Preschool geometry activities
Teaching Shapes in Pre-K - PreKinders
By Karen Cox | Affiliate Disclosure | Filed Under: Shapes
There are lot of ways to teach shapes in Pre-K. Here are a few ideas I use in my classroom.
Memory Game
Put three shapes on a tray, cover them with a cloth, and take one away. Uncover it and children guess which shape is missing. Another way to play is to have the children show what they saw using their own set of attribute block shapes or draw what they saw.
Shape Bingo
Trend makes a great shapes and colors bingo game (or you could make your own). My kids love bingo games.
Shape Collage
For beginners, provide a lot of pre-cut shapes for children to use to make a picture. Write their dictation on the paper, and ask them to talk about or describe the shapes they used. More advanced children can trace attribute blocks onto construction paper, cut them out, and glue them onto another piece of paper.
Shape Boxes
These are small paper mache boxes with lids I found in the craft store. They come in squares, circles, rectanges, hearts, and ovals. Children match the shape of the lid to the correct box. I included a bowl of plastic treasure coins, so they could put a coin in each box.
Geoboards
Children make shapes on the geoboard with rubberbands.
Geoboard Cards
Children duplicate the geometric design on one of the geoboard cards onto their geoboard using rubberbands. I made the geoboard cards by photocopying the Geoboard Dot Paper from Math Their Way, and drawing different designs on them. These can be made to accomodate varying skill levels.
Tangrams
Children match the shapes and sizes of the tangrams to the outlines of the shapes on the tangram mats. These tangram mats came from a book called Tangramables, by Learning Resources (Item #LER 0318).
Pattern Block Geometric Designs
Children love to make their own designs with the pattern blocks. The rules are that the blocks must lay flat and must touch on at least one side.
You may also want to use some pattern block mats.
Shape Book
Children make a book with 4 pieces of paper stapled together. They cut pictures from magazines and glue them on a page. For example, a tire on the circle page, a door on the rectangle page, a slice of pizza on the triangle page.
Shape Monster Book
The text of this book reads: “Shape monster, shape monster, Munch, munch, munch. How about a [blue circle] for your lunch.” You can print this book from HubbardsCupboard.org. The source for this idea is an unknown teacher from the Teachers.net chatboard. As far as I know, it is not copyrighted by Hubbards Cupboard, but the site does provide the printable.
Shape Snacks
Cereal Shape Sorting
Children sort mixed cereal pieces.
Examples:
Squares: Chex, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cookie Crunch, other
Circles: Cheerios, Fruit Loops, Apple Jacks, other
Rectangles: Frosted Mini Wheat
Children sort the cereal by shape.
Square Snack
Children spread peanut butter or spreadable cheese on a square saltine cracker.
Rectangle Snack
Children decorate a graham cracker rectangle with icing and sprinkles. These can also be broken in half to show the difference between a square and a rectangle.
Circle
Children cut out a piece of bread with a circle cookie cutter, and spread on butter or peanut butter and jelly.
Children decorate a sugar cookie with icing.
Children spread cream cheese and jam on an English muffin.
About Karen Cox
Karen is the founder of PreKinders.com. She also works as a full-time Pre-K teacher in Georgia. Read more...
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40 Easy And Fun Hands-On Shape Activities For Preschoolers
One of the first math concepts that preschoolers learn is identifying shapes. They begin to distinguish among the different shapes and categorize items according to shape. They learn the names of shapes and their characteristics.
They find shapes in everyday items. This collection of shape activities for preschoolers can lead preschoolers to explore shapes in all kinds of ways.
Shapes Activities for Preschoolers
These activities will help your preschoolers learn their shapes. These shape activities for toddlers, will work in your preschool classroom and your kindergarten classroom.
1. Road Shapes with Cars (Pre-K Pages) – 22 printable road shape mats to help your litte learners identify shapes.
2. Making Shapes with Play Dough (Pre-K Pages) – A fun, hands-on playful learning experience that uses play dough to teach shapes!
3. Pattern Block Shapes (Pre-K Pages) – Pattern blocks can actually help your little learners build a strong foundation for learning geometry later.
4. Making Shapes with Geoboards (Pre-K Pages) – If you haven’t tried geoboard activities in your classroom yet, your kids are going to love them!
5. Create a Shapes Photo Book (Pre-K Pages) – To introduce shape concepts to my son, I grabbed the book So Many Circles, So Many Squares from our library as the anchor to our learning ship.
Using this book, we went on a shape scavenger hunt and made a fun shape keepsake.
