Lesson plan on shapes for toddlers

16+ Shape Activities for Preschool Lesson Plans

In order to be ready for kindergarten, preschoolers benefit from learning their shapes. Here are 16+ shape activities for preschoolers that are already formatted into weekly lesson plans. There are shape activities for toddlers, too!

Already-Planned-For-You Shape Activities for Preschoolers

Learning shapes is the most basic skill within the geometry discipline of math, so it makes sense that we spend some time teaching our preschoolers about shapes.

But there’s more to shapes than just their names. These preschool shape activities will take you beyond just memorizing shape names.

Kids learn best with hands-on activities, and that what these are! Toddlers and preschoolers alike, and even kindergarten students, will love these fun shape activities because of all that hands on learning! They are easy to set up and require minimal materials.

FAQ About How to Teach Shapes to Preschoolers

The following are the most frequently asked questions about how to teach shapes to preschoolers and toddlers, including which preschool shapes are appropriate for learning. there are lot of shape activities for kids that include free printables, like these lesson plans, making teaching shapes super easy!

How do you teach preschoolers about shapes?

In preschool, children learn to identify and name shapes by using materials such as posters, blocks, games hands-on manipulatives, and books. Learning shapes is a process and requires repetition and practice. Scavenger hunts, shape collages, and sensory bins all help children learn to identify basic shapes.

What shapes should preschoolers know?

By the time a preschooler is bound for kindergarten, they should be able identify the following shapes:

~ circle
~ square
~ triangle
~ rectangle
~ oval
~ rhombus
~ heart
~ star

You can find this and more in my Toddler & Preschool Assessment & Portfolio Pack.

Why do we teach shapes to preschoolers?

Shapes are the foundation of geometry! In a preschool setting, geometry skills include identifying shapes, comparing shapes, differentiating between shapes, and creating shapes.

Teaching shapes to your preschooler is more than just teaching them to name them. Learning shapes helps children identify and organize visual information, learn spatial awareness and visual discrimination. Learning shapes also helps children understand other signs and symbols, such as street signs or icons on a computer app.

How do you teach shapes in a fun way?

There are endless fun pre k shape activities for use in the classroom! We have included eight hands-on center activities and games in our lesson plans that teach shapes to preschoolers. Plus, we have created specific shape photo cards which encourage preschoolers to dive deep into a photograph and make connections to how shapes are all around us.

Related Reading

Hands-on Preschool Shape Activities

These shape activities are available in a download at the end of this post. They offer 16+ activities to complete over the course of a week and are a part of my Learn At Home Preschool Lesson Plans.

To see more of my free Learn At Home Preschool Lesson Plans, just click below.

>>> Learn At Home Preschool Lesson Plans Collection <<<

Or Get the Convenience Bundle

These weekly lesson plans for preschool can all be found for free on my site, but you can save time by grabbing the convenience bundle.

Literacy Activities for a Shapes Theme

Building Letters & Shapes Using Pipe Cleaners – Did you know that learning shapes help children recognize letters? Letters are very similar to shapes. The letter V is a triangle missing a side, and the letter O is just a circle. Using pipe cleaners, invite your preschooler to build some basic shapes. Can you turn any of those shapes into a letter or number with a quick tweak? What new letters/numbers can you make?

Shapes and Letters Collage – Using an old magazine or two, invite your preschooler to cut out all different kinds of shapes. While looking for shapes, encourage them to look in the magazine for the letters in their names. Look for favorite toys or foods, too! Cut everything out and assemble on a collage. Invite your preschooler to talk about their collage and name all the items they picked out. Then display it proudly!

Don’t Forget Picture Books About Shapes

When I first started teaching, there weren’t many picture books to help teach shapes to preschoolers. But things have changed! Here is a book list featuring my favorite shape books to read to my preschoolers.

Math and Science Activities for a Shapes Theme

Geometry Shape Train – Help your preschooler learn about the different properties of shapes by manipulating them to fit into a specific shape or design on paper. This activity develops spatial awareness and shape recognition. Print the train template and the shapes, and match the shapes to fill the train! Your growing engineer will love this activity!

Shape Activities with Movement – Grab some painters tape and make a few large shapes on the floor. Encourage your preschooler to trace the shape with their hand (and foot!) and hop, dance, or slide across the shape. This is a good activity for rainy days, too.

