Shape activity for preschool
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!
Colors and Shapes Activities For Preschoolers
Have a look at the Best Colors and Shapes Activities for preschoolers to figure out how to teach shapes to your kids. These ideas are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers . Not only will they be working on basic preschool shapes they will also work on early math skills and even learn preschool colors too. Don’t forget to add this to your Preschool Shapes Theme Week.
Did you know that preschool shapes recognition is an early math skill? You also may be wondering how to teach basic shapes to preschoolers or toddlers and what shapes preschoolers should learn. The shapes for toddlers to learn are: Star, Square, Triangle, Circle, Heart, Rectangle, Diamond and Oval. This page will be updated constantly to add more shapes activities. This list of Shapes themed toddler activities as well as preschool activities constantly make a reappearance in our home.
The Best Preschool Shapes Activities
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- Shapes Activities through a 4 year olds eyes Check out two of my daughters favorite shapes activities in her new YouTube video… have your child learn along with her.
- Shapes Activities through a 4 year olds eyes Check out two of my daughters favorite shapes activities in her new YouTube video… have your child learn along with her.
Don’t forget to follow our New YouTube Channel for kids.
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Preschool Shapes Matching Activity
This sticky shapes activity is a shapes sorting activity.
The contact paper removes the need for glue and makes it easier for a toddler. This learning shapes and colors for toddler Printable activity looks as pretty as it is fun. My toddler had a blast placing the small stars in the big star.
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Preschool Shapes Math Hunt Sensory Bin
This puzzle shapes hunt activity works wonderfully with any puzzle you have at home. Kids will learn their shapes through a sensory experience. The Shapes sensory bin can be made harder by having your child close their eyes and feeling the shape. My toddler was impressed by my preschool shapes game. -
Toddler Shapes Activity Fishing
This shapes fishing activity is a fun shapes water play activity. Toddlers and preschoolers will use their fine motor skills to catch the shapes. They can then sort them in the muffin tin. -
Shapes Cutting
This activity is coming soon and will be added asap. -
Preschool Shapes Paint Resist Activity
We love to do contact paper resist activities.
We especially loved this shapes painting resist activity because of how beautiful the pictures turned out and how defined each shape was. -
12 Preschool Shapes Sensory Bins from around the web
We love sensory bins in our home and these 12 shapes sensory bins from around the web give you many different options on teaching your child shapes through sensory exploration. -
Jelly Beans Color and Preschool Shapes Matching
Who can resist colorful jelly beans play? This activity works on shape and color recognition. -
Shapes Fine Motor Activity
This activity is a little more advanced and works well for older preschoolers and elementary grade schoolers. I also enjoyed sewing and weaving with the kids. You can work on color recognition too. -
Create a Preschool Shapes Stamp
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Make a Shapes Canvas Painting
This activity and project works great for Valentine’s Day, shape recognition and even name recognition.
There are so many possibilities and the results are the most beautiful painting that your child can be proud of. - Do A Dot Hearts Printable Preschool Shapes Activity
- Bingo Colors Printable Game These were definitely the best color and shapes activities for my preschooler!
Favorite Preschool Shapes Activities, Toys and Materials:
Please note that I will be adding more shapes themed activities here in the future so remember to bookmark this page.
Don’t forget to check out these awesome preschool printable letter crafts too.
Preschool shapes activities
Types of activities of preschoolers: playful, productive, cognitive, labor
Content
- 1 Why is involvement in activities important for a preschooler
- 2 Variety of types and forms of activities at preschool age
- 9.1 Productive activities
- 9.1 Productive activities
- 4 Creative activities
- 4.
1 Visual arts - 4.2 Construction
- 4.3 Music and dance activities
- 4.
- 5 Cognitive research activity
- 6 Labor activity
- 7 Educational activity
Children of preschool age are always involved in some kind of activity. They run, play, look at pictures and books, want to wash dishes like mom, or knock with a hammer like dad ... The activities of preschoolers are diverse, and all of them are vital. So in childhood, three interrelated processes take place: the development of the cognitive sphere, the development of activities and the formation of personality.
Why involvement in activities is important for a preschooler
Various types of activities enable preschool children to actively explore the world around them, try their hand, and gain first experience.
Children's activity is understood as a process formed by need and specific actions. Ideally, the result is still important, compared with the initial desire (we got what we aspired to, or not).
But preschool children are far from always result-oriented; direct actions in which they are interested are useful to them.
