Activities with shapes for kindergarten

2D Shape Activities for Preschool, Pre-K, and Kindergarten

Learning about 2D shapes is a must for every early childhood classroom.  I’m here to share with you my favorite, go-to 2D shapes activities!  Some teachers  may do a shapes theme or unit (like me), some may do a shape of the week, and some sprinkle in shape activities all year long.  These activities will work for all types of classrooms and teaching styles!  Grab your lesson plan binder, and let’s get started!  Want all shape printables now?  You can find them in my Shapes Unit on TPT HERE.

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Shape Manipulatives

When setting up a shape activity, the first thing I do is go into my supply closet and pull out all my shape games, manipulatives, and puzzles.  Pattern blocks, shape cookies, and shape magnet blocks are distributed into various classroom centers.  Students need to be playing, manipulating and creating with shapes all over the classroom, not just in the math center!

I love this 2D & 3D shape building set!  It’s a ton of fun and comes with shape cards.

Toothpick Shapes

Toothpick Shapes are a fun and interactive way to learn shapes!  Students can make shapes with toothpicks and play dough or marshmallows.  When teaching your little learners about shapes, it’s important to teach about the sides and vertices too.  Use those big vocabulary words!  Feel, touch and count the number of sides and vertices  a shape has.  Don’t forget that a circle doesn’t have any sides or vertices!

In the Discovery Center:  Learning about math and science

In the discovery center, I set up a shapes exploration table.  The wall has shape posters with real photographs, the back of the table is lined with shape building cards and manipulatives and translucent shapes.  There is a sorting board with shape flashcards on top.  It’s just a poster board I made with tape.  Super simple!  The basket is filled with real objects and shape cards students can sort.  This exploration table gives students the opportunity to talk about, touch, feel, build, and manipulate shapes with a peer or independently.

Shape Building Blocks Cards!  This is a close up of the building block shape cards.  Students use the blocks to create the shape on the card. After the shape theme is over, put the shape building cards in with your manipulatives or STEM drawers!

Geoboard shape cards!  I put these shape geoboard cards in my geoboard basket.  Students can make the shapes with loom bands on the geoboard. To introduce this activity, I put it out for table time as an arrival activity.  It’s also great to build those little fine motor muscles too!

Shape cover up!  Cover up is a fun game to practice matching shape!  Students spin the spinner and cover the matching shape.  I love these translucent spinners for my math games.  This game is in my Shapes pack.  It comes in four different levels.

Shapes graph it! This is another fun shapes game that my students love.  It’s also a great opportunity to talk about more, less and equal to.  Try using magnet bingo chips to cover the graph then using a magnet wand at the end to make the game even more exciting.

In the Sensory Table

This shape sensory table is filled with shaped manipulatives and a few cupcake pans for sorting.  It has foam shape beads, shape chains and translucent shapes.  Perfect for sorting, lacing, and linking together.  And you guessed it, it’s great for their fine motor, too!

Transition Activity

Shape sort!  Transition activities are the perfect time to do a quick assessment or learning check.  We have snack after music and movement time.  I always plan a transition activity for that time for several reasons. The first is so the whole class isn’t lined up at the same time to wash their hands, which is just asking for crazy behaviors to occur.  The second is because it’s another time I can squeeze in more learning!  What I do is call on a student and give them a card to sort.  It’s a quick and easy way for me to check and see if they know or don’t know a shape.

In the Library Center

Sand writing trays with shape flashcards!  Students can write and draw shapes in the sand.   This tray is from a lacing set but you can use any small tray you have.  I know some teachers use foil pie plates or kid plastic divided dinner plates for writing trays.

Shape mini books!  After we make a shape mini books together during small group or table time, I put them in the center.  They LOVE making them! Staplers scare me a bit with my little learners so I put in this stapleless stapler! It’s amazing!

 Shapes emergent reader!  For a small group activity, students create their own shape emergent reader.  After they are complete and we have read them a few times together, they are put in the library center for students to read.

