Learning shapes for preschoolers
Learning Shapes for Preschoolers - Making it Fun
You are here: Home / Child Development / Learning Shapes for Preschoolers – Making it Fun
By Heather Greutman Leave a Comment
Like what you read? Share it!
39 shares
Affiliate and Referral links are used below to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission on any purchases made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details.
It can be hard to know how to best help your preschooler learn shapes. There are so many different ways to go about it, and some methods work better for certain children than others. Learning shapes for preschoolers can be fun too! Here are some tips on how to make learning shapes an enjoyable experience for little ones.
Why is learning about shapes important for preschoolers?
Shapes are all around us! Preschoolers can start learning about shapes by looking for them in their everyday surroundings. Circles can be found in the wheels of a car, in a friend's glasses, and in the sun up in the sky. Triangles can be seen in slices of pizza, on roofs of houses, and in sails on boats. squares can be found in tiles on the floor, in windows of buildings, and on stop signs.
As preschoolers learn to identify these shapes in their environment, they begin to develop an understanding of geometry. Furthermore, learning about shapes can also help preschoolers to develop important fine motor skills. For example, when coloring or drawing, preschoolers can practice tracing the outlines of different shapes. Ultimately, learning about shapes is a valuable early step in preparing children for future learning in mathematics and other sciences.
How can you help preschoolers with learning shapes?
There are many different ways that parents can help their preschoolers learn shapes. One way is to provide opportunities for exploration and discovery. For example, when grocery shopping with your child, point out the different shapes of fruits and vegetables.
Ask your child to find circles, squares, and triangles in the environment.
Another way to help children learn shapes is through simple activities like coloring or playing games. There are many printable coloring pages available online that focus on teaching shapes. And there are also a variety of shape-based board games that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
By following these tips, parents can help their preschoolers learn about shapes in a fun and engaging way. In no time, children will be identifying shapes all around them!
Tips on how to make learning shapes fun
Learning shapes is an important foundation for early learning success. Kids who know their shapes have an easier time learning to read and do math. And, learning shapes can be fun! Here are a few tips to help your preschooler have a blast while learning their shapes:
Start with the basics.
Help your child learn the names of basic shapes like circle, square, triangle, and rectangle.
As they become more familiar with the shapes, you can start teaching them more complex shapes like oval and diamond.
Check out Basic Shapes for Beginners – A hands-on approach to pre-writing strokes for preschoolers. Designed for ages 2-5 to be completed in 6 weeks. Includes resource list, items needed, organized by week, and printables for designated activities.
Make it a game when learning shapes for preschoolers.
Turn learning shapes into a game by hiding objects around the house and seeing if your child can identify them by their shape. You can also try drawing different shapes in the sand or dirt outside. See if your child can find and copy the shapes.
Use everyday objects.
Preschoolers learn best by exploring their environment. Use everyday objects to teach shapes like shoelaces, or ribbons. Show your child how to make a square or a triangle with these objects. By using familiar items, learning shapes become more interesting and easier for kids to remember.
Learning Shapes for Preschoolers – Play Games
One of the best ways for preschoolers to learn shapes is through play. There are a variety of games that can help kids to identify and remember different shapes.
One simple game is to cut out different shapes from construction paper and then have the child match them up.
Another option is to use a die to create a shape-based scavenger hunt. For instance, the child rolls the die and then has to find an object in the room that is that shape.
You can also use everyday objects to help teach shapes. For example, you can ask the child to find two things that are rectangular or three things that are triangular. By incorporating learning into play, kids will have fun while they're learning important early math concepts.
Geometric Shape Art Project to Try
If you have some recycled toilet paper rolls, try this geometric shape art project to help with learning shapes for preschoolers.
Materials Needed for the Geometric Shape Art Project:
- recycled toilet paper rolls
- piece of cardboard (you can use a recycled cereal box)
- scissors
- paint
- paintbrush
If you do not want to take out the paint, you can use markers for this activity.
Preparation:
- Cut the recycled toilet paper rolls into 1/2″ strips.
- Gently shape them into circles, squares, triangles, and whatever other shapes you wish.
- Glue them onto the piece of cardboard and let it dry.
- For older preschoolers or kindergarteners, make one small piece of cardboard with each shape on it. Color code it for the child.
How to Complete the Geometric Shape Art Project
- Put the activity on the table for the child.
- Show them how to color inside each of the shapes. Use language to reinforce the shapes as you offer the directions – color the squares blue, etc.
- The child can match the color code if you have provided it.