The special value of the activity lies in the fact that there is a two-way process. Developing, the preschooler learns to perform more complex actions, and by engaging in activities, he is immersed in conditions that stimulate his development.
Conditions are created for the speech development of preschoolers through various activities. Whatever the child does, he accompanies his occupation with words. With the help of speech, children reveal the causes of behavior, express the goals of their actions: “I am building a house”, “I will comb my dolls”, etc.
A variety of types and forms of activity at preschool age
A preschooler gradually masters those types of activities that are feasible for him at a certain age stage. In early childhood, it is necessary to master actions with objects. Then comes the turn of the game, creativity and mental actions aimed at solving the problem.
Each age period is distinguished by the predominance of some types of activity over others. The dominant species is the most influential, therefore it is distinguished as the leading activity.
The involvement of the child in the case is carried out in different ways. Interest and attempts to do something can arise spontaneously under the influence of momentary desire, or when the baby observes others and seeks to imitate. Also, children's activities can be organized by adults and correspond to a specific goal to develop useful skills.
The child is especially prone to certain activities. Perhaps he has the makings of drawing or music, construction or logical thinking. Appropriate activities will help develop the abilities of a preschooler, given to him by nature.
A preschooler can enthusiastically build a house out of blocks or draw, but he is also attracted to collective activities. The collective form provides other possibilities.
The child sees what peers are doing, notices what actions are approved, and role models are formed in his mind.
Productive activities
Through separate activities, the child creates a real product that can be shown to others or appreciated. In these cases, productive activities of preschoolers take place.
These primarily include drawing, designing, making appliqués.
The peculiarities of productive activity lie in the fact that, by depicting or modeling, a preschooler receives multifaceted material for the development of perception. He needs to figure out the size and shape of the object, figure out how to display them on a sheet or in a model. The child develops the perception of color and the technique of detailed examination.
Playing activities
Most of the time a preschooler is busy with games. The game develops and is the leading activity at this age. For a period of 3 to 7 years, gaming activity changes greatly, enriched with new forms and content.
A three-year-old child can play alone, being carried away by an object. Interest in how peers play arises somewhat later. Younger preschoolers begin to imitate each other, show their toys, they can just run together, and for them this is already a game.
The most common in preschool childhood are outdoor and role-playing games. Outdoor games, such as hide-and-seek or catch-up, are aimed at developing motor skills.
They are distinguished by strict rules - otherwise there will be no game. Interestingly, until the age of 4, the child does not understand why he is running away or hiding, but he follows the rule. Even in such a simple activity, the formation of ideas about the rules and norms is laid.
Role play is especially important for a preschooler. Acting according to the rules of the role, the child develops imagination, masters the norms of communication, learns to control his behavior.
The game prepares the preschooler for the next type of application of his forces - for artistic productive activity.
Creative activity
Artistic or creative activity of a preschooler develops in accordance with the principle “from simple to more complex”. In children's creativity, much depends on the extent to which the child owns the means and methods of transforming everything that he sees, hears and feels into images and models.
There are very few such methods and means at the disposal of the younger preschooler. Only by the age of 6-7, a preschooler learns a lot: draw and cut out of paper, imagine images before they are embodied in a drawing or model, hold the idea of a conceived composition and consistently create it. Artistic activity, in turn, is represented by several types.
Fine arts
The child's fine arts include drawing, modeling, making appliqués. Classes are useful at any age, since children are more often attracted to the process itself, and not the result. It doesn’t matter that the baby gets only chaotic lines and circles. In these inept actions, the hand and the technique of drawing movements, visual perception develop, a sense of color and harmonious color combinations is formed.
Practicing drawing, a preschooler masters the space of a sheet. At 5 years old, he will no longer begin to draw everything in a row on one sheet, but will begin to demand a new one - one for the Snowman, and the other for the meadow with flowers. The child comes to understand that the creation of a drawing requires compliance with a single composition.
Making appliqués gives the child the first idea of symmetry. Symmetry becomes a discovery for a preschooler when snowflakes, leaflets and other elements of an applique plot are cut out of a folded sheet of paper.
After this practice, children develop the ability to see symmetry in the world around them.
Construction
The constructive activity of a preschooler is the construction of various buildings and the creation of models from Lego parts and other plastic or wooden sets. Paper construction belongs to the same category.
In practical actions, a preschooler discovers existing patterns.