6. Perfect Square Shapes Art (Pre-K Pages) – This Perfect Square art activity is so easy to set up and totally open-ended. It goes perfectly with the book and would be an excellent addition to a shapes unit.
7. Building Shapes with Craft Sticks (Pre-K Pages) – Pair this activity with the book Shapes, Shapes, Shapes by Tana Hoban and you’ve got the perfect low-prep shapes lesson!
8. Teaching 3D Shapes (Pre-K Pages) – Here are some of my favorite ideas for teaching 3D shapes to young children in pre-k or kindergarten. I also wrote some very simple 3D shape songs for you that incorporate hands on learning; keep reading to download the 3D shapes printable song charts.
9. Nature Shape Scavenger Hunt (Pre-K Pages) – A Star in My Orange is a great way to reinforce shape recognition with your preschoolers. They will also immediately want to run outside for their very own shapes scavenger hunt in nature!
10.
The Shape of Things Chalk Drawings (Pre-K Pages) – Shapes are found, identified, and drawn in all preschool classrooms! Discovering just how often circles, squares, and triangles occur in our everyday life make them relevant to children.
11. Shape Wands (Pre-K Pages) – Make some shape wands and turn your home or classroom into the perfect place for kids to learn and identify shapes.
12. Shape Exploration (Pre-K Pages) – After reading the wonderful book Mouse Shapes by Ellen Walsh, I thought it would be fun to make a mouse that could be used in a shape game. The mice in the book explore shapes so, why shouldn’t we?
13. Make a Tortilla Shape Snack (Pre-K Pages) – We have the perfect recipe for exploring a math concept. Read aloud one great children’s book. Make a healthy and yummy treat. Combine the two together and you have a lesson on shapes.
14. Shapes Word Chart (Pre-K Pages) – This word chart focused on shapes but you can make a word chart for any topic.
15. “I Have Who Has” Shapes Game (Prekinders) – You may have seen the “I Have, Who Has” card games circulating the internet a lot lately, so this is a fun twist for Pre-K to teach shapes.
16. Games and Activities for Teaching Shapes (Prekinders) – Here are a fun few ways to teaching shapes, like shape bingo and a memory game.
17. Tracing Shapes on the Flannel Board (Teach Preschool) – A wonderful way to introduce letters and shapes while building pre-writing skills!
18. Hunting for Shapes (Teach Preschool) -Explore shapes with a fun and interactive game!
19. Exploring Shapes with Blocks on a Table Top (Teach Preschool) – A simple and engaging exploration of shapes and colors!
20. Learning Shapes by Rolling a Ball (Hands On As We Grow) – Try a fun hands on activity for toddlers for a creative twist to learn shapes!
21. Finding Shapes at the Playground (Buggy and Buddy)- Just print out the free shape hunt printable and go searching for shapes at the playground with this fun geometry activity for children!
22.
Geometric Shapes Math Activity (Little Bins for Little Hands) – This simple geometric shapes activity for kids is easy to do at home or as a math center in school. It also makes a terrific STEAM project including a bit of art and design too.
23. Gruffalo Themed Shape Animals (Educators’ Spin on It) – Exploring shapes with young children can be such fun when you involve a few animal friends from The Gruffalo.
Shapes Activities for Preschoolers
24. Feed the Shape Monster Game (Imagination Tree) – Make a fun activity for preschoolers and school aged kids with this feed the hungry shape monsters sorting game!
25. Sticky Shape Bugs Activity (Mom Inspired Life) – This was a great way to develop fine motor skills and critical thinking skills while learning about shapes.
26. Learning Shapes with Spaghetti Noodles (Teaching Mama) – Looking for a fun way to teach shapes? Well here’s a very fun way using spaghetti noodles! This hands-on activity also is a great sensory activity.
27. Matching Shapes to Outlines (Busy Toddler) – Create this fun easy DIY shape mat to practice shapes with your preschoolers.
28. Chalk Shapes Jumping Game (Craftulate) – All you need for this shape activity is some sidewalk chalk!
29. Open and Closed Polygons Game (JDaniel4’s Mom) Grab some LEGOs and have fun with these polygon games, like hockey!
30. Shape Sensory Squish Bag (Still Playing School) – Create this sensory squish bag with triangles, circles, and squares. It’s irresistible to touch and talk about in the window or on the table. It’s super easy to make, too!
31. DIY Shape Puzzles (Munchkins and Moms) – If you have some Jenga blocks and markers, then this easy DIY shape puzzle will be a fun engaging activity for your preschoolers.
