot
Once they have completed their coloring it is now time to hang it on the wall. As a side note, you can cut out the outline but I have found it easier to hang without cutting it. Also, not cutting it out keeps the pinning more difficult. Your child will not be able to feel the sides and guess where they are placing the heart.
Next, ask your child where the heart is located in the body. If there is an older sibling present make sure they know to remain silent and let their little brother or sister answer.
Once they have answered you can draw a heart shape on the chest. Slightly on the left side.
Tape
Now all that is left to do before beginning the game is to place tape on the back of the hearts so that they will stick to the paper on the wall.
Blindfold, spin, pin, repeat.
Let’s commence with the giggles and laughter. Blindfold your child and spin them around. After a few spins face them towards the body. They should step forward and do their best to place the printed heart on the drawn heart.
Responding to misses.
When your child incorrectly places the heart ask questions. Make it fun! Joke about the placement such as, “is your heart in your arm?” Or “Is your heart in your belly?” After the laughter has quieted you might be able to follow up with a question like, “what organ is there?” Focus on major organs like the stomach, lungs, or brain.
Even if they place it on the arm you can ask, “what organ is there?” because this organ is all over the body. It’s the skin! This question is great to try and confuse an older child.
Repeat this process again and again. Be sure to include other siblings and yourself too. My boys continue playing well after I have had to step away. They simply ask for help with the blindfold when it becomes too loose.
Will Pin the Heart be a favorite in your family?
This game has certainly captured my children’s hearts. I simply roll up the paper once they are done. Then, when they request to play Pin the Heart, I can easily tape it up and let them play.
Pin the Heart is a great game to introduce different major organs to little ones or end a week of studying anatomy. The simplicity of the set up and playful factor makes it a favorite for parents and children alike. My children smile ear to ear as we discuss how our heart is not in our stomach but it is in our chest. Download the heart printables by signing up for the newsletter below.
Keep the week of hearts going.
If you and you child enjoyed this activity please let me know in the comments. Also, check out Hh is for Heart to access a week’s worth of heart themed lessons. Hh is for Heart is one week in a 26 week curriculum for preschoolers.
Everything is free in Letter of the Week including activity ideas, coloring pages, book suggestions, and printables. Teach your preschooler the alphabet in an engaging, play based way. Click the button below to learn more.
Pin the Heart
Activity Instructions
Materials needed
Large craft paper roll
Masking tape
Headband or scarf
Included printable (pages 8 & 9)
*laminator
*cardstock
Instructions
Preparing materials
1) If you want this activity to last you can print on cardstock or even on regular paper but then laminate it. This isn’t necessary though!
2) Print the accompanying heart printable a few times. I have included a real looking heart and the shape of a heart. The age of your child will determine which you want to print. You can also cut hearts out of red construction paper if you wish to skip the printer.
3) Have your child lay down on the craft paper with their arms and legs slightly out.
4) Trace their body with a black marker. Draw a heart on the traced body where a heart is located.
5) Once done, hang it on an empty wall that is at the same height as your child and has space around it.
6) Taking the hearts, individually place a roll of tape (so that it’s sticky side out) on the back of each.
Let’s play
7) Explain to your child that their goal is to pin the heart on the heart you drew. Hand your child a heart and blindfold them.
8) Spin them around and then face them to the wall with the paper and tell them “go!”
9) Let them attempt as many times as they want and don’t forget to get in on the fun and be blindfolded having them spin you around and around.
10) Take off hearts and retape as needed.
11) Celebrate any victories.
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