Shape Activities
This game was supposed to be done with beanbags, we were going to toss them into the shapes… but a classic 3 year old breakdown about not being able to do it perfectly lead to me adapting it. I didn’t give up right away, but when he calmed down tried again, did a fine job and STILL broke down into sobs I couldn’t decipher, I decided to change it. So instead I threw on some music , and went for it. If you have a child who likes to throw and isn’t in the perfectionist stage mine is very painfully in at the moment grab some beanbags and take turns tossing them in for a fun varriation.
- Gather your materials. You will need some blue painters tape, a marker and paper. If you want add in some bean bags and music .
- Start by making shapes on the floor with the tape. We did square, diamond, pentagon, rectangle and triangle. Involve your child in this step by asking them to predict what the shape will be , asking them to count how many pieces or sides each shape has and to trace it with their feet by walking on it and pressing down the tape.
- Here is where you can start tossing bean bags in – simply call out the shape and have your little pitcher throw it in.
- Or you can do what we did and turn on the music , and have them find different ways to move while the music is on, and when it stops call out a shape for them to jump into.
- To make a more challenging variation write out some numbers . My son is big into speed limits right now so we went for big numbers, I suggested smaller numbers ( 10-20) but he insisted so I took him up on the challenge. You could also use letters or sight words too, for beginners try colors! As you will see in the video he needed help for these big numbers, which isn’t a bad thing at all but if you are playing this with many kids you will want the game to keep moving to keep them all interested and the inertia going so use numbers they are more familiar with.
- Pop the numbers into the shapes and play again. My intention was to have one number in each but my son wanted to put a whole bunch in the pentagon. Today was not the day to put my foot down . I wanted to play more than I wanted to force my specific rules on him.
Have fun remember that our best laid plans are often thwarted by our best loved little ones. I am glad i didn’t give into my growing frustration at his inexplicable meltdown and instead adapted the game. We had fun playing before and after nap .
Shape Books !
So Many Circles, So Many Squares
There’s a Square: A Book About Shapes by Mary Serfozo is a good shape book for preschoolers. Almost every illustration is made up of recognizable shapes and the text is made up of entertaining rhymes about the shapes on each page. My son thinks it’s funny that the shapes “Are sorta like people.” referring to the fact that the shapes are made into characters .
Dinosaur Shapes
It is no secret my son loves fire trucks. We often have to drive by the local station on the way home to see if the trucks are in or busy rescuing people. This fire truck craft does take some prep work but is a great lesson in shapes and as your child gets older you can simply give them the pieces and let them put them together like a puzzle. I was very hands off today and glad I was, he needed very little help. All I did was ask him where he thought each piece should go and what shape each was.
- Gather your materials. You will need some red, yellow, orange, white and black paper, scissors , a black marker and glue.
- Start by pre cutting the shapes. I started with a building with rectangle windows – this is not necessary I did this per my son’s request for something on fire. The picture of this is lost – I made it by cutting a black rectangle then folding it and making rectangle window cut outs.
- Next I cut out a ladder, a main rectangle for the truck, a square for the ab, a tiny square for the siren, 3 circles for the wheels and yellow and orange triangles for the flames coming out of the burning building. If your child is able simply draw the shapes and have them cut them out!
- Time for your little learner to join you. Add glue for the shapes.
- Start piecing them together- we started with the main part of the truck then the ladder.
- The cab and wheels.
- Don’t forget to ask your child what all these shapes are! Next we added the small square for a siren.
He added the building 
- Next he channeled his toddler self and pretended to eat the glue ” No I am not eating it mama, I am playing with the air puffs.” That didn’t make me feel better !
- And the triangle flames.
- Let dry.
Books
Flashing Fire Engines
All Aboard Fire Trucks
Tonka: Fire Trucks 
Shape Tree
This is a fun way to make a shape lesson festive. This Christmas tree craft is perfect for toddlers and young preschoolers but older kids will enjoy it too, just make sure to provide fun papers and have older children cut out their own shapes! Also I have always found it tricky to work trapezoids into shape activities for young kids, this is a perfect time!
- Gather your materials. You will need a red piece of construction paper, a green piece , some fun contrasting scrap pieces ( I used old card stock) , scissors, glue, some plain white paper , yellow marker and a paper punch if you have it.
- Start by drawing the tree with 1 triangle and 2 trapezoids on the green paper. Cut out.
- Next draw a star on the plain white paper – set aside.
- Invite your child to the table and have them color the star- lately my son has been playing ” Am I done yet?” after making one dot of color my reply is always ” I don’t know are you?” to which is keeps coloring and the game continues.
- While they color cut out the circles and squares for the ornaments.
- Hand your child the red paper and glue. I showed my son how the shapes fit together to make a tree before handing him the glue. The sneak peak was all he needed to understand what we were making.
- Pop the largest trapezoid on , don’t forget to label the shape or ask your child what it is.
- Add glue for the middle.
- Add the shape.