32. Stamping Shapes in Kinetic Sand (Still Playing School) – Stamping shapes into kinetic sand is a great opportunity to work on shape identification, count the sides and corners, and compare and contrast the shapes.
33. Making Trucks from Shapes (Powerful Mothering) – Using your wooden blocks to draw and create trucks!
34. DIY Waldorf Square (Rhythms of Play) – An easy DIY toy for kids made with wooden blocks and liquid watercolor paints.
35. Magazine Shape Hunt and Sort (Mom Inspired Life) – This magazine shape hunt is jam-packed with learning! Kids will learn shapes while they practice cutting, gluing and sorting. It’s also an awesome way to work on critical thinking and observation skills.
36. Building Rockets with Shapes (Stir the Wonder) – Building rockets with shapes is a fun way to review shapes and colors with toddlers and preschoolers!
37. Build on Shape Outlines (Brick by Brick) – Use wooden blocks in a new fun way and work on shapes at the same time!
38. Shapes in Our Neighborhood Book (Munchkins and Moms) – Go for a walk and look for shapes in the neighborhood and then create a photo book after!
39. Sorting Shapes in the Sensory Bin (Learning 4 Kids) – Your preschoolers will practice their shapes and fine motor skills while having fun with this shape sensory bin.
40. I Spy Shape Hunt (Munchkins and Moms) – Create these fun easy spy glasses and go on a shape hunt!
Follow my Shapes Pinterest Board for more great ideas!
Abstract of the lesson on FEMP for children of senior preschool age "In the edge of Geometry"
Purpose: to consolidate knowledge of known geometric shapes, their properties, to develop memory and observation skills.
Tasks: to consolidate the ability to model from geometric shapes. Teach children to navigate in a limited area (sheet of paper). Improve your dialogue. Form the need for physical activity.
Materials and equipment: presentation on electronic media, multimedia, 2 magnetic boards with magnets, laptop, projector, audio recording, 2 posters with an image consisting of geometric shapes, mathematical set "geometric shapes" - 2 pcs, chest, letter, posters with the tasks “What is superfluous?”, colored pencils for each child, sheets of white paper according to the number of children, “pebbles” of round and oval shape.
Lesson progress
Caretaker: Guys, I want to invite you on an unusual journey. Unusual because the country we are going to is not on the map. What is this country? This country is Mathematics. And today we will visit a very interesting region - Geometry. What kind of land it is, who lives there, what the inhabitants do - you will find out all this by answering questions and completing all the tasks that the inhabitants of this unusual land have prepared for you. Ready to start your journey?
Children: Yes!
Caretaker: Excellent! Then we close our eyes and say the magic words:
We stomp our feet, clap our hands,
Let's close our eyes, say: "Ah!"
And we will be visiting!
On the slide of the projector is a picture of a fairy forest. Children open their eyes.
Educator: So, here we are already in this unusual land.
Look carefully around. There must be a task left for us somewhere.
Children look around and find a chest.
Educator: What a beautiful chest! Yes, there will probably be a task in it. (open the chest) Guys, here is a letter: “Dear guys! We are very glad that you came to visit us. To find out who we are, you need to solve riddles and complete our tasks. And here is the first riddle:
The plane flies through the sky
Delta wing,
On my bike
Triangular seat,
There is such an object, a square,
And all this - ....
Children: Triangle.
Educator: Of course, well done!
(On the screen, in the picture of the forest, a fabulous inhabitant of the country appears: the little man Triangle)
Look, here is the first inhabitant of this region - a triangle.
And we read on. Listen.
He's been my friend for a long time
Every angle in it is right.
All four sides are the same length.
I'm glad to introduce myself to you. And my name is...
Children: Square.
The next character appears on the slide - man Quadrilateral
Educator: Wonderful! We continue.
We stretched the square
And presented at a glance,
Who did he look like?
Or with something very similar?
Not a brick, not a triangle,
Became a square - ...
Children: Rectangle.
A Rectangle man appears on the slide.
Educator: Great! We listen further.
The wheel rolled
After all, it looks like
Like a visual nature,
Only for round figures.
Guess dear friend
What is this...
Children: Circle.
The person Krug appears on the screen.
Caretaker: Excellent. Move on.
If I took a circle
Slightly compressed on both sides
Guess, children, together,
I would have..
Children: Oval.
Another inhabitant appears on the screen - Oval Man.
Educator: Good! And the last riddle.
triangle filed
And got the figure.
