How to learn shapes

Teaching Basic Shapes to Kids In an Interesting Way

Table of Contents

Kids have dynamic learning capabilities that are enhanced by their observation skills. However, parents need to take tiny steps while teaching preschool kids. Basic shapes and colors impact children. They try to understand their surroundings by looking at the different objects around them. All kinds of objects and structures help kids in learning shapes. As a parent one should introduce different shapes for kids at an early age. There are various shapes activities for kindergarten that can help kids learn and understand basic shapes.

Here is a downloadable PDF that lists out various shapes for kids. Teaching basic shapes for kids helps them understand their own observations. Different types of shapes for kids. Click on the download button to explore them. 

Basic shapes for kids are being taught at every preschool today. It is important to understand the necessity of shaping activities for kindergarten kids. Few ways in which kids are impacted by basic shapes are:

1. Visual Information
2. Sign and symbols
3. Alphabets and numbers
4. Mathematical concepts
5. Categorization and comparison 
6. Problem-solving
7. Symmetry

1. Kids Learn how to organize visual information

Children observe their surroundings very keenly and encounter different shapes every single day. Teaching basic shapes for kids helps them understand their own observations. The visual information they gather comprises compound shapes that are formed by a combination of basic shapes. Shapes’ names for kids enable them to identify the basic shapes in compound shapes. For instance, when a child looks at a car it appears to be a rectangular box. However, children will learn to identify the compound shapes in a car once they learn basic shapes. 

2. Helps to teach signs and symbols

Symbols are very important for kids. But it will take some time for kids to get used to it. Kids take some time before they can actually name the shapes they see. However, this does not indicate that the kid is unable to comprehend basic shapes. Signs on the other hand impart certain information and details. Basic shapes for kids help them store information in their minds. Kids are usually 5 to 6 years old when they start following signs and symbols

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3. Help kids identify different alphabets and numbers

Toddlers may get confused among all the alphabets they see. As parents, it can be challenging to teach various letters and numbers. Kids tend to mix up similar-shaped letters like “b” and “d”. Patience is important while correcting these mistakes. Learning shapes for kids help them differentiate among the letters. Therefore all the preschools cover learning shapes for kids before moving into Alphabets and numbers.

4. Basic mathematical concepts can be taught

Once a child is comfortable identifying shapes for his /her own, they can start learning simple mathematical operations like addition and subtraction. It is always easier to teach addition than subtraction. Therefore we advise parents to start teaching addition and then venture into subtraction. Basic shapes for kids include balls, matchboxes, dice, etc. So you can pick the object of your choice and start teaching simple maths to your kids.

5. Categorization and comparison

Facial recognition and navigation skills are swiftly developed among kids who can categorize and compare various shapes. As kids learn to differentiate shapes, they understand facial features and their differences. It is also important to note that different shapes for kids imply different geographical locations or features. Have you noticed, in kids’ drawing- mountains and hills are always triangles and houses have a square or rectangle structure with a triangular roof? We do suggest you take a look and understand how kids observe and compare the shapes around them.

6. Problem-solving

Brain development and thinking skills are really important for a kid in preschool or kindergarten. Shapes and colors are directly responsible for brain development. Kids analyze structures and start with 2-D mental mapping and then gradually, as the year progresses, they start 3-D mapping. These mental mapping of shapes plays a crucial role in the development of problem-solving abilities in children.

7. Symmetry

Kids love to play around the parks or fields. This is important for the development of their motor skills. However, kids tend to lose their balance more often than adults. Growing up, we all had cuts and bruises on our knees Over the years these injuries started disappearing even when sports activities became more rigorous. This happens when kids are unable to understand the basic concept of balance and center of gravity. Now even though terms like the center of gravity feel fancy for kids, it is important to teach symmetry with the help of basic shapes for kids. This will help them understand how to position themselves and develop motor skills. 

Different shapes for kids are available ranging from basic shapes to compound shapes. Basic shapes are simple shapes that can not be broken down into simpler shapes by general conventions, examples include square, circle, triangle, etc. Compound shapes can be split into simpler shapes, examples include Arrows, Starts, etc. Let us go through a few shapes to understand better. 

