10 Ways To Help Your Child With Learning Shapes
Learning shapes is an important early math skill and language skill. Even before children say their first words or take their first steps, they’re noticing and playing with shapes.
So what are some shapes that preschoolers should know? At a younger age they may only know basic shapes, but their knowledge will grow with age!
Basic shapes for toddlers to know:
- Circles
- Squares
- Rectangles
- Triangles
Examples of advanced shapes:
- Hearts
- Arrows
- Stars
- Semicircles
- Ovals
How can you help your child learn and use shapes? These 10 tips can help you talk to your child about shapes, and get familiar with them as they approach school age.
1. Make shapes with play dough
This is a great way to explore 2D and 3D shapes! Use play dough to try forming different shapes. You can either ask your child to create a shape, like a circle (or sphere) or a square (or cube). You can also ask them what shape they’re making as they create something!
2. Cut snacks into shapes
No matter if you’re cooking together or preparing a snack for your little one, you can make eating a fun learning experience! Some examples of shapes in snacks are:
- Circle: English muffin or bagel, egg yolk, anything in a bowl (such as yogurt), blueberries
- Square or rectangle: Slice of cheese, piece of cut fruit, piece of toast, cracker
- Triangle: Piece of watermelon, slice of strawberry, slice of pizza, ice cream cone
3. Play board games
Board games are full of flat shapes. If your child is old enough to play a board game, then use shapes to describe what they should do. For example, “Move your game piece to the blue square.” See a list of board games for all ages!
4. Draw shapes together
Paint, use markers, or use crayons to draw shapes together! Creating art is a fun and colorful way to learn shapes. Let your child get creative with their use of shapes as well; for example, they may turn a circle into a yellow sun, or a square and rectangle into a house!
☑️ Tip for an expert Speech-Language Pathologist: Remember to label what you are doing. For example, say “I am drawing a yellow circle”, or “I colored the square red”.
5. Cut out shapes
Do crafts or play activities that use shapes. Bonus, cutting out shapes is a great fine motor exercise and helps your child learn how to use scissors!
6. Read books with shapes
There are many ways to expose children to shapes through picture books. Look for a book that is either about shapes, or one that uses clear shapes in the illustrations. As you read, point out the shape.
7. Explore through toys
So many childhood games use shapes. Sometimes the shapes are part of the goal of the game, while other times it’s just a feature. Name the shape you are playing with. Try playing with:
- Blocks
- Balls
- Shape sorters
- Puzzles
8. Point out shapes when you see them
Shapes are everywhere! Start with the basic ones, but as children get familiar with those you can add in more advanced shapes.
☑️ Tip from an expert Speech-Language Pathologist: When pointing to shapes, make sure your child is looking at where you are pointing. As you label the shape, try to make statements instead of asking questions. This helps them learn the shape. For example, if you see a triangle, say “I see a triangle,” rather than asking “Do you see the triangle?” or “What shape is it?” Go back and forth between shapes to show comparison.
- Use everyday materials: point out shapes in toys, books, pictures, or food.
- Look for shapes outside: Look closely at flowers, talk about the shape of a pool, or look for shapes on a playground.
- Notice buildings: Architecture is full of basic shapes! Point out windows, roofs, or doors.
- In the car: Point out the shapes of road signs or things in the car.
9. Describe shapes to expand their vocabulary
Use words that accurately describe shapes. Point to the part you are describing, or trace it with your finger. Use shape names like “square,” or “circle,” and also describe the features, such as:
- Top, bottom, sides or edges
- Corner or angle
- Straight, curved or rounded
10. Introduce words for 3D shapes
Three-dimensional (3D) shapes are a more complex type of shape. While two-dimensional (2D) shapes are seen as “flat” (such as a circle drawn on a piece of paper), 3D shapes have more sides and are more like real life objects (such as a ball).
Young children may not understand the difference between 2D and 3D just yet, and that’s to be expected! But you can start using words to describe these shapes, like:
| 2D Shape | 3D Shape | Real life examples of the 3D Shape |
|---|---|---|
| Circle | Sphere, Cylinder, or Cone | A ball (sphere), a can (cylinder) or an ice cream cone (cone) |
| Square | Cube | Dice or a box with sides that are all the same size |
| Rectangle | Cuboid or rectangular prism | A box with sides of different lengths or a block |
| Triangle | Pyramid or triangular prism | A triangular tent (pyramid) or a slice of pie (triangular prism) |
Once you start noticing shapes around you, you’ll see them everywhere! Use this opportunity to show your child shapes and make them a part of your everyday activities.