In the Art Center

My students LOVE play dough trays so I try to make one for each theme we do. In this activity, they create play dough shape monsters.  Students use the shape cookie cutters to create the body.  Then add arms, legs, eyes and hair using cut up pipe cleaners, small popsicle sticks, toothpicks, and googly eyes.   The tray is from the Dollar Tree.

Play dough shape mats!  Students can create play dough shapes on these shape mats.  They can make the shape by rolling play dough snakes or by molding the dough.

Shape Prints!   It’s great fine motor and makes beautiful pieces of art for your classroom. We cut up paper towel tubes for this circle printing project.

We printed with wooden shape blocks too!

Shape collages! It’s important to provide activities for students to create new items using shapes.  In fact, it’s a learning objective/standard in many states.  Students need to be able to manipulate shapes to create new shapes, objects or pictures.  Shape collages are the perfect activity to address this learning objective.

Single shape collages!  You can also have students create shape collages using just one kind of shape.  One year my students were struggling with triangles so we created triangle shape collages.  Students were finding triangle shapes, talking about triangles (how they are alike and different), and making pictures with triangles!

Dramatic Play

You can change the dramatic play center to so many different things for a shape theme but my favorite thing to do is a Pizza Restaurant. There are shapes all over a pizza restaurant. The pizzas can be different shapes and the slices too! Then the toppings are so many different shapes too. You should totally try it!

Make learning about shapes FUN by providing your students with hands-on learning experiences and play!  Want all the 2D Shape printables in this post?  Click HERE to grab my 2D Shapes unit from my TPT store.  It’s packed with over 200 pages of shape building cards (legos, geoboards, popsicle sticks, toothpicks, play dough), posters, sorting mats, worksheets, games & MORE.

Learning about shapes is a fun theme and concept to do with little learners and you can check more fun shape activities by clicking on the image below!

Love these shape activities? Pin this image!

10 AMAZING Shape Activities For Kindergarteners - 2022 Round-up

Learning to recognize shapes is an essential skill for preschool education. All children learn to differentiate between the basic and advanced 2D shapes and eventually acknowledge their relationship with 3D ones later in their kindergarten studies.

Our article helps parents and pre-k teachers guide their children and students in that process. We introduce gamification via fun outdoor and indoor activities, tools, and printables.

All the activities in our book go along with kindergarten education guidelines, focusing on shape recognition and many other educational aspects.

These include practicing group communication, developing fine motor and sensory skills, and allowing the child to dab into the creative aspect of learning. Let’s see what we have in store for you this time.

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Once the noodles are ready, prompt the kids to pick them and “rebuild” the shapes on the printables you should have on hand. Here’s the list of materials you need to set up the activity:

• Spaghetti noodles
• Food dyes
• Ziplock bags
• A large container or paper plates (depending on if you want the noodles mixed or separated by color)

For more information about the process and setup, visit pre-kpages. com.

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Below are the items needed for this exercise:

• Printables with compound shapes
• 3D shape blocks

For more information about the products and teaching method, look at the adorable blog post at littlemindsatwork.org.

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Here’s all you need for this activity:

• Playdough and tools like roll pins for spreading it
• Shape outlines or printables

To connect the shapes to real-world objects, you can suggest adding other attributes. Suppose the triangle represents a pizza slice – what can the child add to it to turn it into one?

Are you interested to learn about more shape teaching methods? Fantasticfunandlearning.com has more entertaining activities in stock.

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For this activity, you’re going to need the following specialized tools:

• Geoboard with the rubber bands
• Reference cards or laminated printables
• Colorful markers, if you’re going to practice connecting the dots on the cards as well

Discover more 2D shape manipulatives at pocketofpreschool.com.