Two obtuse corners inside,
And two sharp - look
Not a square, not a triangle,
It looks like a polygon.
Children: Trapeze.
The last figure appears on the screen - little man Trapeze.
Educator: Well done, guys! You have solved all the riddles.
What are the inhabitants of this region?
Children: are figures. Geometric figures.
Educator: Right. Various figures live in the edge of Geometry. Look at the screen and name all these shapes again.
Children answer (triangle, square, rectangle, circle, oval, trapezoid)
Educator: What figures do you still know?
Children's answers. (Rhombus, hexagon, cylinder, cone…)
Educator: Well done! Guys, the inhabitants of this country offer us to continue the journey. Close your eyes and count to three.
At this time, the picture changes on the screen - river bank
Teacher: Where were we transferred?
Children's answers: (River bank, lawn)
Educator: Great! We are on the banks of a beautiful river.
The inhabitants of this country have prepared tasks for us. Before proceeding with their implementation, we need to split into two teams and each team to stand in a column one after the other. Look, guys, I attach a poster with a symbolic image consisting of geometric shapes to the board for each team. Nearby is a set with geometric shapes. Listen to what task you have to complete: you need to jump one by one to the board, look at the image, choose any suitable geometric figure, put it on the mat and run back to your column. The next participant also jumps to the board and chooses the next matching piece and constructs the image as in the sample. The team that completes the task first wins. And yet, guys, please note that in addition to the shapes, additional elements are used in the image. Don't forget about them too. Ready? 1, 2, 3 run!
Children perform a task - a relay race. After that, the correctness of the task is discussed.
Educator: Great, guys! The inhabitants of this region give us another task.
That's what it is: we need to get to the other side of the river. But how to get over if there is no bridge, Guys, look carefully, there are pebbles in the river. Some are round in shape, others oval. The task of the first team is to get over to the other side, stepping only on the stones-circles, the other - on the stones-ovals. Who will move to the other side, sit down at the table. Well, let's get down to the task.
To the cheerful music, the children take turns overcoming the obstacle and sit down at the tables. Where one more task is prepared for them.
Educator: Excellent! Everyone returned, no one got their feet wet. And here is the next task from the inhabitants of the edge of Geometry. In front of you are pieces of paper with pencils. You must follow my instructions. Listen carefully and draw.
- Draw a blue square in the upper left corner.
- Green triangle - in the center.
- Red oval - in the upper right corner.
- Orange rectangle - in the lower right corner.
- Yellow circle - in the lower left corner.
Children complete the task, then check everything together.
Educator: Very good. Our journey is coming to an end. It's time for us to go back to kindergarten. Geometric figures give us the last task for today. Look at the board, which piece is superfluous and why?
On the board, posters are hung in turn with tasks for finding an extra figure in a line. For example, one of the geometric shapes is voluminous, the rest are flat; circle, other shapes with corners, etc.
The teacher calls the children to explain the solution to the task, or the children, if they wish, go to the blackboard on their own.
Educator: Well done, guys! You also completed the last task. Now answer my question: Who are the inhabitants of this amazing region?
Children's answers: The inhabitants of this region are geometric figures.
Educator: Of course! Correctly! Well, that's where our journey ended. It's time for us to say goodbye to the inhabitants of this country and go home.
Close your eyes and say the magic words:
We stomp our feet, clap our hands,
Let's close our eyes, say: "Oh!"
Let's go home!
Here we are at home.
Guys, did you enjoy your trip? In what country and in what region were we today? What do you remember the most? What did you like? What task was the most interesting?
Abstract of a lesson on the formation of mathematical representations for children of senior preschool age. Theme: "Geometric figures" | Plan-summary of a lesson in mathematics (senior, preparatory group):
Municipal budgetary preschool educational institution
Stepnoozersky child development center kindergarten "Golden Fish"
Blagoveshchensky district of the Altai Territory
Abstract of the lesson on FEMP
"Geometric figures"
for children of senior preschool age
Author: Gamoley Lyubov Nikolaevna
Stepnoe lake settlement
5
Abstract of the lesson on the formation of mathematical representations
for children of senior preschool age.
Topic: Geometric shapes: triangle, square, rectangle, circle, oval.
Purpose: improvement of knowledge about geometric shapes.
Tasks:
Educational:
- clarify and generalize children's ideas about geometric shapes: triangle, square, rectangle, circle, oval and their main features, continue to teach to find geometric images in the environment.
Developing:
- expand and activate the dictionary through the names of geometric shapes; develop visual and auditory perception, figurative and logical thinking; improve communication skills; develop communication skills, fine motor skills.