- Let it dry.
More Activities to Do with the Geometric Shape Art Project to Help With Learning Shapes for Preschoolers
After you let the masterpiece dry completely, you can use the art project for more multisensory activities to help with learning shapes for preschoolers.
For example:
- use it with a sensory bin and fill the shapes up with dried beans, colored rice, etc.
- trace inside or outside the shapes for pre-writing practice.
- pull off small balls of playdough using the thumb and index finger. Push the small amounts of playdough inside the cardboard shapes.
- draw numbers 1, 2, or 3 inside of the shapes. Place pom poms on the table. The child can use tweezers or their fingers to pick up the correct number of pom poms to place inside the shape.
Learning Shapes for Preschoolers – A Multisensory Experience
Although worksheets or flashcards with shapes on them play a role when learning shapes for preschoolers, remember that there are other ways for children to learn. A multisensory experience is the best way for young children to learn and remember new information. By providing opportunities for your child to see, touch, feel, listen to, and even taste shapes, you can help them develop a strong foundation in geometry that will serve them well throughout their schooling years.
This blog post was contributed from YourTherapySource.com.
Like what you read? Share it!
39 shares
Filed Under: Child Development Tagged With: For Parents, For Teachers, For Therapists, Preschool 3-5
Reader Interactions
CONTENT DISCLAIMER: Heather Greutman is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant.All information on the Website is for informational purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice from a physician or your pediatrician. Please consult with a medical professional if you suspect any medical or developmental issues with your child. The information on the Websites does not replace the relationship between therapist and client in a one-on-one treatment session with an individualized treatment plan based on their professional evaluation. The information provided on the Website is provided “as is” without any representations or warranties, express or implied.
Do not rely on the information on the Website as an alternative to advice from your medical professional or healthcare provider.
You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment as a result of any information provided on the Website. All medical information on the Website is for informational purposes only.
All activities outlined on the Website are designed for completion with adult supervision. Please use your own judgment with your child and do not provide objects that could pose a choking hazard to young children. Never leave a child unattended during these activities. Please be aware of and follow all age recommendations on all products used in these activities. Growing Hands-On Kids is not liable for any injury when replicating any of the activities found on this blog.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
The Website was developed strictly for informational purposes. You understand and agree that you are fully responsible for your use of the information provided on the Website. Growing Hands-On Kids makes no representations, warranties, or guarantees.
You understand that results may vary from person to person. Growing Hands-On Kids assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions that may appear on the Website.
Why Learning Shapes Is Important, Plus 4 Ways Parents Can Help
Learning shapes isn’t just about teaching your child how to draw a circle or square. When we look closely enough, we may recognize just how many shapes occur naturally in the world around us. Not just in math, but also in reading, science, and art!
Why Learning Shapes Matters
As we mentioned, shapes are all around us. If you do a quick glance around the room you’re currently sitting in, we bet you could identify a handful of shapes within a matter of seconds.
For a young preschooler, learning shapes can be incredibly helpful by offering an early step to understanding how numbers and objects relate to one another.
Pre-k math will show kids how easy it is to count the number of sides of a single shape to get a handle on applying concrete counting skills to a visual object.
But that’s not all shapes are good for!
There are five different mathematical ideas your child will need as they grow into capable mathematicians. Below are some of the ways learning shapes can help them get a grasp on these ideas.
Distinguishing Between Objects
Learning shapes helps your child learn to differentiate between objects.
In order to memorize how shapes are different from one another, they’ll learn to pay attention to the little details that distinguish shapes.
This detail-oriented learning helps them across the board, no matter what subject they’re tackling head-on!
Spatial Reasoning And Problem Solving
We’ve all seen shape puzzles; they’re popular for a reason.
The blanks inside the puzzle develop your child’s spatial reasoning and problem-solving skills, as they have to try multiple shapes until they find the right one to fit each space.
Learning about shapes directly increases these abilities.
Categorization
Your child will learn how to couple their differentiation skills with their categorization skills.
By separating shapes based on their similarities and differences or by specific characteristics such as color, size, and amount, your child will be able to accurately sort and categorize objects.
These skills benefit mathematical thinking because they help children understand sets and subsets, which can improve their understanding of concepts behind math procedures.
Counting And Patterns
Like we mentioned before, shapes help your child learn how to count. They can easily count the number of sides on each shape to help them remember the details of these shapes.
They will learn how to form patterns with shapes, as well!
4 Fun Activities For Learning Shapes
Here are some of our favorite activities for learning shapes. Try them at home with your growing mathematician!