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Here are a few items you’re going to need for the setup:

• A medium-sized bowl
• Rice or a mixture of other grains
• Small shapes cut out of foam, plastic, or other material
• Shape puzzle board or printable

Funwithmama.com suggests a lot more exciting shapes teaching games, activities, and tools.

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Here is the list of items you’re going to need:

• The worksheet
• Printed shapes to cut out
• Scissors
• Glue

If you plan to take this activity as a test and put up a showcase, the glue is essential. Have the kids make the picture by sticking the shapes on a printout.

For shape sorting and other composition ideas, scroll through the blog post on planningplaytime.com.

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This activity doesn’t require much preparation:

• A tray or a table
• Shape blocks
• A screen or a cloth to cover the play area from the child during gameplay

This idea comes from prekinders.com, which has a lot more unique activities on their blog.

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This exercise only needs:

• Colorful chalk
• A free sidewalk or a driveway
• Patience

Once the driveway is set up with colorful patterns, the activity is ready. Call the kids and announce the rules. There are a few ways to play this game:

• Stepping on a given shape from the start to the end of the maze in one direction
• Calling out the next shape and finding the way out while being guided before each step

You can color-code each shape (all squares are red, all triangles are blue, etc. ). Making the same shape of various colors will add to the difficulty of the game. To get a detailed explanation of the composition and the whole game, visit handsonaswegrow.com.

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Learning shapes is fun with the suggested activities in this article. Don’t miss any fun; check out more games and entertaining ideas from provided links. If you have a unique game or activity you’ve not seen listed, don’t hesitate to let us know!

Good luck in learning and playing!

Now that you’re familiar with these fun shapes activities, let’s answer a few more questions to set you on the right track.

What Are The Basic Shapes For Kindergarten?

Basic shape recognition is a skill that a child needs to understand, recognize, and describe the world around them. In preschool education, the basic ones taught are:

Circle/oval
Triangle/diamond
Square/rectangle

It’s also essential to ensure they understand that they can make more shapes with the ones mentioned.

How Do You Explain 3D Shapes To Kindergarteners?

The first principle is to base the new information about 3D shapes on the 2D knowledge.

Another methodology is to use hand motions to explain the difference between a flat shape vs. a solid.

There are a few other techniques like the “quick change,” where you show how a square “grows” into a cube.

Use gamification and a touch of “magic” to introduce these concepts.

Abstract of the lesson in mathematics "Geometric figures" (reinforcement) | Plan-summary of a lesson in mathematics (middle group):

Abstract of a lesson in mathematics.
Subject: Journey in the camp: Geometrical figures. (reinforcement. )
Age group: Middle group.
Form of joint activity: integrated occupation.
Form of organization: group.
Teaching kit: mathematics in kindergarten 4-5 years old
Purpose: Learn to distinguish and name the following geometric shapes: square, circle, triangle, rectangle, exercise in counting; be able to navigate in space.
Tasks:
Educational:
To expand children's knowledge of figures. Learn to group them by color, size.
Developing:
Develop observation, mindfulness.
Develop the memory of thinking and speech.
Educational:
Promote the development of teamwork and mutual assistance when working in a team.
Stimulate interest in mathematics.
To develop the skills of cultural behavior in society.
Materials:
For children - a card with four stripes, circles (large and small) in four colors: green, blue, yellow, red; geometric figures.

For the teacher: Four baskets with stickers of figures (for example, the first basket is a triangle, the second is a square ...) Geometric shapes according to the number of children of different colors. Four bags of different colors: green, blue, yellow, red. Three keys. Soft toy.