1. Basic Shapes for kids

Shapes like squares, triangles, circles, and rectangles are taught first to kids. Once a child learns how to categorize and name these shapes, they are taught more complex shapes. However, it suggested that ample time is spent on basic shapes for kids. This is because all the shapes are taught at a later stage depending upon the concepts developed during learning basic shapes for kids. It may require a little while for kids to pick up the concept but we suggest parents be patient.

2. Advanced Shapes for kids

Once a child is familiar with basic shapes he/she is ready to learn advanced shapes for kids. These shapes include arrows, stars, and hearts. Advanced shapes do not include 3-D structures in preschool as it may confuse them. Kids with a clear conception of basic shapes will be able to ace this topic quickly. 

Till now, we saw how important basic shapes can be for a child's brain development. Teaching shapes can be cumbersome without activities as children find it difficult to comprehend something that can not be observed. Activities and games will help kids learn while having fun.

Now, we will look into a few activities and games to help your child play and learn. 

1. Flashcard shapes for kids

Flashcards are a really fun and interactive tool while teaching kids. They can be purchased in stores or prepared by hand. You can draw different shapes on cards made out of thick paper to prepare a set of flashcards. Use these cards to play with your child. Ask your kid to pick up a card and name the shape drawn on the card. Maintain a scoreboard and let them beat their own high scores.

2. Shapes for kids chart

Bright and colorful shape names for kid's charts are available in the market. To prepare them at home, you need to draw shapes and write down their names. Colorful shapes are easier to remember for kids. Ask your kids to look at the beautiful chart every day in the morning before going to preschool or kindergarten. 

3. Shapes hunt

Just like a treasure hunt, shapes hunting is fun and easy for preschoolers. Use a set of flashcards with different shapes on them. Ask your kid to pick up one card and identify the shape and once he or she has identified the shape, ask them to find an object of the same shape around the house. This will keep the kids engaged and help them relate basic shapes to their surroundings.

4. Puzzle games

Two types of puzzles are available for kids to learn basic shapes. The first one contains pieces of brightly colored basic shapes for kids. These shapes need to be fitted onboard with hollows similar to the shapes. These boards with pieces of basic shape for kids are available in preschool supply shops and toy shops.

The second type is a conventional puzzle with bigger pieces. Once a child is proficient in basic shapes for kids they can try to join the pieces of a picture together.

We suggest you go for basic puzzles with pictures of fruits and flowers to keep the level easy for your child.  

In the former section, we came across the various benefits of teaching basic shapes for kids. It is one of the most important topics covered in the kindergarten and preschool syllabus. Even though your child may be learning shapes for kids in school, it is suggested that parents help them out with shapes games for kids. This is because the identification of shapes and naming shapes are two different objectives. Kids tend to forget shape names.

Start teaching basic shapes to your child and try to relate them with the objects around you. This will help kids relate the concept of basic shapes with their surroundings. We suggest parents start with basic shapes and gradually move into advanced shapes. Spend more time on basic shapes for kids to build the foundation for advanced shapes. 

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• Regular Shapes are those which have equal sides as well as equal angles. Irregular Shapes are just the opposite,i.e, their angles and sides vary.
• Examples of Regular Shapes are Square, Circle, Equilateral Triangle, etc.
• Examples of Irregular Shapes are Rectangle, Heart, Right-angled triangle, etc.

• Cylinder - Circles
• Cuboid - Rectangles
• Cube - Squares
• Pyramid - Rectangles and Circles
• Tetrahedron - Triangles

• Geometric: These are simple shapes like rectangle, square, triangle, etc. which are geometric in nature. They form the basis of other types of shapes.
• Organic: These shapes are curvier in nature and have a natural feel to them (for example, the shape made after the ink is spilled on a paper is of organic type). These are more soothing and relaxing to the eyes.
• Abstract: These shapes are complex in nature and are mostly used in graphics designing purposes. They are aesthetically beautiful but are not naturally found.

