Fun Ways to Teach Children About Shapes

Here are 10 fun ways to teach children about shapes 

Sorting Activities with Shapes

You can collect items from around the classroom or house – it can be just about anything – and have your child sort the different items into piles according to shape. You can use wooden blocks, magnetic tiles, toys or foam blocks, and begin by modeling how to differentiate between different shapes. These sorting activities reinforce the idea of “same” versus “different” shapes, and help children learn the unique attributes of different shapes. 

Make Shapes with Playdough 

Making shapes with Playdough is a hands-on activity that engages children’s minds and hands. You can print out shape guides that instruct children on which shape to construct with the name of the shape on the paper. This fun game engages children’s minds to associate a shape with a name and engages their hands to form the shape based on their knowledge of what the word means. 

Play Hopscotch with Shapes

Switch up the learning environment by taking children outside to learn about shapes. Draw a hopscotch with chalk on the sidewalk, but instead of putting numbers inside the tiles, draw different shapes. The children can begin by going through the hopscotch and naming the shapes as they hop onto them, and then you can challenge them further by creating a pattern for the children to follow. For example “only hop on shapes with 4 sides” and then allow the children to create their own patterns so they actively learn what shapes look like. 

Teach Shapes with Snacks 

Teach children about shapes that they can eat! Some snacks are already in the perfect shape, but you can get creative with some others. You can cut a sandwich into a star shape or cut an orange into circles and have the children identify each shape with the name of the snack. When they get the answer right, they can eat the delicious snack as a reward. 

Create Shapes with Geoboards

Parents and teachers love using geoboards to teach children about shapes, numbers and letters. All you need for this activity are the geoboards, some rubber bands and printed guides on how to make the shapes. Begin by showing children how to use the rubber bands to create shapes, and then ask them to make a square, circle, triangle, etc based on the printed guide. Then, you can challenge them by removing the printed guides and ask them to make shapes based on memory. 

Use a Sensory Table to Learn About Shapes

Sensory tables are a great way to engage children’s different senses to promote creativity and imagination rather than just memorization. To do this activity, fill a bin with a base material and then add shapes to the bin for the children to pull out and identify. 

Here are some common base fillings you can use based on the level of mess you’re willing to clean up: 

• Sand
• Water 
• Rice 
• Dry cereal 
• Shaving cream 
• Glitter 
• Uncooked pasta
• Shredded pieces of paper

After you fill the bin with one of these materials, find objects to place inside the bin. You can use some of the following materials:

• Magnetic tiles 
• Laminated paper cut out into different shapes
• Wooden blocks 
• Rubber toys in different shapes

It’s best to start with the basics such as cut out shapes in a bin full of rice or dried cereal and then move onto more advanced objects and fillings that engage children’s senses with different textures. 

Puzzle Games with Shapes

You can buy a puzzle board for children to match shapes and learn how they look and feel. The way this game works is there’s a board with shapes hollowed out in the board and puzzle pieces in different shapes to fit into the board. With this, children can place the puzzle pieces into the hollowed out sections of the board to match the shapes. This game helps children physically associate what shapes look and feel like.  

Baking with Shapes

Baking yummy goods is a great way to engage children and teach them about shapes. For this, you need cookie dough and cookie cutters in different shapes. Have the children identify the shapes on the cookie cutters, and then use the cutters to create shapes in the cookie dough. To challenge children further, ask them to make a triangle shaped cookie or a star shaped cookie and allow the children to actively recall what shapes look like. Then bake the cookie dough and the children can enjoy the treat as a reward for learning about shapes. 

Make a Shape Monster

This is a fun, simple craft activity where children can use their creativity while learning about shapes. 

To do this, you will need: 

• Colorful paper cut out into different shapes
• Pipe cleaners
• Strips of paper 
• Glue or tape 
• Markers 

Have the children pick shapes and add arms, legs and faces with the different materials. Then you can hang them up to display the children’s work. This is a fun game that you can customize for different holidays or events. 

Go on a Shape Hunt

This activity is similar to a treasure hunt. Begin by using a set of flashcards with different shapes on them. Ask the children to identify the shape on the card and then find an object in the room with the same shape. This encourages children to associate common objects with different shapes. You can also take the hunt outside for a different learning environment, and ask children to find shapes in nature. You can even make a fun magnifying glass out of laminated paper for the children to hold up next to the shapes to make the game more fun and investigative. 

Learning about shapes is a fundamental aspect of children’s development. Now you know some creative ways to teach children about shapes. For more educational learning, visit The Learning Experience’s Bubbles and Friends YouTube channel here!