Class progress.
The educator invites the children to the mat all the guys come up and stand in a circle in the center of the circle there is a tutor and invites them to go to a country not simple, but magical, geometric, and in this country everything consists of figures. The entrance to this country is bewitched in order to disenchant the entrance to the magical land, you need to get three magic keys.
In: I invite all children
Set off on a journey soon
Tests are waiting for you
Difficult tasks.
Our path will be long with obstacles. Are you guys ready for this journey?
D: Yes, ready.
Q: In that case, you can hit the road. The teacher and the children come to the first table. There are geometric figures on the table.
Q: Our first task: There are different pieces on the table. You need to take one piece at a time and name them.
D: Everyone in turn takes a piece from the table and clearly names the piece he took.
V: Well done guys, you all answered correctly. We passed the first task correctly, the path to our country is getting shorter, we have received our first key. (the key was under the last figure.) Let's move on to the second task:
There are four baskets on the chairs in the group, figures are glued on each (circle, square, triangle, rectangle). To do this, whoever has squares, stand up to the basket with the square. Who has circles, stand up to the basket with the circle. Whoever has rectangles, stand up to the basket with the rectangle. And whoever has triangles, stand up to the basket with triangles.
D: Find their baskets and stand up.
Q: Guys, if you're ready, put your pieces up. Well done, now put the pieces in your baskets. And in one of the baskets, the children find the second key. Now we can move on.
They approach the rug and there the whole rug is strewn with different figures of different colors. (While the children were doing the tasks, the junior teacher poured the figures onto the mat.)
There are four bags of different colors on the mat.
Q: Guys, this is our last assignment. In order to get the third key, you need to collect and group the pieces by color, then put them in bags.
Y: They complete tasks and find the third key in one of the bags.
V: Well done guys, you did the job. Magical land is disenchanted!!!
Guys, while the country was bewitched in the “dishes” store, all the cups mixed up the shelves, you need to help put things in order in the store. To do this, sit at the tables for each child a card with four stripes and 14 circles.
The teacher explains. “This (points to the circles) Large and small cups.
They should be placed on the shelves as you wish. ”
Variants can be as follows:
- mugs lie in disarray on each shelf;
- mugs lie on two shelves (large and small)
- mugs are arranged by color on four shelves.
The teacher asks everyone how he arranged the cups and which shelf has more of them and which one has less.
You can invite the children to arrange them so that each shelf has “cups” of the same color. Ask which “cups” are more: red or blue; yellow or green.
Q: Well done guys have put things in order in the store, now residents of the magical land will be able to come to the store and easily choose cups. I suggest you clean up the toys and go for a walk there will be many more interesting things.
On the street you can play the game: "Find the hidden toy."
With the help of a rhyme, a leader is selected:
Seagulls lived at the pier,
Their river pumped water.
One, two, three, four, five -
Help me count them.
The host goes out the door. The children hide the toy. To find it, the driver is given directions: “Go from the swing to the sandbox, turn right from the sandbox, take three steps and look there”
Game options: The teacher indicates the direction of the asphalt with arrows of different colors.: The child indicates the direction: “From the beginning go there, where the blue arrow points, then go three steps and look there.”
When turning, the child must say where he turned: to the right or to the left.
The game is played several times at the request of the children.

Learning Geometric Shapes: Preschool Games

One of the important aspects of the development of mathematical concepts in preschoolers is the study of the basics of geometry. In the course of acquaintance with geometric shapes, the child acquires new knowledge about the properties of objects (shape) and develops logical thinking. In this article, we will talk about how to help a preschooler remember geometric shapes, how to properly organize games for teaching geometry, and what materials and aids can be used to develop a child’s mathematical abilities.

At what age can one start learning geometric shapes?

Many parents are wondering if young children need to get acquainted with geometric shapes. Experts believe that it is optimal to start classes in a playful, relaxed form from the age of 1.5. Until this age, it is appropriate to pronounce to the child the names of the shapes of objects that the baby meets in real life (for example, “round plate”, “square table”).

Introducing the child to geometric shapes, be guided by his reaction. If your baby started to show interest in them at an early age (by playing with the sorter or looking at pictures), encourage his curiosity.

At the age of 2, the baby should be able to distinguish between:

• Circle;
• Square;
• Triangle.

By the age of 3 you can add:

• Oval;
• Rhombus;
• Rectangle.

