I have been working on writing my new printable Build Preschool thematic units, and I made this game for my mini unit on shapes. It is a simple game that is targetted at preschoolers to play independently or with a friend. This printable game is quick, it’s designed to be one of many activities out during free choice time and is also perfect for quiet time. It can take a little while to roll that last star, but that offers children a lesson in perseverance in a very age appropriate structure.
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Gather your materials. You will need the printable game board, a foam block, a sharpie and a something to use as a game piece; I just used a 2nd foam block.
Start by printing off the game board. Click here to print.
Next, grab a foam block, I got mine at The Dollar Tree and your sharpie. Draw the shapes from the board onto the block. Let dry a minute or two.
Grab a tray to keep the die with the game and play! Start on the START star and roll the die, move forward to that shape and continue.
Books About Shapes
So Many Circles, So Many Squares by Tana Hoban is a picture book that is all about shapes in our environment. There is page after page of pictures of daily life, food, signs, etc – with the simple question of finding the shapes in the photos. It’s a great book to use as a launch pad into a shape hunt in your own home or around town and worth a few looks because you will be surprised at the shapes you missed the first time.My Heart Is Like a Zoo
by Michael Hall is a simple book that uses heart shapes to create a whole zoo full of animals. The illustrations are bold, the text is simple, and it is a great book to spark an activity where children look for shapes in everyday items. A lovely book for toddlers and up.
Flip-a Shape: Go! by Sami will keep busy toddlers interested in all the shapes that are made with a school bus, boat and more! The simplistic and bright illustrations coupled with the movements of the flip a shape, this book will be a hit with your toddler!
Dinosaur Shapes by Paul Stickland will delight you and your dinosaur fan. The book is geared towards toddlers and young preschoolers who are still mastering finding basic shapes. A shape is displayed on one side of the page, and then those silly dinosaurs are playing with it on the other. My son loves dinosaurs so even though he’s known these shapes for ages it’s an enjoyable book with fun text and adorable illustrations by Henrietta Stickland.
Mouse Shapes 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.
Ken William says
1 very good article, that offers children a lesson in perseverance in a very age appropriate structure.