Which Shape is the Strongest? – Fold three pieces of construction paper into differently-shaped tubes. Fold one tube into a triangle, one into a square, and the other into a cylinder. Test which tube is the strongest when putting various items with a similar weight on top.

Playful Learning Activities for a Shapes Theme

Body Shapes – What shapes can you make with your body? Invite your preschooler to lie on the floor and try to make different shapes. What if you worked with a sibling or friend? What shapes can you make then? Take pictures of your preschooler and show them the shapes they made.

Mirror, Mirror Game – Face your preschooler and have them attempt to copy all your movements. Be silly! Run in place! Act like a monkey! Then switch roles and copy your preschooler. Can you make shapes with your body or hands? Challenge your preschooler to name “new shapes” they might create with their bodies while you copy them.

Sock Basketball – Help with the laundry by tossing clothes into the basket. Roll up clothes into a ball (or sphere) and toss them into the laundry basket. Two points for making it in on the first try! Make it into a fun game and gather all the laundry from around the house to be a big helper.

Social-Emotional Activities for a Shapes Theme

Kid Yoga – Devoting time to stretch, move, and center our bodies is great for people of all ages! Go to YouTube and watch the video Kids Yoga Alphabet. Join in with the instructor and encourage your preschooler to practice some of the alphabet shape movements. If they are hesitant, allow them to watch and begin when they are ready. Encourage taking deep breaths, trying to be calm and centered, and model making mistakes as you try different poses. Keep it fun and engaging!

Drawing Confidence – Go to YouTube and listen to the book A Drawing Game by Anitha Murthy. After listening, invite your preschooler to do just like the young girl in the book and think of the shapes when she intends to draw something. As children get older, they often struggle with their drawing not matching the idea in their head or get frustrated when it doesn’t come out as they had hoped. Encouraging your preschooler to always think of the shapes when drawing will help them feel confident and like a true artist!

Just Plain Fun Activities for a Shapes Theme

Shape Flower Craft – This fun craft allows your preschooler to get creative with shapes and colors. Cut out various shapes from construction paper…the more the better! Challenge your preschooler to use the shapes to make various flowers. How many different designs can they come up with? If you have a preschool class, make an entire flower garden of shapes to hang on the wall!

Shape Pizza Craft – Kids love pizza! So why not make a shape pizza using construction paper? Invite your preschooler to draw various shapes on colored paper that represent the toppings. Circles for pepperoni, rectangles for cheese, triangles for pineapples…the options are endless! Glue them all down on a large circle for your pizza crust and have fun being a pizza chef! This is also a great activity to add to your Food and Nutrition Theme.

Playdough Shapes – Get creative with playdough shapes! Make houses, pizza, cakes, cars, and more. What shapes are used to make these different items?

Our Favorite Toys to Teach Shapes

You don’t need specialty toys or manipulatives to be an effective teacher, but if you’re looking for some shape manipulatives, these are some of the most used in my own classroom.

Safe Online Activities for a Shapes Theme

Online Story – Go to YouTube and listen to the book Round is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes by Roseanne Thong. As you are listening, review any unknown words with your preschooler. Encourage your preschooler to answer the questions on each page as you read to make this book even more interactive.

Learn Shapes with Pete the Kitty – Follow along with our favorite Pete the Kitty and learn shapes and colors! And who doesn’t love Pete the Cat?!

Shapes are Everywhere Song – This song offers a great way to help your preschooler identify the names of the shapes, as well as where we see these shapes in our everyday lives.

Get Your Free Preschool Shape Activities Here

These shape activities ate written up as lesson plans to be completed in about a week’s time, but you can use them any time of year! Grab your free Learn At Home Preschool Lesson Plans by clicking the image below.

You Might Also Like These Lesson Plans

This Shapes Preschool Math Unit includes everything you need to teach beginning geometry and shapes in preschool math!

It gives you the lesson plans and the centers, as well as smaller daily math activities to keep your students learning. Not only will your preschoolers learn how to identify basic shapes, but they will also develop spatial awareness skills.  From matching and sorting to graphing shapes and tracing, your preschooler will gain a strong foundation in geometry with these lesson plans.

With four complete weeks of lesson plans and over 36 hands-on activities, your preschooler will love math, too!

Sarah Punkoney, MAT

I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.

stayathomeeducator.com/

Shapes Lesson Plans for Preschoolers

Learning shapes is the most basic skill within the geometry discipline of math, so it makes sense that we spend some time teaching our preschoolers about shapes. But there’s more to shapes than just their names. With hands-on and exciting activities, plus a detailed scope and sequence for the whole unit, these shape lesson plans for preschoolers this is one math skill that will be a breeze to plan for.