At an older age, a child can memorize such shapes as a trapezoid, a pentagon, a hexagon, a star, a semicircle. Also, children visiting the Constellation Montessori Center get acquainted with geometric bodies with interest.

How to help a child remember geometric shapes?

Teaching a child geometric shapes should take place in stages. You need to start new figures only after the baby remembers the previous ones. The circle is the simplest shape. Show your child round objects, feel them, let the baby run his finger over them. You can also make an application from circles, mold a circle from plasticine. The more sensations associated with the concept being studied, the child receives, the better the baby will remember it.

Three-dimensional figures can be used to get acquainted with the forms. It can be made by a designer, a sorter, lacing, frame inserts. Since at an early age the visual-effective type of thinking is most developed, various actions with figures will help to remember them better.

How children of different ages perceive geometric shapes

The operations that a child can perform with geometric shapes and how he perceives shapes depend on the age of the baby. In accordance with age characteristics, the following stages of training can be distinguished:

1. In the second year of life, the baby is able to visually recognize familiar shapes and sort objects according to shape.
2. At 2 years old, a child can find the desired shape among a number of other geometric shapes.
3. By the age of 3, babies can name shapes.
4. At the age of 4, a child is able to correlate a three-dimensional figure with a flat image.
5. At senior preschool age (and sometimes even earlier) you can start studying geometric bodies (ball, cube, pyramid). Also at this age, the child can analyze complex pictures consisting of many shapes.

Regardless of the child's age, try to pay attention to the shapes of the surrounding objects and compare them with known geometric shapes. This can be done at home and on the go.

Games for learning geometric shapes

For a child to be interested, learning geometric shapes should take place in a playful way. You should also select bright and colorful materials for classes (you can buy them in a store or do it yourself). Here are some examples of games and tutorials for learning geometric shapes:

1. Sorting. Games with a sorter can be started from the age of 1. Invite the child to find its window for the figure. So the child will not only memorize geometric shapes, but also develop fine motor skills, thinking and spatial representations, because in order for the part to fall into the hole, you need to turn it at the right angle. You can also sort any other items, such as building blocks, Gyenesch blocks, or counting material.
2. Insert frames. In fact, this manual is similar to a sorter. For each geometric figure, you need to find its place.
3. Geometric lotto. To play, you will need a field with the image of geometric shapes and handout cards with each figure separately. A child can take small cards out of a chest or bag, and then look for their place on the playing field. This game also perfectly trains the attention of the baby.
4. Geometric appliqué. Cut out various geometric shapes from paper and, together with your child, make a picture out of them (for example, you can make a Christmas tree from triangles, a house from a square and a triangle).

5. Drawing (including stencils).
6. Modeling.
7. Laying out figures from counting sticks.
8. Geometric mosaic.
9. Laces with geometric shapes.
10. Games with cards.
11. Guess by touch.
12. Active games. Draw geometric shapes on the pavement with chalk. Ask the child to imagine that the figures are houses that you need to run into on a signal. Next, you name a geometric figure, and the child runs to it.

In addition, educational cartoons can be used to study geometric shapes. Here is one of them:

Conclusions

Learning the basics of geometry at preschool age is an important part of developing a child's mathematical and sensory representations. Acquaintance with the figures should occur gradually (first, simple figures - a circle, a square, a triangle). To keep your child interested, study geometric shapes in a playful way. Your assistants in this can be such educational aids as insert frames, mosaics, lotto, sorters, sets of geometric shapes and bodies, stencils. You can also study geometric shapes on the street: just talk to your child about what you see around and what shapes these objects look like. Then the kid will definitely learn to distinguish geometric shapes and remember their names.

Conclusion

The Montessori environment has been specially created for the comprehensive and harmonious development of each child in the children's center "Constellation". In the process of free work in it, children not only get acquainted with the basics of geometry, but also develop their cognitive processes, fine motor skills, learn to write, read, and count.

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