There is an awareness of what shapes and sizes the parts should have in order for them to fit together. Experimenting, children come to understand that when building a tower, it is necessary to make the base wider so that it is more stable - this is how the concept of stability and balance is formed.
Construction develops the ability to perceive the object as a whole. A preschooler learns to plan a few steps ahead, and then implement his plan. This activity develops constructive thinking.
Musical and dance activities
Musical activities are rarely mentioned in the context of the development of a preschooler. At the same time, it is an actively present and important topic in a child's life. Children early begin to respond to music, the perception of musical sounds and rhythm is formed.
Preschoolers of all ages enjoy dancing to music. Musical abilities and ear for music develop.
Dance classes have a significant impact on the motor and general development of the child.
He remembers and performs the movements in a given order, learns to distribute attention between the direct execution of movements and observation of the coach or dance partners. At the same time, the ability to perceive a visual-motor image develops. As the dance moves are mastered, the preschooler can be creative and create their own dance.
Cognitive research activity
Cognitive activity of a preschooler contributes to the development of mental activity and thinking. Such activity can manifest itself in a practical and mental form. In the case when the child conducts the simplest experiments, cognitive research activity takes place.
The preschooler does not engage in experimentation for fun. He is confronted with a previously unknown property of the object and seeks to understand this property, to discover the argument. The child checks how the paper boat floats and what happens when the paper is completely saturated with water. He is experimenting with what can be thrown higher - a ball or a balloon.
In such activity, a preschooler discovers the essential features of objects and phenomena. He can not explain them, and then follows a chain of questions to an adult. Cognitive interest intensifies and pushes for new experiences. The value of children's research activity lies in the fact that it is a way of knowing the world around us.
Employment
A preschooler wants to be like mom or dad. He watches what adults are doing, and he also wants to try his hand. At this time, the child is driven by a strong interest and desire to be on an equal footing.
The child is fascinated by the process, not the result. He wants to knead the dough with his mother and water the flowers in the flower bed next to his father. The preschooler declares that he will help. It’s not a problem that the “assistant” will be covered in flour, or pour water from a watering can on himself. Participation in a useful cause is important.
The main rule that parents should be guided by is: don't get annoyed! The child shows independence, realizes his needs.
In addition, he absorbs the manners of adults, and the parental reaction will become a model of behavior for him in the future.
The child expects a positive assessment, praise, approval of his actions. A sense of pride in their achievements in a child manifests itself already at the age of 3 years, as soon as he discovered his own self. It is very important to praise the child and entrust him with the work that is feasible for him.
The special value of labor activity from the point of view of a younger preschooler lies in the fact that he becomes an employee of an adult and acts in a real situation, not a game one. The older preschooler has other priorities. He is happy to get to work if he understands its importance. Whatever the motive for inclusion in the activity, the preschooler gradually develops labor skills.
Educational activities
At senior preschool age, children become interested in more serious "adult" skills - reading, counting. Cognitive motives are formed.
All these are prerequisites for the fact that the child is ready to learn new things and solve more complex problems. Games and creative activities prepare the preschooler for learning activities.
The first skills of educational activity are instilled in a preschooler in a didactic game. Didactic games are games specially invented by adults so that children gain new knowledge and develop skills.
At first in a playful way, but over time, preschoolers listen to educational material with interest, read and perform simple counting operations even without a playful context.
With regard to learning activities, preschoolers should not be overloaded with new knowledge. It is much more important to prepare children for the fact that schooling requires the arbitrariness of cognitive processes. And for this it is necessary to conduct games with children for attention, for the development of arbitrary perception and memory.
In an effort to fully develop the child, adults need to remember that all activities of children benefit them.
It is important for a preschooler to play and draw, design and perform feasible household chores. Parents should give the child the opportunity to exercise independence, be patient with children's experimentation, and actively engage in joint activities. The development of all types of activities is paid attention in kindergartens, and the independent activities of children in preschool educational institutions are encouraged and supported.
Forms of organizing children's activities | Material:
Educator
"MADOU Malinovsky kindergarten"
Kukuzova E.S.
Forms of organizing children's activities
Any preschool institution has a PEP, which is implemented during the entire period of the child's stay in kindergarten. What form does it take? These are not only classes, because they take very little time in the daily routine. Therefore, other forms of organization of children are also needed. The main form is, of course, a game. Learning can take place during the game and it is necessary to make sure that during the game the child does not even guess that he is being taught.
But besides the game, there are other forms that allow you to make the life of a child in kindergarten interesting and eventful.
