Learning About Shapes : Shapes Activity

Now that your child is familiar with circles, triangles, squares and rectangles, you can encourage her to create something using all these shapes. A simple one would be a house. You can modify the activity as per different age groups.

3 to 4 Years- Keep a picture of a house ready and highlight the different shapes in the picture. To make it appropriate for young children of this age, make sure it is a big picture with fewer shapes. Point out the squares, rectangles, triangles and circles to your child. Then ask your child to spot and name the shapes independently. Subsequently leave her alone to explore the picture. You can also give her paper, pencil and colours and encourage her to draw a similar house. 

4 to 5 Years- Many children this age can draw a house independently. Tell the child to draw a house that has squares, rectangles, triangles and circles. Ask her to highlight each shape with similar colours. For example, all squares can be coloured red, all rectangles blue etc. 

5 Years & Above- Older children can be given a lot more independence to do this activity. Tell the child that the drawing must include all four shapes but do not tell her what must be drawn. Let her draw whatever she likes, as long as the basic criterion of including all shapes in the drawing is met. You can also give clay to the child and ask her to create something based on shapes with it.

Encourage the child to seek and go beyond this activity. Children have their own ways of exploring different concepts and that is best encouraged.

In case you missed the last three posts on shapes, here are the links.

http://haripriya-wondersofearlychildhood.blogspot.in/2012/03/learning-about-shapes-circles.html

http://haripriya-wondersofearlychildhood.blogspot.in/2012/03/learning-about-shapes-squares-and.html

http://haripriya-wondersofearlychildhood.blogspot.in/2012/04/learning-about-shapes-rectangles.html


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