Shapes for Preschool — Teaching Shapes & Shape Activities for Preschoolers

Every day we are surrounded by different geometric shapes. We interact with them all the time in many ways; that is why it is important to start learning the very basics of geometry from the earliest age of the child. The sooner he/she understands how to distinguish one shape from another, the better it will do for his/her spatial and analytical thinking. Even if a kid can not speak yet, that does not mean that he/she does not understand any information. Children’s brains are like a sponge that keeps everything you pour in it. So, make sure you fill it with the right and beneficial things.

Why learn shapes with kids?

Anyways, what is the profit in learning shapes at a young age? Isn’t a baby too little to begin exploring the world of geometry? What is the ideal age to start? To begin with, the first two years of a child’s life are the most important for establishing the basis for future education. Even in a couple of months since the child was born, you can begin naming shapes while communicating with a baby. For example, you can say something like “There is your favorite round plate” or “Let’s take this square box”.

That does not mean a child has to learn every shape and its name by heart — he/she will work it out a bit later. Just for the beginning, mentioning and showing will be enough. Step by step, this will help a kid to develop his/her worldview, enlarge vocabulary and set causal links, which are helpful for a child’s cognitive development, in general. These skills are crucial for preschoolers, in school and adulthood, as well. Later on, a good understanding of geometric shapes and forms will assist your child in the field of mathematics and, at the same time, in his/her everyday life.

What to learn?

So, now we realize how important it is to start interacting with geometrical shapes as soon as possible. But where to begin? When your child is 1-2 years old, the best idea will be to start from the simplest flat figures. The first thing to learn is a circle. If a kid can easily distinguish it from other shapes, add some more — square, oval, triangle, rectangle, rhombus, etc.

Obviously, you can learn flat figures with your kid by drawing and painting them on paper. There are many ways to do it, but the main idea is to turn to learn into a fascinating and exciting game, which will keep your kid away from boredom and help his/her development at the same time.

When this stage is achieved, you can move on to the more complicated shapes such as trapeze, parallelogram, pentagon, octagon, and other polygons. Also, at the age of 3-5, a child can usually tell one shape from another and recognize sophisticated forms like a cross, heart, star, etc. We can meet the examples of these shapes literally everywhere, so do not miss the moment to include them in the educational games you play with your child.

Besides drawing or modeling shapes, you can also find them in nature, at home, or in the urban landscape. Searching for such shapes can help your child to improve his/her imagination and abstract thinking.

Older preschoolers are usually ready to learn three-dimensional shapes: cylinder, pyramid, sphere, cube, cone, prism. Though a child is normally able to understand the peculiarities of 3-D shapes by the age of 6, you can start practicing even earlier by playing with a sorter or building blocks.

At this stage, it is highly important for a kid to compare and find differences between two- and three-dimensional shapes. Also, you’d better pay attention to various sizes and materials. Exploring volumetric figures not only guides your kid into the world of geometry but also develops his/her motor skills.

How to learn shapes with a child?

As we mentioned before, the crucial skill is to identify shapes. Telling the square from the rectangle will be enough for little kids. To identify different kinds of triangles, for example, is a higher level. Do not forget to compare bigger and smaller figures of the same or different kinds to instill the understanding of sizes in your kids, too. Also, it is beneficial to ask children to explain differences or similarities between shapes — why are the moon and a plate alike? How are they different?

Moreover, you should try a hands-on approach. Draw, paint, cut, sculpt various figures of different sizes and colors. Then offer your kid to transform one shape into another. For instance, make a rectangle from two triangles, or vice versa — deconstruct a box into several separate squares. You can experiment with shapes and forms in any way you like:

• create new sophisticated construction,
• count how many rectangles are in a book,
• move and rotate figures to see how they can change.

A very captivating activity for many children is building a geometric puzzle. When a kid achieves something big that he/she has been working on for a long time, it will surely remain in his/her memory for the whole life.