Preschool Shape Activities & Lesson Plans

When I sat down to create a preschool math curriculum, I focused heavily on ensuring that the lessons, activities, and centers were designed to develop the math skills of every. child.

I knew it needed to spiral and review key concepts multiple times throughout the year, gradually increasing in difficulty. This approach is ideal because it covers math topics throughout the entire year. This allows children more time for mastery and an opportunity to increase the rigor of each lesson.

Learning shapes helps children identify and organize visual information. Shapes encourage preschoolers to visualize and connect to the world around them. Learning shapes also helps children understand other signs and symbols, such as street signs or icons on a computer app.

These preschool or kindergarten shape lesson plans are perfect for helping you plan engaging and developmentally appropriate lessons and activities for your students without loads of prep and time.

Related Reading

FAQ About Teaching Shapes to Preschoolers

How do you teach preschoolers about shapes?

In preschool, children learn to identify and name shapes by using materials such as posters, blocks, games hands-on manipulatives, and books. Learning shapes is a process and requires repetition and practice. Scavenger hunts, shape collages, and sensory bins all help children learn to identify basic shapes.

Why do we teach shapes to preschoolers?

Shapes are the foundation of geometry! In a preschool setting, geometry skills include identifying shapes, comparing shapes, differentiating between shapes, and creating shapes. Learning shapes provides children with spatial awareness and visual discrimination as they identify different shapes.

How do you teach shapes in a fun way?

There are endless fun pre k shape activities for use in the classroom! We have included eight hands-on center activities and games in our lesson plans that teach shapes to preschoolers. Plus, we have created specific shape photo cards which encourage preschoolers to dive deep into a photograph and make connections to how shapes are all around us.

Related Reading

Shapes Hands-On Supplies

This curriculum is designed to be low-prep and utilize the same supplies during each math unit. Buy it once, and use them over and over again for different learning purposes! Take a look at some of the resources we use for each unit. These items are staples for any early childhood math curriculum.

All About Shapes Lesson Plans

These shape lesson plans for preschoolers are designed for up to a five-day-week program, but activities within a week can be removed and skipped for two or three-day-week programs. There are lots of activities that develop shape recognition, learning shape attributes, and using pattern blocks to develop spatial awareness and learn to draw and create 2d shapes.

Discovery Activities/Math Photo Cards

The discovery activities are so much fun! Each week contains a real photograph or illustration for the children to interact with. The photo relates to the concept and encourages oral language and math vocabulary development. Plus, the vibrant photos expose children to different places, animals, and cultures. It’s easy to see that math really is everywhere in our daily lives!

The math photo card example below shows a colorful plate of food filled with fun shapes! This engaging photo invites young learners to identify shapes they see, count the number of like shapes, and discuss the sides or lack of sides that the shape has. Kids learn that shapes are all around us, even on your lunch plate! Each photo card includes mathematical points, teaching tips, and engaging questions to encourage your children to think about each photo through a mathematical lens.

Daily Dip

The daily dip is a review activity to reinforce previously taught skills. You will notice valuable teaching tips throughout the review lessons. These tips offer insight to help execute specific strategies in
the lessons. This section is optional depending on time and student needs but is certainly a valuable component of each day.

The photo below shows examples of the first week of the shapes unit. You’ll notice that the activities include counting, sorting, and matching which were learned in the previous units to ensure exposure and practice to essential math skills all year long.

Teach and Engage

The teach and engage section is a brand new daily lesson for your students packed with new learning. This component of the curriculum includes lots of modeling and student interaction. Each lesson includes a bonus section that offers tips on how to make the lesson more challenging and provides extensions for children who are ready for more difficulty.

Shape Centers for Preschoolers

Shape centers and games are invaluable in preschool. We have included lots of hands-on shape games and math activities for pre-k that allow children to independently practice with engaging manipulatives. Remember independent centers should always be supervised in preschool and kindergarten.

Shape Formation Mats

This center reinforces how to draw the shapes and to make observations about each shape. These shape mats also children with valuable pre-writing skills and pencil grasp development. They can also be used with counters, buttons, pom-poms, or other small items laid along the lines to help with fine motor!

