Do you ever look around and notice shapes all around you? You may see a round clock on the wall, a square picture frame, or even a triangle-shaped pizza slice! Shapes are everywhere, and guess what? They’re super important for kids to learn about when they’re little.
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So, let’s explore some of the best shape activities for preschoolers. In this blog, we will discuss some simple and fun ways to help preschoolers understand shapes like circles, squares, triangles, rectangles, and ovals.
Shapes might seem like child’s play, but they’re a big deal. Learning about shapes isn’t just about knowing the names; it’s about sharpening young minds and setting the stage for learning all kinds of stuff in the future. So, let’s get started and make learning shapes a fun adventure for your preschooler!
Related Reading: Best Pre-k Math Tips To Develop Math Skills
Basic Introduction to Shapes
Have you ever played with your food, arranging your pizza toppings into a triangle or stacking your sandwich bread in a square? Shapes are like our secret code for understanding the world around us!
- Circle: Think of round things, like a cookie or a bicycle wheel. They’re circles because they don’t have any sharp corners.
- Square: Squares are like building blocks with four sides, all the same length. Picture a chocolate bar with four equal pieces – that’s a square!
- Triangle: Triangles are those pointy shapes, like a slice of pizza. They have three sides and three corners, like a wizard’s hat.
- Rectangle: Books are often shaped like rectangles – longer on one side, shorter on the other.
- Oval: An oval is like a stretched-out circle, like an egg.
These shapes are all around us, from the sun in the sky to the windows in your house. Now, let’s have some simple and playful fun with them!
Related Reading: Shapes - Definition, Types, List, Solved Examples, Facts
15 Best Hands-On Shape Activities for Preschoolers
Shapes are more than just simple figures children draw; they are foundational elements of mathematics that play a crucial role in a child’s cognitive development. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), preschool teachers can create an environment where children are eager to explore and learn about math, particularly shapes and space. The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) emphasizes the importance of children understanding shapes by the time they leave kindergarten, highlighting activities such as analyzing, comparing, creating, and composing these shapes.
With this in mind, we’ve curated a list of engaging prek shape activities, each designed to nurture their curiosity and enhance their spatial understanding. Dive in and discover the world of shapes with your little ones!
1. Shape Hunt in Your Home
Transform your home into an exciting shape treasure hunt for preschoolers, encouraging them to find shapes in everyday objects. This engaging activity sparks curiosity and helps children recognize and distinguish various shapes.
Materials Needed: None
Instructions: Ask your child questions like, “Can you spot a square door or a round plate?”
2. Shape Sorting Game
Make learning shapes hands-on and enjoyable with this interactive game. In the Shape Sorting Game, preschoolers sort everyday objects by their shapes, reinforcing their understanding of circles, squares, triangles, and more.
Materials Needed: Small objects (e.g., toy cars, buttons)
Instructions: Prompt your child to sort items, saying, “Let’s gather all the circles here and the squares there.”
3. Nature Walk Shapes
Combine outdoor exploration with shape recognition during a nature walk, making learning shapes a delightful outdoor adventure. Preschool shapes activities like this encourage children to spot shapes in leaves, rocks, and clouds while connecting with the natural world.
Materials Needed: None
Instructions: While walking, identify shapes in leaves, rocks, or clouds, saying, “Look, a triangle-shaped leaf!”
Related Reading: Best Outdoor Games for Kids of All Ages
4. Playdough Shape Creations
Source: @5minutesformom
Have a blast with playdough as your little one shapes basic preschool shapes like circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles. It’s a hands-on and colorful way to introduce and explore shapes while sparking creativity.
Materials Needed: Playdough in various colors
Instructions: Shape playdough into different forms and ask, “Can we make a rectangle or a triangle?”
5. Shape Collage Art
Source: @pinterest
Shape Collage Art is a hands-on and artistic way for preschoolers to explore shapes found in the world around them. It’s a simple and enjoyable pre-k shapes activity that lets creativity shine. Create a beautiful collage using cutouts from magazines.
Materials Needed: Old magazines, glue, paper
Instructions: Cut out shapes from magazines and arrange them to make a unique shape collage.
6. Shape Puzzle Time
Source: @proeves
Enjoy a fun shape activity for preschool as you create your own puzzles. Draw shapes on cardboard, cut them into pieces, and solve them together. It encourages problem-solving skills and helps preschoolers become familiar with basic shapes.
Materials Needed: Cardboard, markers, scissors
Instructions: Draw shapes on cardboard, cut them into puzzle pieces, and have your child assemble the puzzle.
7. Shadow Shapes Game
Source: @raisingchildern
The Shadow Shapes Game is a simple and one of the most fun pre-k shape activities that combines play and learning. Use a flashlight to create interesting shadows and guess the shapes they form. It’s a fun way to learn about shapes in the world around you.
Materials Needed: Flashlight
Instructions: Shine a flashlight on objects and have your child guess the shape of each shadow.
8. Shape Bingo
Source: @twinkl
Shape Bingo is an enjoyable and straightforward way to make geometry activities for preschoolers entertaining and educational. It turns learning shapes into a playful game that kids will love. Replace numbers with shapes on bingo cards and enjoy a fun-filled way to reinforce shape recognition.
Materials Needed: Bingo cards with shapes (you can make them)
Instructions: Play a simple bingo game, replacing numbers with shapes and enhancing shape recognition.