In addition, enlarging a kid’s vocabulary never hurts. Try to repeat names of shapes, ask a child how this or that figure is called. A very effective way to do it is to focus on one word each week (you can change time according to your kid’s skills). For example, emphasize that a kid is sitting on a round carpet, drawing a round sun, and eating from a round plate. And more questions! Ask a kid what shape is a toy or a fruit. The more a child repeats a word him/herself, the faster he/she bears it in mind. Do not put pressure on the child, though. Let a kid take his/her time to learn and remember everything and be there to give a tip if needed.

20 shape activities for preschooles

You can invent many ways to learn shapes and forms with a child as long as you do not run out of creativity. But still, there are some suggestions you might find amusing:

1. Building blocks. This activity is the first thing that comes to mind when we talk about learning shapes. Even though building blocks exist for many years already, even modern children love them.
2. Toothpick building. If your kid prefers making things with his/her hands, try to model different figures with toothpicks and modeling clay. You can experiment with colors or the volume of your model.
3. Shapes exploration table. This is a poster that explains connections between real objects and abstract shapes. For example, there can be a cushion with a note saying “square” or a piece of pizza named “triangle”. This will make it clear for a kid that we live in a world full of various shapes.
4. Geoboard shape cards. This activity will develop a child’s motor skills as well as help him/her memorize shapes. All you need is a geoboard and colorful bands or ribbons. The point is to fix the ribbons to construct a particular shape.
5. Shape sensory table. For this activity you need lots of small models of figures and something like cupcake pans — a child is to put every kind of shape in each section. You can also ask a child to sort details according to their size, color, or any other criteria.
6. Shape sort. It is a pretty easy game where a child is supposed to sort cards with pictures of some objects into different categories according to their shapes. For instance, the sun, a pancake, and an apple go to the “round” side; a window, a cracker, and a road sign go to the “square” one.
7. Mini book. A very creative way to learn shapes is to make a small book dedicated to each of them. You can construct a “rectangle book” and draw different rectangles on every page of it. Use different colors to make it brighter and let a child design it as he/she wants.
8. Play dough. It is not a secret that children adore playing with dough. Make this amusing activity beneficial for a kid’s development! You can offer a child to create a monster using only cubes, for example. Or you can give him/her freedom of creativity, and, after the work is done, ask him/her what shapes were used here.
9. Shape printing. Another entertaining way to learn shapes is to print them on paper using wooden blocks and paint. This is very easy and joyful, and at the same time, can result in a fairly interesting picture that you can use to decorate your child’s room.
10. Collages. If a kid prefers cutting and gluing to painting, you can make a fun collage of many shapes. A child will learn not also to distinguish one shape from another but also manipulate them to achieve the best composition.
11. Sorter. It is an educational toy where a child needs to find a “home” suitable for each figure. This is a very beneficial game as at the same time a child develops his/her memory, motor skills, and analytical thinking.
12. Volumetric stickers. This activity is also good for the memorization of shapes. Volumetric stickers are usually pleasant to touch and are very bright, so they will keep your kid attentive.
13. Magnets. An alternative way of the letter game is to use magnets. The mechanism of their work is often fascinating for kids, so it will be interesting for them to play with these magical things.
14. Template. An easy way to learn how to draw figures is using a template. It is a great start towards a real drawing. Do not forget to give a child a chance to choose what template he/she wants to use today and ask him/her what shape it is.
15. Guess by touching. For this game, you may need something like a bag with different blocks. A child has to touch one figure and try to guess what share it is. To make it more entertaining, let a kid guess a color, too – allow him/her to use his/her intuition.
16. Hiding figures. Another way to improve a kid’s memory for shapes and forms is to play a game, where you firstly show a child some figures and then hide one of them. A child is supposed to recognize and name a missing item;
17. Detective. You should give your child a “portrait” of a figure that should be constructed — it is a dismantled 3-D figure. Our so-called detective should find a way how to build it back;
18. Origami. This method is harder than just constructing simple shapes. However, if your child is patient enough, you can try to make a crane or a dinosaur from paper together. This will give your kid a very clear understanding of how volumetric figures are made and, also, will improve his/her motor skills a lot.
19. Drawing + active games. When the weather is fine, you can learn shapes outside. For example, at first, you draw different shapes together, and after that, you name a shape, and your kid steps or jumps onto it.
20. Cartoons. Finally, thanks to our modern world, there are plenty of special cartoons on the Internet. Surely, there is no need to overload your child with educational content. Still, from time to time, it would be great to watch something useful.

