Shape Activities for preschoolers are effective ways to promote preschoolers’ learning about shapes and an excellent way to encourage a child’s passion for math. Additionally, shape activities for preschoolers are very easy to carry out, with any available items and materials available with you, and you are good to start. These will be a sure hit to do at home and school.
As a leading Montessori preschool in West Adam, Los Angeles, we give importance to activities for preschoolers. We make sure that every activity we provide is effective to increase children’s ability in their early development stage. And we are committed to helping parents like you to find and provide activities that best suit your preschooler.
In this article, we compiled a list of 15 engaging shape activities for preschoolers. These activities enhance kids’ understanding of shapes and their characteristics, and also, these are ideal ways to keep kids entertained at home. The best part of these activities is that they provide your child with a whole new perspective on shapes and how they can be used in everyday life. Additionally, these shape activities also serve as recycling activities for preschoolers because most of the materials used are readily available from your daily life. But before learning all of these engaging activities, let’s first learn the importance of teaching shapes to preschoolers.
The Importance of Teaching Preschoolers About Shapes
There are many advantages of teaching preschoolers about shapes. But the most important ones are:
1. Develop Problem-Solving Skills – Shape Activities can help preschoolers learn to think analytically and solve problems. Shape activities can help preschoolers learn to create different models of objects. Some shapes are made of only one piece, while others have more pieces that go together. Additionally, These shape activities can help preschoolers recognize the simplicity of one-piece shapes, increasing their creativity and developing their imaginations.
2. Categorization and Comparisons – Learning about shapes helps preschoolers categorize them into groups based on similarities or differences. They also compare two similar shapes by comparing their sizes, colors, textures, etc. This process allows preschoolers to understand what makes things look alike. It also encourages them to notice patterns and relationships between things.
3. Enhance Early Math Skill – Learning about shapes enhances preschoolers’ skills in counting, measuring, identifying numbers, recognizing symmetry, and so much more! In addition, it develops their spatial awareness as well as their fine motor skill. All of these abilities are essential for young learners who want to succeed later in elementary school.
4. Improves Literacy – Children who can distinguish between shapes are better equipped to recognize the differences in shapes of letters. It helps in reading and writing. Children who have practiced and are exposed to various shapes and lines can make those into writing.
Now that we know the importance of teaching preschoolers about shapes, let’s learn about all these engaging shape activities.
Top 14 Engaging Shape Activities for Preschoolers
1. Simple Shape Collages by Homegrown Friends
This easy-to-make fun activity is a great way to expose children to shapes. With few materials and five minutes of preparation time, you can make a valuable learning opportunity for your kids. Additionally, this activity helps kids enhance their fine motor skills and shape recognition ability.
2. Shape Scavenger Hunt by Buggy and Buddy
Next time you head outside with your kids to play, you can explore math and shapes in this engaging shape activity. First, print out free shape hunt printable by visiting Buggy and Buddy and have your kids go searching for shapes at the playground.
3. Craft Stick Shapes Building by Pre K Pages
It is one of the best hands-on shape activities your child will love. Your child will build essential math skills while playing and having fun. To effectively perform this activity, pair it with the book Shapes, Shapes by Tana Hoban.
4. Pattern Blocks
It is another engaging activity for preschoolers ideal for enhancing their knowledge about shapes. To perform this activity, you may need to have pattern blocks that you can purchase from brands like Melissa and Doug. Your children can make patterns with shapes, discover beginning symmetry, and make animals or other figures out of the shapes.
5. DIY Shape Puzzles by Munchkins and Moms
Children love puzzles, and you can take that as an opportunity to make them learn about shapes while playing puzzles. Suppose you have markers and Jenga blocks in your storeroom use that to create Shape Puzzles for your child. These DIY Shape puzzles will aid your child’s development and help improve shape recognition.
6. Feed The Hungry Shape Monsters by The Imagination Tree
Create a fun activity for your child with this Feed The Hungry Shape Monsters Game. It is very simple to make; with materials readily available in your home, like pieces of cardboard, googly eyes, glue, scissors, and ready-mix paints, you can now have a reliable game that you can play with your child. In addition, it is excellent for teaching young kids to recognize the name and sort two-dimensional shapes in a fun way.
7. Shape Wands Activity by Pre-K Pages
Turn your home into a perfect place for children to learn and recognize shapes with this Shape Wands Activity. As your kids engage in this activity, they will develop their fine motor skills. In addition, they will also have a chance to improve their creativity and imagination.
8. Building Shapes with Play Dough by Pre-K Pages
This building shapes activity is suitable for preschoolers who enjoy making things using dough. It provides a child with a hands-on playful learning experience while learning shapes. An excellent activity to enhance fine motor skills and creativity.
9. Make a Shapes Photo Book by Pre-K Pages
It is a clever way to introduce shapes to kids. First, grab a book, So Many Circles, So Many Square, and read it with your child. This book helps kids learn shape concepts by showing photos of squares and circles in the real world. After they familiarize themselves with the concepts, they can search for items they see around that resemble the shape and capture them using a cellphone. Have your child compile the photos to create his own Shapes Photo Book.
10. Move and Learn Shapes with a Ball by Hands On As We Grow
If you have a small indoor-safe ball, open space, and painter’s tape, you can teach your child to recognize shapes in a fun way. Set up the game by putting painter’s tape on the ground with spots for each shape- circle, triangles, squares. Have your child pick up the ball and then roll it on the shapes. Once it landed, for example, in the square shape, ask your child to explain what shape it is.
11. Learning Shapes with Spaghetti Noodles by Teaching Mama
If you are looking for an exciting way to teach shapes, here is an enjoyable way to use spaghetti noodles. To start, cook spaghetti noodles and then drain and rinse with water. Next, put some drops of olive oil to keep noodles from sticking together. Separate the noodles into bowls, then add a few drops of food coloring in each group of noodles and leave it for a quiet while. Also, for this activity, you need to prepare shape cards which you can download for free at Teaching Mama. Finally, start the fun!
12. Chalk Shapes Jumping Game by Craftulate
Bring the fun outdoor with this Chalk Shapes Jumping Game. All you need to have your child perform this activity is some sidewalk chalk and a surface to draw the shapes into.
13. Foam Lacing Shapes by Playground Park Bench
Turn your box of assorted buttons in different colors and shapes into an interesting game to continue to develop your preschooler’s fine motor skills and shape recognition. Aside from buttons in assorted geometric colors and shapes, you also only need things such as shape flashcards and pipe cleaners.
14. Cardboard Shapes by My Bored Toddler
Anyone would love this fantastic activity as it’s easy and inexpensive preschooler activity to make at home. Cardboard shapes provide a simple sorting and building activity for preschoolers. This open-ended, fun activity is easy to set up with recycled cardboard that offers hands-on, creative play.
How to Teach Preschoolers About Shapes
In order to help your child learn about shapes, you need to incorporate these activities into their daily life and routines. We suggest you do this for at least two or three weeks. That way, the shape activities would become a habit, and your child would love it. At Montessori Academy, we encourage you to choose which shape activities worked well for your child and which ones they would like to continue.
We hope this guide helped you in getting ideas for your preschooler shapes activities. If you need further help, feel free to ask us through our forum or leave a comment.