1) Shape Scavenger Hunt
What You’ll Need
- Good weather (if you choose to do this outdoors)
- A cheat sheet of basic shapes
- A marker
What To Do
You and your child can go for a walk in the neighborhood or hunt for shapes inside the house on a rainy day.
You’ll snoop around the house like sneaky shape detectives, using your “cheat sheet” of shapes to keep a tally of how many times you can find each shape in your home.
If this is the first time your child has attempted identifying shapes in their environment, acting as an encouraging guide can be a great help!
Help them recognize the ways shapes naturally occur in everyday life — mirrors can be rectangles or circles; pizza slices are like triangles; and so on.
Keeping track of what your child can find will give both them and you some insight.
They’ll understand just how many shapes are all around them, and you may notice that your child needs a bit more practice with recognizing certain shapes.
2) PlayDoh Tracing
What You’ll Need
- Several sheets of paper
- A marker
- PlayDoh of different colors
What To Do
You’ll start out by prepping the pieces of paper. Each sheet will hold a single type of shape.
For our example, we’ll have one sheet for squares, one for circles, and one for triangles.
Feel free to add more shapes or start small with only one.
Start with a single shape, like a square. You’ll want to draw several squares of drastically different sizes on a single sheet of paper. Use thick, bold lines so your child can clearly see the perimeter of each shape.
Next, your child will use different colored PlayDoh to “fill” each square outline. You want them to use different colors so they can highlight a distinguishing characteristic between the squares — their size!
If your child is familiar with shapes already and you want to make this more advanced, you can draw several different shapes onto one piece of paper.
For our example, we will use circles, squares, and triangles (try rectangles, ovals, semi-circles, and pentagons for more advanced learners).
This time, your child will fill the outlines based on the type of shape they are. So, all circles will get the same color of PlayDoh, while all ovals get a different color. They will repeat this process until all of the shapes are full.
Finally, they can count how many of each shape (and color) they have.
3) Shape Stamp Paintings
What You’ll Need
- Sponges you’re comfortable cutting up
- A variety of paint (watered down)
- Sheets of paper
What To Do
This activity requires a bit of preparation before the fun can get started, but the masterpieces your child will make are worth it!
You’ll begin by cutting up the sponges into a mix of different identifiable shapes. We recommend incorporating both basic shapes and more interesting shapes, all with sides that are easy to count.
In addition to basic shapes like squares and circles, stars, ovals, and hearts are great ones to add in.
After all the sponges are cut, set out a few different colors of paint. It’s not necessary to assign specific colors to specific shapes, as a mix of both will allow your child to identify flexible patterns once the activity is complete.
With everything set, your child is ready to get splashing with the paint and sponges (figuratively speaking, of course!).
They’ll use their sponges to stamp out a variety of shapes in multiple colors.
Once everything is dry, you can challenge them to identify how many of each shape they stamped, how many times they used certain colors, and so on.
4) Shape Pizza
What You’ll Need
- Colored construction paper
- Yellow
- Red
- Green
- Brown
- Black
- White
- Scissors
- A single die
What To Do
You and your child will be opening your own pizzeria! The “secret ingredient” to your delicious pizza? Shapes!
To make a pizza, cut out a large circle for your crust. Then you’ll cut out a variety of ingredients. Depending on what your child likes to eat, you can adjust what ingredient each of your shapes will represent.
For our example, we will use these ingredients:
- Circles for pepperoni
- Triangles for cheese
- Rectangles for peppers
- Squares for mushrooms
- Semi-circles for olives
Make a menu with the shapes and what they stand for.
Then place an order for which topping you want (start with one topping only) and have your child roll the die to see how many of that topping the pizza will have.
For example, if you want peppers and your child rolls a 2, they’ll place 2 rectangles on the pizza.
We recommend referring to the shape names as you order and again when “checking” the order. You could say, “That’s it! I get four semi-circle olives. Yum!” You can then switch roles and let your child order a pizza.
To play with older children or make the game a bit more challenging, order a pizza with more than one topping, with your child rolling the die the designated amount of times to determine how many of each topping you get.
If you wanted three toppings, for example, your child would roll the die three separate times to come up with the number of those toppings to put on your pizza.
Once you’re finished with one pizza, you can glue the shapes to the paper to save as a keepsake or remove them and make another pizza!
Learning Shapes Is Just The Beginning
We can’t capture all of the possibilities that come with learning shapes, but we hope this article helped paint a picture of how helpful and exciting shapes can be to your child’s learning adventures!