All in all, exploring the world should be a great pleasure for children. Pay attention to your kid’s interests, give him/her a choice, be a good friend and a supporter — and then an educational process will turn into a merry game. Do not forget that even small children take in lots of information, so do your best to deliver a necessary message properly. And the best thing about teaching your child something is that you also learn new things, even in very familiar topics like shapes and forms.

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Learning geometric shapes with kids from 1 year old

In today's article I would like to talk about how easy and fun it is to learn geometric shapes with a baby, and why bother with geometry at such an early age. What games will be interesting for a baby from 1 year old, and what materials you will need for classes - read about all this in the article. In addition, here you will find some useful materials for download.

1. We see geometric shapes everywhere, they can be seen in most of the objects around us: a round ball, a rectangular table, etc. Analyzing the similarity of surrounding objects with geometric shapes, the child wonderfully trains associative and spatial thinking.

2. The study of geometric shapes is useful for the overall development of the baby, expanding his knowledge about the world around him. If you introduce a child to forms at an early age, it will be much easier for him at school.

3. Many interesting educational games are based on the ability to distinguish geometric shapes. These are construction, games with a sorter, a mosaic, a mathematical tablet, Gyenesh blocks, etc. Therefore, the study of forms at such an early age will contribute to the further successful development of the child.

So, games for learning and strengthening knowledge about geometric shapes :

If you come across a figure while playing games or reading books, be sure to draw your child's attention to it and name it (“Look, the ball looks like a circle, and the cube looks like a square”). Even if it seems to you that the child is still unlikely to remember the names of the figures, pronounce them anyway, and they will certainly be deposited in his head. You can do this for up to a year. At first, point only to the main shapes (square, circle, triangle), then, when you realize that the baby has mastered them, start studying other shapes.

You can learn anything with lotto: colors, geometric shapes, vegetables, animals, etc. And geometric lotto is also quite easy to do on your own: on a sheet of paper or cardboard, draw or print two identical sets of figures, one of which is cut into cards. Everything is ready, you can play. Our lotto templates for learning geometric shapes can be DOWNLOADED HERE.

For the first lessons with the baby, it is better to use loto, where there are only 3-4 figures. When the baby has mastered such a game well, gradually complicate the task. It is also useful for the first time to make all the pieces on the playing field of the same color and size. In this case, the child will focus on only one sign - the form, while other characteristics will neither distract nor prompt him.

Both cards with the image of figures and three-dimensional figures can be placed on the playing field. Good for this purpose are Gyenesh blocks (Ozon, KoroBoom), figures from a sorter, an insert frame.

Well, the most troublesome option is to buy a ready-made loto with geometric shapes.

Approximately at the age of 1 year, the child begins to notice that the figure of the sorter chosen by him (Ozone, Labyrinth, My-shop) can not be pushed into every hole. Therefore, during the game, it is necessary to focus on this: “So, here we have a circle - it doesn’t fit here, it doesn’t fit here, but where does it fit?”. At first, turning the figure at the right angle can be difficult for the baby, but it's not scary, it's a matter of practice. Most importantly, do not forget to pronounce the names of the figures all the time during the exciting process of “pushing through”, and the child will quietly remember them all.

Important! When choosing a sorter, pay attention to the fact that all the main geometric shapes are presented there, and not just hearts and crescents.

You will need an insert frame that contains all the main figures. At its core, the game is similar to a sorter.

The process of sorting objects began to interest my daughter at the age of 1 year 4 months. We sorted the items by color, size and, of course, shape. I think Taisiya really liked this game, because we often involved her toy friends in it. As soon as, for example, the Masha doll was called into the game, she immediately reported that she liked to play only with triangles, and the bear said that he only liked rectangles. So we had to carefully select the figures so as not to offend anyone :)

When drawing together with your child, do not forget to say the names of the shapes. "So, let's draw a square, now a triangle - we got a house", "Let's draw a circle, an oval, a stick, a stick - we get a little man."

