Teaching Shapes To Children With Practical Examples

The best way to teach children about shapes is by discussing shapes around us. Everywhere, we can see shapes. In fact we are living in a world of shapes…shape land if you might want to call it. And yet, shapes come as little difficult to little minds. The problem is not with them but with the way we teach.
But if you choose to do shapes following STEM methodology, they are pretty  easy. Here are our recommendations:

1. Bring out your Kitchen: The bowl you eat in is circle. The plate you eat in is again a circle. Tray  is rectangle or a square. Glass is cylinder, dessert plate is oval. Kitchen is big shop of shapes. Let your child explore the kitchen and its wonders.

2. Look around the house: Invite your child to study the tiles on the floor, on the bathroom walls. What shapes are they? Is your room a square or a rectangle? Spot rectangular doors and square windows.

3. Shape Anatomy: Invite your child to look into the eyes…eye balls are round too! What face shape your child thinks you have? Make shapes with your fingers like a diamond, square, circle.

4. Play I spy Shapes: When your child is busy playing with his toys, casually sing ‘I Spy’ followed by name of the shape. Motivate to look him for that shape among his toys. Doodle is rectangle, ball is round, book is square…your child is surrounded by shapes everywhere.

5. Salt Tray: Take a deep tray and fill it with salt 1” deep. As you explore a shape, draw it with your finger on the salt. This sensorial shape activity will help your child understand the attributes and structure of shapes.

6. Cookie Pretend Play: Kids love pretend play games. Roll out some dough and let the Cookie Pretend Play game begin. You can order cookies according to shapes and your child has to cut them out using cookie cutter and act like a pastry chef.

7. Shape Hopscotch: Draw shapes on your driveway using chalk. Call out a shape and your child has to hop or run or tiptoe her way to the shape. A great game to club motor skills with math skills.

All the above games are simple, fun and are based on practical life activities. When daily life is integrated with learning, the latter happens naturally. No need to spend on an educational toy every time you try to teach your little one. Just a look around the surroundings is often enough!

Also read: Fun Ways Of Teaching Shapes To Tiny Tots

Explore the entire collection of articles: Early Learning & Brain Development

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