- Add glue for the triangle on top and add it.
- Time to add the shape ornaments. My son was not happy that I pre-cut the shapes, so he had to make some too.
- Add as many or as few as your little Picasso decides. What’s nice about this craft is that kids are able to manipulate the shapes themselves, instead of simply identifying them on a page.
- While they do that cut out the star.
- Add glue for the star
- Pop it on top. Let dry.
Because this is a flat craft this is a great one to send to far away grandparents or other loved ones in the mail !
Books
Christmas in the Barn
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story
The Star Tree
Reader’s Request
I had a reader ask if we had any scarecrow crafts, I didn’t but I came up with this. shape scarecrow! There are a lot of steps but my almost 3 year old breezed through it, we talked about the shapes, and each body part as we added them . You will notice that my shapes are way less than perfect, but if they are clearly recognizable you are golden. Time is short for anyone caring for young kids, don’t fret over your shapes being perfect!
- Gather your materials. You will need 5 different color pieces of construction paper ( you can use scrap if you want for all but one) we used orange, green, yellow, neutral and light blue , 2 large googly eyes, a marker, scissors and a glue stick.
- Start by drawing a scarecrow head and mouth. Cut out.
- Next cut out ( or have your child cut out) a triangle hat and rectangle shirt and arms from the green paper.
- Cut out many smaller rectangles from the yellow paper for hair.
- Cut out a orange triangle for the nose and 3 orange circles for the buttons.
- Start gluing. Now you can just let them at it but to me this isn’t a creative project at all, it’s too structured for that, to me this is a shape lesson really. Here is what I do. Show your child the shapes and ask them what they look like. I help up the large rectangle and asked my son if he thought this was the scarecrow’s head, ” no it’s his belly!” Glue it on. Don’t forget to ask what each shape is or label the shape for them.
- Next add the head… I suggested this was an arm. My son set me straight! Don’t forget to have fun!
- Keep labeling, and adding the shapes to build your scarecrow. Here he is adding the hair.
- Add the arms.
- If you are doing this with young toddlers don’t forget to label the colors as well! Add your hat!
- Add the eyes and nose.
- Add your buttons.
- Let dry!
Shape Books
Clay Quest Minis: Search for Shapes!
So Many Circles, So Many Squares
by Ellen Stoll Walsh is a cute book that not only helps teach shapes it is also entertaining! The three crafty mice use the shapes to protect themselves from one hungry cat finally using them to make scary mice to frighten the cat away! Kids love to help find which shapes are used in the illustrations and older ones can even anticipate what the mice will make next!
Princesses and the color pink are both welcome and well loved in our house. My son’s favorite sippy cup right now is one with Cinderella so we decided to make a princess wand . Using sticky back foam is crucial for keeping this craft in the realm of super easy! I couldn’t believe how well it held up to my son’s abuse this morning, the jewels stayed on, although please only do this craft with kids that will not place the jewels in their mouths, they are a choking hazard. You could use markers and simply skip the jewels and glue.
- Gather your materials. You will need a sheet of sticky back foam ( sparkly if you can), a dowel, glue, plastic gems or sequins, scissors , ribbon and a marker.
- Start by drawing 2 identical stars on the back of the same sheet of foam. I used a star cookie cutter as a stencil.
- Cut out. Do not take the back off yet.
- Invite your child to come and glue the gems on. We played with them for a while, pointing out shapes, and colors.
- Let dry. This took a long time. I pressed all the gems down a few hours after to make sure that the sparkly surface was stuck to the gem.
- When dry peel back the paper on the underside of the star to reveal the stickiness press the dowel into it.
- Peal back the paper on the 2nd and sandwich the dowel, press down carefully but with some force.
- Add a ribbon and you are ready to rule the kingdom!
Books
“Princess Smartypants” by Brenda Cole is the antithesis of the classic beautiful frail princess stories, but it still ends with happily ever after. Princess Smartypants does her own thing and doesn’t understand why her family is so obsessed with finding her a husband. She bends to their wishes but still does things her way. I think this is a great message about happiness and confidence for girls and balances out some of the other princess stories. She was happy just the way she is and didn’t need a spouse to feel complete.
“Good Night Princess Pruney Toes” by Lisa McCourt is a fun carefree book about a happy loving father and daughter. Princess Pruney Toes emerges from her bath to rule over her kingdom before bed. I love that the dad in this story follows along with his daughter’s imagination. I think it’s so important for parents to play with their kids and what’s better than pretend play? This lovely book is another fresh look at what makes a princess and that even princesses wishes can be easy to grant.
“The Paper Bag Princess” by Robert Munsch is one of my very favorite books. Some parents have shared their dislike of Elizabeth’s outburst at the end calling Ronald a bum but I think not only is it justified, he treated her horribly, but people say things when they are angry and you can easily use it to teach your child about anger. I think it’s a wonderful story about a princess taking things into her own hands and saving herself and the prince! My kind of fairytale.