The ideas don’t stop here, either.
We know not every family always has time to tackle a shape game filled with sticky glue and construction paper.
Sometimes you need quick and effective shape activities that don’t sacrifice fun in the name of functionality.
The HOMER Learn & Grow App has just what you need! We have tons of shape activities available for your child to do, like our Castle Creator or our Pizza Parlor, where they will get to make pizzas for customers who pick exactly how many toppings they want.
We hope you’ll give these activities a shot. We think you’ll be surprised how fun learning shapes can really be!
Author
My educational stickers. Forms
- Description
- Characteristics
- Product reviews
-
My Educational Stickers Forms
Books designed to be used with preschool children.
With fun activities and reusable stickers, Activity turn into an interesting game. Collect all the books in the series!
-
Format 60х90/8 ISBN 978-5-9951-5190-6 number of pages four
No comments yet
Leave a review
- Recommended
- Similar items
-
-
New Year in the Little Mouse's house. Book in a case.
available
2 500 rub
More
-
The smallest snowman Four winter tales
available
1 100 rub
More
-
Tractor for Santa Claus
available
550 rub
More
-
And Santa Claus is not real!
available
550 rub
More
-
When Santa Claus was little
available
550 rub
More
-
The smallest snowman Icicle of Desire
available
550 rub
More
-
Letter from Santa Claus.
Release 3. available
273 rub
More
-
New Year's calendar. Issue 4. The smallest snowman
available
390 rub
More
-
Encyclopedias with photo and video applications Animals
available
1 850 rub
More
-
Taiga quest
available
540 rub
More
-
-
14 educational apps for kids for free
My son goes to kindergarten, but now he is in self-isolation at home.
Maria Kolenkova
found something to do with the child
Author profile
I continue to work remotely and try to keep my child busy in order to earn easy money.
In the first week of self-isolation, I wanted to teach him how to play chess and study English in traditional "tutorials". But too formalized classes turned out to be boring. After them, my five-year-old son said: "Mom, please, let's not play anymore."
Therefore, I have collected games that develop logic, thinking, memory, teach counting and writing, but at the same time are interesting for the child.
Cut the rope
Age: 2-4 years
What will teach: to think logically
Price: for free
Download or open: Android, iOS, desktop
The green monster Yum-Yum from the cartoon of the same name loves candy. The whole game is built on this: you need to feed the hero.
But to do this is not so easy. The child needs to cut the ropes for which the candy is tied, and observe how gravity acts, in which direction the sweet will fly off or swing. Complicating the passage of the level are bubbles that can pick up the candy and carry it up - then you have to start over.
The logic and laws of physics in the game are not presented boringly and formally, but are explained in practice. The creators of the game marked it 0+, and even kindergarteners can really handle the very first levels. But then it can be difficult for younger students.
/list/online-games-for-children/
English, programming and logic: 9 educational online games for children0188 Price: first month free, full version — 299 Р
Download: Android, iOS
Drawer develops fine motor skills in children over two years old. The characters of the game teach how to draw animals: all you have to do is trace the dotted lines with your finger.
If the child succeeds, then the picture comes to life - animation is built into the application.
Funny food!
Age: 3-5 years old
What will teach: think logically, determine color and shape
Price: free
Download: Android, iOS
The name of the application says it all: the child really has to deal with funny food that smiles and sings. On the example of vegetables and fruits, children learn the color and shape of objects, the concept of part and whole, and master sorting. The advantage of the application is that all subjects are familiar to the child, so he will learn new skills easily.
Math and numbers for kids
Age: 2-6 years old
What will teach: to count, including in a foreign language
Price: several levels for free, the full version is 75 R
Download: Android, iOS
Math and numbers app for kids » is intended for children from two years of age.
The child will be able to count the objects in the picture aloud, circle the number with his finger, hear how it is pronounced, and even see how to show it on the fingers. This is ideal for an early introduction to numbers.
And for children 5-6 years old, there are more difficult tasks: you need to learn numbers in one of 20 languages - including Chinese, Hindi, Norwegian and Romanian.
/list/family-games/
Board games for kids
Letters: learning to read fun
Age: 5-6 years old
What the price will teach: to read several syllables: 9018 for free 9018 full version — 999 Р
Download: Android, iOS
This application is useful in the period when the child has already learned the letters, but he still cannot combine them into syllables. It helps to learn how to read the unicorn Ray, which divides words into parts and pronounces each syllable - so the child understands how to pronounce the whole word.