Consider these forms:
1. Workshop
2. Experimentation and research
3. Project activity
4. Collecting
Workshop is a form of organization
These are not just classes, joint activities prevail here, collective forms of work that have a certain social motivation (decorating a group for a holiday, making souvenirs, crafts as a gift). Here it is very important for the child to independently make a choice of activities. He can draw, sculpt, make appliqué, that's his choice. He has the right to ask for help from the teacher, and the teacher should provide it only when the child really needs it. The child works at their own pace. The main thing is that the work is completed and has a result. This is the pedagogical support. Also, the child can choose his own partner. This is the difference from traditional classes.
Experimentation and research is a form of cognitive research activity. It aims to broaden the horizons of children.
At what age is it supposed to start experimenting in kindergarten?
· From the 1st junior group (2–3 years old), children begin to take part in joint experimental activities with the teacher. While they are the simplest studies that help kids examine objects, noting their color, size or shape.
In the younger group (3–4 years old), cognitive research activity becomes more complicated. Together with the teacher, children learn to conduct experiments on the example of sensory standards. Thanks to experiments, they become aware of the previously hidden properties of the objects under study.
Experimentation in the middle group (4–5 years old) aims to develop in children the ability to independently obtain information about a new object. All senses are actively used for experiments.
· Using experimentation in the older group (5–6 years old), children should be encouraged to independently conduct experimental actions and reveal the hidden properties of phenomena and objects.
In the group preparatory to school (6-7 years old), cognitive and research activities are being improved. Not only independent work is welcomed, but also the choice of the optimal way of its implementation.
Experimentation in organized activities
In accordance with the educational program, experimental activities are planned in all age groups of the kindergarten, starting with the youngest in the area of "Introduction to the natural world."
It is planned to study with the help of experiments:
properties of sand, clay and stone;
properties of water in its various states;
temperature.
weighing heavy and light materials;
length measurement with yardsticks;
Observation of plant growth and the dependence of this process on lighting, temperature and watering;
study of color mixing.
Experimentation in free activity
In order for children to be able to do experiments on their own, a special subject environment and space for its development should be organized in the kindergarten.
The group has a free access to a special area - the corner of experimentation, which contains:
sets for experiments with picture instructions;
exploration toys - balls, cubes, small objects of various materials;
various natural materials - sand, water, clay, shells, wool;
measuring instruments - scales, measuring containers, hourglasses, rulers;
Instruments - pipettes, spatulas, measuring spoons, toothpicks, clear and colored glasses;
other saturated object medium - mirror, magnifying glass, salt, magnets;
Writing utensils for recording results.
Over time, each educator who supports the method of experimentation accumulates a lot of experience in using it in various activities. From the notes, a file cabinet will be formed, which contains natural science experiments for children on various topics. Below are examples of such topics.
Ecology:
structure of plants;
Conditions necessary for plant life;
plant propagation;
experiments in the vegetable garden and flower garden;
Experimental activities by season;
Animal research.
Research activities about man:
structure of man;
physiology;
Hygiene.
Physical experiments in kindergarten:
movement;
measurement;
magnetism.
substances and materials;
light and color;
sound.
Project activity is also a form of joint activity aimed at expanding the horizons of children, at educating the cognitive activity of a preschooler. Conditions are being created that allow children to independently or jointly with an adult acquire new experience, acquire knowledge through experimental, search methods.
It follows that the chosen topic is "projected" onto all educational areas through various types of children's activities. Thus, it turns out a holistic, and not broken into parts, educational process. This will allow the child to “live through” the topic in different activities, without experiencing the difficulty of moving from subject to subject, to assimilate a larger amount of information, to comprehend the connections between objects and phenomena.
The project is a set of actions specially organized by adults and performed by children, culminating in the creation of creative works.
The project method describes a set of actions of the child and the ways (techniques) of organizing these actions by the teacher, that is, it is a pedagogical technology.
The main thesis of the modern understanding of the project method, which attracts many educational systems, is the understanding of children why they need the knowledge they receive, where and how they will use it in their lives.
It is very easy to remember and understand that the project is 6 "P":
Problem;
Design or planning;
Search for information;
Product;
Presentation.
Portfolio, which contains accumulated materials (photos, drawings, albums, layouts, etc.).
Collecting is a form of cognitive activity of preschoolers. It is in it that the interests of the child are manifested.
These forms of activity are very important in the work of a teacher.