9. Shape Stamping
Source: @mothercould
Shape Stamping is an easy and enjoyable way for preschoolers to explore shapes and colors through art. It encourages creativity and helps them become familiar with various shapes.
Materials Needed: Sponges, paint, paper
Instructions: Dip sponges in paint and stamp them onto paper to make colorful shape art.
10. Shape Obstacle Course
Source: @rehabshop
The Shape Obstacle Course combines physical play and shape activities for preschoolers, making learning about shapes an active and enjoyable experience. It helps children associate shapes with movement and promotes gross motor skills.
Materials Needed: Tape, cushions
Instructions: Create a tape outline of shapes on the floor, and encourage your child to jump or crawl through them.
11. Shape Treasure Map Adventure
The Shape Treasure Map Adventure adds an element of excitement and exploration to shape activities for preschoolers while making learning shapes feel like a thrilling treasure hunt. It’s a creative and engaging way to reinforce shape recognition skills in a playful manner.
Materials Needed: Paper, markers or crayons, small objects (as treasures)
Instructions: Draw a simple map with shape landmarks and have your child follow the map to find hidden treasures matching the shapes.
Related Reading: Best Scavenger Hunt Ideas for Kids Paired With Themes
12. Shape Storytime
Shape Storytime is a simple and enjoyable way to introduce shape activities for preschoolers through the magic of storytelling. It helps children relate to shapes in familiar and engaging contexts while fostering a love for reading.
Materials Needed: Picture books with shapes
Instructions: Read a story with shape-themed books, pointing out and discussing the shapes you encounter.
13. Build with Blocks
Build with Blocks is a hands-on, interactive, and simple way to engage in shape activities for preschoolers. It fosters creativity, shape recognition, and bonding through constructive play.
Materials Needed: Building blocks
Instructions: Build simple structures with blocks, discussing the shapes used in the process.
14. Shape Balloon Fun
Shape Balloon Fun is a light-hearted and easy way to introduce shapes during playtime. It adds a fun twist to learning about shapes and encourages simple interactions that help preschoolers grasp the concept.
Materials Needed: Balloons
Instructions: Inflate balloons and talk about their shapes while playing catch.
15. Shape Cooking Adventure
Combine shapes and delicious treats in a Shape Cooking Adventure that’s both fun and tasty. It’s a hands-on activity that brings the joy of baking into shape activities for kids.
Materials Needed: Cookie dough, cookie cutters
Instructions: Bake shape cookies together using various cookie cutters, and discuss the shapes as you enjoy your homemade treats.
These preschool shape activities and crafts are designed to be simple, engaging, and perfect for introducing your little one to the wonderful world of shapes.
Related Reading: Best & Fun Preschoolers Cooking Activities With Recipe
4 Extension Ideas and Variations To Teach Your Preschooler Shapes
Now that we’ve explored some exciting preschool shape activities, it’s time to take the fun and learning even further with some creative extension ideas and variations. These simple tweaks and additional concepts will add depth to your shape activities and keep your child engaged and eager to learn. Let’s delve into these innovative extensions:
1. Incorporating Colors with Shapes
Enhance the learning experience by incorporating colors into your shape activities. You can ask questions like, “Can you find a red circle or a blue square?” This combination of shapes and colors adds an extra layer of exploration.
2. Using Real-Life Objects for Shape Recognition
Take shape recognition to the next level by integrating real-life objects. When you’re out and about, point out things that match the shapes your child is learning. For example, “Look, that stop sign is an octagon!”
3. Combining Shapes to Create New Objects
Encourage creativity and critical thinking by combining basic shapes to create new objects or creatures. Challenge your child to make a house using squares and triangles or an animal using circles and ovals.
4. Incorporating Technology with Digital Shape Activities
Embrace technology by exploring digital shape activities and apps designed for preschoolers. Many interactive apps offer shape-recognition games and puzzles, making learning more engaging.
You can customize the learning experience to suit your child’s interests and needs by infusing these extension ideas and variations into your shape activities. These adaptations add depth, creativity, and excitement to the world of shapes, ensuring that your preschooler continues to explore and grow in their understanding of this fundamental concept.
Related Reading: Best Math Activities for Preschoolers
Conclusion
Shapes and spatial reasoning are foundational blocks in early childhood education. Dr. Sue Gifford’s insights from NRICH emphasize the profound connection between a child’s ability to understand and manipulate shapes and their mathematical development. Activities that challenge children to analyze, combine, and rotate shapes, such as puzzles and construction play, are fun and pivotal in enhancing their spatial thinking. The language we use, whether discussing the ‘curviness’ of a circle or the ‘edges‘ of a square, significantly deepens their understanding of shapes. Furthermore, physical activities that involve navigating spaces, constructing routes, or even simple tasks like stacking help children relate to shapes in the world around them.
Placing shapes at its heart is essential as we craft our early years curriculum. By doing so, we’re not just teaching children about geometry but equipping them with a comprehensive toolkit of cognitive skills that will serve them well in all areas of learning.
Related Reading: Best Math Apps for Kids
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do you teach shapes in preschool?
Teach shapes in preschool through hands-on activities like shape sorting and creative playdough shaping.
What are the shape concepts for preschoolers?
Shape concepts for preschoolers include recognizing common shapes like circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles, as well as understanding their properties.
How do you make shapes interesting?
Make shapes interesting for preschoolers by incorporating games, art, and outdoor exploration to engage their curiosity and creativity.