The application is designed in such a way that the child learns to read on his own, without the help of adults.
Parenting Featured Articles
Everything you ever wanted to know about kids and money is in our mailing list twice a week along with the rest of the money stuff
1Line
Age: 9018 Teach 9018 think spatially
Price: for free, for additional tasks they will take from 75 to 279 R
Download or open: Android, iOS, desktop
The rules of the game are as simple as possible: you need to connect all the dots with one continuous line. A child of 3-4 years old will cope with the first levels, but the task gradually becomes more complicated: there are more and more dots, and the pattern is more and more intricate. The game trains spatial thinking, allows you to go through the same level many times until you find the right solution.
Line Puzzle
Age: 4-7 years old
What will teach: to think logically
Price: for free, for additional tasks they will take from 75 to 749 R
Download, iOS
The player's task in the Line Puzzle is to repeat the pattern according to the pattern.
To do this, you need to stretch the rope and fasten it at certain points. The main difficulty is that at some points the rope is already fixed initially and it will not be possible to move it. This may confuse the child.
The first levels are very simple and perfect even for a three-year-old. But the further, the more difficult - the latter will also interest adults.
/list/study-for-free/
Free courses in Russian: 20 online platforms
Star Walk Kids
Age: from 4 years old
What it teaches you: to navigate by 8 stars free
Download: Android, iOS
This is the children's version of Star Walk star mapping app. If you give the application access to geolocation, it will show the constellations in the night sky and talk about them.
In addition, the child can explore the structure of the universe in a playful way and even find the Hubble telescope and the International Space Station in the sky.
This is a complete encyclopedia about space that will answer all the questions of children.
Puzzles with matches
Age: from 6 years old
What will he teach: Logically think, count
Price: Free, but you can buy tips - 6 pieces for 149 r or 300 for 2990 p
download: Android, iOS
The classic matchstick puzzle has been given a completely safe form. There are more than a thousand different tasks in the application. Moreover, the complexity increases very slowly - the child will be able to gradually master the game. In addition to the usual graphical puzzles, there are counting tasks, so you can also improve math in the process.
A sea of words
Age: 4-7 years old
What will teach: to read and compose words
Price: for free, for hints you will have to pay from 379Р
Download or open: Android, iOS, desktop
"Sea of words" invites the child to make as many words as possible from a certain set of letters.
The higher the level, the more initial letters and the more words to be composed. But the length of the words is known, so some of them can simply be guessed. In addition, there are hints - children will see the first letter of one of the hidden words.
The game has more than 2000 levels and 6 languages, so you can learn more than just Russian words. The only drawback is that there is no built-in dictionary. Therefore, at more complex levels, the child may encounter words that he does not know. Parents will have to explain them.
/List/IKEA-FOR-KIDS/
What to buy in ikea children
Words from words
Age: from 6 years
What will be taught: Read and be attentive
Free Download: Android, iOS
The old game of making short words from one long one has found a new life. Now you can play in the application, both alone and compete with other participants in the tournament.
At some levels, up to 150 new words can be made from one original word, and all unknown words can be looked up in the dictionary.
Home speech therapist
Age: 5-12 years old
What will teach: to speak correctly and think logically
Price: free of charge; a new lesson can be opened for viewing ads
Download: Android, iOS
The Home Speech Therapist application will help those who cannot yet contact a professional speech therapist. 350 lessons will allow you to practice problematic sounds and correct minor speech defects that almost all children have at an early age. In addition, in the process of completing tasks, the child will develop memory and logic. But a child must be engaged in this application with an adult.
2048
Age: 7-12 years old
What will be taught: Logically think, be attentive, count
Free
Android, iOS, desktop
game, which is dedicated resembles tags, was created by 19-year-old Italian Gabriele Cirulli in the JavaScript programming language and posted in the public domain.
Therefore, there are dozens of options that differ only in graphics, but with the same rules.
Two deuces appear on the square field. They can be moved in all directions. Identical numbers are summed up, so twos eventually turn into fours, and fours into eights. The player's task is to get 2048 in total. The child trains the skill of addition and learns to build a game strategy, calculate a few steps ahead - like in chess, only easier.
/list/sport-doma/
In a cramped room and without dumbbells: 12 online services for training at home
Skazbuka
Age: 2-6 years
What will teach: to think both as an engineer and as a philosopher
Price: trial subscription - 149 R per month, then - 999 R for 3 months
Download:
, iOS
Skazbuka is an educational application with beautiful graphics and a familiar voice: Vadim Demchog voices tasks.