Educational:
- to cultivate interest in mathematics, active curiosity.
Types of children's activities: play, communicative, cognitive.
Material:
Handout: counting sticks, a set of planar geometric figures, landscape sheet, colored pencils.
Demonstration: presentation "Mathematics", images of objects of different geometric shapes.
Vocabulary: round, square, triangular, oval, rectangular.
Preliminary work:
- didactic games "Color and shape", "Pick up an object by shape"
Methods and techniques:
Visual: show presentation, pictures depicting objects of different shapes.
Verbal: questions for children, guessing riddles, describing geometric shapes.
Game: didactic games, specially organized situation, physical education, eye gymnastics.
Organizational moment
Good afternoon! I'm glad to meet you. Today you are waiting for exciting games and much more interesting things. I would like you to succeed and have a good mood all day long.
Course of the lesson:
1. SLIDE "Mathematics"
Teacher:
2. SLIDE. This morning I received a video letter from Dunno. Let's see it together: “Guys, my friend Znayka gave me tasks that I can’t do in any way, because I don’t know geometric shapes. Please help me complete these tasks.
”
3.SLIDE.
- Oh, this Dunno! Well, can we help? We'll have to help Dunno, he asks very much!
4. SLIDE. I propose to proceed with the first task.
I will guess riddles, and you guess.
Listen:
Three peaks,
Three corners,
three sides -
who am I? (triangle)
5.SLIDE - Absolutely right! - Well done.
- I suggest taking counting sticks and making a triangle out of them. (independent performance of the task).
- In your set of geometric shapes, find triangles that are different in size.
- What do all these figures have in common? (show) How are they different?
2 - Riddle
It is my friend for a long time,
Every angle in it is right,
All four sides
Equal length.
I'm glad to introduce myself to you,
And my name is (square). Correctly.
6. SLIDE
What interesting things do you know about the square? (Children's answers)
- Make a square out of counting sticks.
- In your set of geometric shapes, find squares that are different in size.
- What do these figures have in common? (show) How are they different?
3 - Riddle
Two squares - twins
Halves of their father.
Attach the sides,
Say the name of their father (rectangle).
7.SLIDE
- What interesting things do you know about a rectangle? (Children's answers)
- I suggest you make a rectangle out of counting sticks.
- In your set of geometric shapes, find rectangles that are different in size.
- What do these figures have in common? (show) How are they different?
- Oh, something is all mixed up in my head, so I suggest you take a break.
8.SLIDE - Fizkultminutka
The locomotive roared
And the wagons drove:
“Choo-choo-choo, choo-choo-choo!
I will rock you far!”
Green trailers
Run, run, run.
A round wheels:
Knock knock, knock knock, knock knock!
4 - Riddle
- What geometric figure do the wheels look like? (Children's answers)
9.
SLIDE
- Offers to make a circle from sticks.
- Why can't you make a circle with sticks?
- What interesting things should we remember about the circle? (Children's answers)
- In your set of geometric shapes, find circles that are different in size.
- What do these figures have in common? (show) How are they different?
5 - Riddle
- Here is the riddle: I look like a circle, only slightly elongated, it turned out from a circle ... (oval).
10. SLIDE
- Can you make an oval out of sticks? Why? (Children's answers)
- In your set of geometric shapes, find ovals that are different in size.
- What do these figures have in common? (show) How are they different?
Educator:
- Do you know that a rectangle and a square are quadrilaterals?
- Why can they be grouped together?
- Do you know the name of a figure that has 5 corners? (Children's answers)
11. SLIDE
which has 6 corners? (Children's answers)
12.
SLIDE
13. SLIDE Well done!
14. SLIDE - Gymnastics for the eyes.
15.SLIDE - Task 2
- You have an envelope on the table, there are pictures in it. Choose an object from the proposed pictures and show me which is similar in shape to a geometric figure - a circle, a triangle, a square, an oval, a rectangle. (Children's answers) Well done!
- What do you think, what will happen if geometric figures are put together? I suggest you come up with a picture and make it up from geometric shapes on an album sheet (Children complete the task on their own).
- Tell us what geometric shapes you made (house, sun, Christmas tree, butterfly, flower, etc.)
16. SLIDE - Task 3
- I suggest you draw three cats using geometric shapes figures are not repeated. For example: my cat will have a round head and a square body (we circle the figures), draw the ears, tail and mustache. The second cat will be drawn from other shapes, and so on. (Children complete the task on their own).