Shape Clip Cards

This center focuses on visual discrimination between basic shapes and colors. The grey shape at the beginning encourages the child to find the matching shapes regardless of color. This center can also be made self-checking by adding a dot on the back for children to check their work. Add popsicle sticks to this center and encourage children to try and create the focus shape. Are you able to make a circle using popsicle sticks? Why or why not?

Shape Train

This game is print is such a fun way to learn shapes. Piece the train shapes together to create one long train on the table. Then roll the number and shape die to move your game marker along the train identifying the shapes as you go. Play continues until each player reaches the end of the train. This center also includes a more complex version with advanced shapes like the rhombus, hexagon, pentagon, etc.

Shape Puzzles

This center is all about the shapes! Children are invited to identify the gray shape and then find the matching puzzle piece with the same colorful shapes. This center is a great opportunity for children to make their own puzzles by drawing the shapes and creating matching pieces.

Everyday Shapes I Spy

Put the I Spy mats on a table with counters. Invite the child to choose a shape on the bottom of the mat and put a corresponding colored counter on top of each corresponding everyday shape. Continue until all the everyday shapes have been found. This center is also easy to differentiate with two versions of each mat, one with the total number of shapes on each mat and one version without.

Shape Playdough Mats

This center is all about the formation of shapes and hands-on fine motor learning. Invite the students to select a shape playdough mat. Encourage them to identify the shape. Then smoosh the playdough onto the shape, making it flat like a pancake, to match the shape. For more shape practice, add the cut-up straws around the shape, (use yarn for the circle since it has no sides), creating a border/shape outline. This center also provides the opportunity for children to create their own shapes using playdough and identify the sides and corners as well.

Everyday Shapes Sorting Mats

These everyday shape mats help children make the connection between shape drawings and shapes found in the real world. Mix up the everyday shape cards and set them in a face-down pile next to the sorting mats. Draw an everyday shape card and sort it onto the corresponding shape mat. Continue until all the everyday shape cards are sorted.

Spin and Cover Everyday Shapes

This spin and cover game is a perfect independent center for practicing shapes in the everyday life! Invite the child to select a spin and cover mat. Once they spin the spinner and identify the shape, they find the corresponding shape on the mat and cover it with a counter. Play until all the shapes have been covered!

Math to Literacy Connections

We have also included eight optional literacy activities that infuse math picture books. Children learn best through colorful illustrations and storytelling. These eight picture books bring shapes to life and build upon other math skills (counting, colors, patterns) as well.

Grab these fantastic books about shapes here!

Bear in a Square by Stella Blackstone
Big Box of Shapes by Wiley Lewis
Mouse Shapes by Ellen Walsh
Shape by Shape by Suse MacDonald
The Shape of Things by Dayle Ann Dodds
Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert
Walter’s Wonderful Web by Tim Hopgood
Round is a Tortilla by Roseanne Thong

Get Your Shape Lesson Plans for Preschoolers Here

The daily lessons in shapes are completed and ready to use! Filled with daily lesson plans, centers, activities, and even literacy connections, this shape math unit is all you’ll need for your preschool lessons.

Looking for a Preschool Math Curriculum for the Whole Year?

We’ve got you covered! From sorting to graphing, counting to shapes, this preschool math curriculum is loaded with engaging activities, literacy connections, and daily photo cards to spark joy in math.

Related Reading

Lauren Vaughan

I am an educator, book enthusiast, and a stay at home momma to two precious and long-awaited littles. My degree is in Early Childhood Education and Curriculum and Instruction and I have spent the last 15 years working with young children. I feel very fortunate to have this time to watch my babies grow and I can’t wait to share my passion for learning and reading with you!

Methodical development of a lesson summary for children with ASD and TMND on the topic: Geometric shapes. | Lesson outline (Grade 3):

Lesson summary on the subject: "Mathematical representations"

Teacher: Tretyakova Elena Sergeevna.

Lesson topic: Geometric shapes (circle, square, triangle)

Lesson type: knowledge consolidation lesson.

Purpose of the lesson: to consolidate the ability to recognize geometric shapes.

Tasks:

1) learn to pronounce the names of geometric shapes and correlate them with objects in life.

2) develop visual attention, hand-eye coordination.

3) to instill perseverance and discipline.

Equipment:

Demonstration material - cards with geometric shapes: circle, triangle, square, number cards.

Handout - task cards for each child, geometric shapes templates, geometric shapes stencils, scissors.