From about 1.5 years old, the baby can already be offered to trace shapes using stencils. You can make the first stencils with geometric shapes yourself from thick cardboard, because. ready-made stencils are usually very small for the very first drawing experiences. I made the first stencils for Taisiya from a not very successful set of cards (the pictures were not very good, but the cardboard is excellent), four main figures were enough for us (the size of our stencils is 8 × 8 cm).

At the age of 2, Taisiya fell in love with drawing on small stencils (another option), and also at this age we started tracing Gyenes blocks from the outside, it was no less interesting, although more difficult.

You can use geometric shapes in appliqué lessons even from the very first lesson. When a baby is just getting acquainted with glue (in my opinion, acquaintance goes well at the age of 1 year 2-3 months), he is more interested in the process of gluing than in creating some kind of composition. Therefore, it is not necessary to create complex pictures in the first applications with the baby, start simply by chaotically gluing pieces of paper on a piece of paper, or even better, by chaotically gluing geometric shapes! While the kid enthusiastically smears the figure with glue (with your help) and puts it on a piece of paper, you tell him what it is called. With such a game, all the names fit very well in the baby’s head, one might say, firmly “stick”

When the baby already succeeds in sticking appliqué elements to the specified places (from about 1.5 years old), you can try to create a simple composition.

You can also use various ready-made manuals in your lessons, for example:

• School of the Seven Dwarfs 1+. Form, color (Ozon, My-shop)

• Educational stickers for babies. Form (Ozon, My-shop)

• Wonderful stickers. Cheerful geometry (Ozon, My-shop)

For little ones a little older (from 1 year 6–9 months) it is very useful to draw analogies between geometric shapes and surrounding objects. While reading and playing, on a walk, draw your baby's attention to the fact that a plate is a circle, a window is a rectangle, and a sandbox is a square, etc. Thus, you will contribute to the development of the child's spatial and associative thinking.

You can also perform tasks to find objects in the picture that match the given figure, for example, "Find all the round objects." Several tasks can be DOWNLOAD HERE .

Here is another interesting shape recognition game - "Find a similar shape" (Maze, My-shop). Despite the fact that the age on it is 3-5 years old, it will be of interest to a child of 2 years old and even a little earlier.

In fact, I find this method of studying forms to be the most effective. If you study with Doman's cards, the child will remember all the figures very quickly, and you will spend a minimum of effort on this. However, it should be noted that in order for the knowledge gained from Doman's cards to be deposited in the baby's head, they must be consolidated through other games (see above). Otherwise, the child will quickly forget everything that you showed him. Therefore, I recommend starting to look at Doman's cards with geometric shapes at about the age of 1 year, since at this time the baby becomes interested in sorters, insert frames, drawing, appliqué, etc. And, having studied the forms from the pictures, he will be able to use the knowledge gained in these games. By the way, cards "Geometric shapes" can be DOWNLOAD HERE and buy HERE.

You can read about our experience in studying figures using Doman's cards here.

Well, of course, it doesn't hurt to watch cartoons on the theme "Geometric shapes", now you can find a lot of them on the Internet. Here are some of them: they show the child a couple of times, for example, a square, and in the future, the training comes down to the question “Tell me, what kind of figure is this?”. This approach is extremely wrong. Firstly, because, like any person, a child does not like it too much when they arrange a knowledge test for him, and this only discourages him from studying. Secondly, before asking a kid about something, he needs to explain and show it a lot of times!

Therefore, try to keep screening questions to a minimum. Just repeat and repeat the information you are learning, be it the names of shapes or something else. Do this while playing and talking with your baby. And the fact that the child has learned everything, you will soon see for yourself without unnecessary checks.

That's all for me, thank you for your attention! I will be very glad if you share with us your ideas of games for the study of figures.

Sincerely yours, Yana Raznachenko

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