Course of the lesson:

1. Approximate and motivational stage:

1. Check the correct seating of the children, set them up for work (guys, we have a lesson, sit at the desk correctly. Now I see that you are ready to listen to me)

2. Today guests came to our lesson, let's get acquainted let's say what your name is (I throw the ball, the children say their name). We met with our guests.

3. Temporal specification (now look at the blackboard and say the day, month, day of the week, season)

2. Setting a learning goal:

1. Preparing for the perception of the topic of the lesson (today we will travel around the country "Geometric shapes" and perform very interesting tasks.) And for starters, let's remember the mental count).

2. Oral counting (up to 5, number row on the board). Lyosha counts up to 10 (number row on the desk)

3. Task "Name the number" (the teacher shows a card with a number, the children call it)

3. Application of previously acquired knowledge:

1. Repetition of geometric shapes (the teacher shows the cards: circle, triangle, square and pronounces the name of the geometric shapes together with the children). Guys, let's remember the names of the figures with which we have already met.

2. Work on individual cards "Circle the dots". Sign your work. Lesha has a task of a more difficult level.

3. Task “What has changed”.

- What shapes do you see? (square, circle, triangle)

- How many are there? (3)

- What color? (yellow, red, green)

- Close your eyes. Be careful (remove one shape. ) Which shape did I hide?

Fizminutka:

Hands to the sides, into a fist

Unclench and to the side.

Left up

Right up

Sideways, crosswise,

Sideways, down.

Knock knock, knock knock

Draw a big circle.

4. Continue the series:

5. The game "Geometric shapes" - recognition of figures and their correlation with objects (circle - apple, triangle - tree, square - cookies)

IV. Reflective-evaluative stage:

1. Lesson reflection.

Guys, did you like the lesson?

Summary of the lesson. Evaluation of work in the lesson:

Well done, you did a very good job today. The lesson is over. Thanks to all!

Abstract of the lesson on the game and play therapy "Introduction to geometric shapes (circle, square)" | Lesson outline (grade 1):

State budgetary educational institution

boarding school No. 16

Lesson summary

on mathematical concepts

teacher of the class "Special child"

Dolgorukovoy E.Yu.

Grade 1 "Special Child"

09/24/2019

Topic: "Introduction to geometric shapes (circle, square)"

Lesson outline

Subject: mathematical representations (introduction to geometric shapes

Class: 1st grade

Tasks:

Educational:

1. Introduce the child to geometric shapes - circle, square.

2. Learn to examine shapes (draw outlines with your finger; name them; find similarities with environmental objects; group geometric shapes by shape).

3. Exercise children in the correct naming of shapes: "circle", "square".

Developing:

1. Develop children's logical thinking (learn to choose an unnecessary object from others).

Educational:

1. Cultivate perseverance, interest in cognitive activity.

Activity

- I brought you something today. Let's see what's in this box. I brought us different figures.

Lots of (colorful) geometric shapes.

- This is a circle.

. Let's wrap our fingers around it like this. Now show me how to trace the circle with your fingers. (At the same time, the teacher teaches to pronounce the word "circle"). Let's draw a circle in the air with our finger.

- And this is a square

We will also circle it with our finger, only now my finger makes movements like this: first straight, then the corner, the finger turns down to the corner, then again the corner, from the corner we move the finger to the left, the corner, and move your finger up. Show me how to trace a square with your finger.

- Now let's draw a square in the air with our finger.

(Alternately, showing circles and squares of different colors, the teacher asks for their name and color).

- And now we will think about what the figure looks like - a circle, the same round (in the sun, an apple, and a square (in a house, a cube). Look, we have an apple tree, but there are no apples on it

Here the boy is playing, but he has no cubes

Let's help the apple tree and the boy. Take your figurines and decide where to hang the circle and the square? What a fine fellow! The circles look like apples, so they hang on the tree, and the squares look like cubes, so you gave them to the boy.

Look at the card:

There is something unnecessary, superfluous here. We have to put it away (close). Look closely, what should we close? (Mug) Why? (Because all geometric shapes: a circle and a square, and a mug is not a figure, it is a dish, so it is not needed and we will remove it).

Learn more

• 
  Activities for teaching vowels
• 
  List of rhyme words for kids
• 
  Strong l words
• 
  Night time stories for children
• 
  Early math concepts
• 
  Word book game
• 
  Sounding letters of the alphabet
• 
  Story about seasons
• 
  Poor social skills examples
• 
  Sound out words game
• 
  Popular adjective list