10+ Hands-On Shape Activities for Preschoolers

Inside: A collection of 10+ fun and educational shape activities for preschoolers to help them develop their early geometry understanding.

As preschoolers embark on their early learning journey, it's crucial to provide them with engaging experiences that promote their understanding of shapes. The following 10 shape activities for preschoolers are sure to encourage fun learning of basic 2D shapes and foster a strong foundation in geometry. Let's dive in and explore the exciting world of shapes together!

The activities are recommended for children of 2 years and older.

When do children learn about shapes?

Young children as early as 1 year old can already see congruence between shapes and differentiate opposing ones. This means they can spot where two shapes are the same, before being able to name them. This innate visual perception forms the foundation of their understanding of shapes. Their next developmental milestone is classifying shapes based on their similarities. Interestingly, children can accomplish this task before acquiring the language skills to label them. Naming shapes eventually becomes the easier part of the learning process, as their conceptual understanding solidifies.

Related: Use this low-prep printable Snail Shapes Cut and Match Activity to help your little one to recognise shapes!

Using these shape activities for preschoolers to develop geometry, cognitive and fine motor skills

Once your child has reached the stage of naming 2D shapes, it's the perfect time to engage in the shape activities listed below. These activities provide opportunities for you to discuss the distinct properties of each shape. Encourage your child's analytical thinking by asking questions such as:

What makes a triangle a triangle?
How many popsicle sticks will we need to make a square?
Can we make a circle with toothpicks?

As they become increasingly confident in their shape analysis, they could progress to building composite shapes. For example, through play they might discover that two squares side by side make a rectangle. Additionally, they can explore the concept of symmetry when they are ready for the next challenge.

These activities have the added benefits of supporting the development of your little one’s fine motor skills and hand eye coordination. All of these shape activities for preschoolers begin as simple shape building exercises and progress to pattern or picture creation. By engaging in these hands-on shape activities, you are not only fostering your preschooler's geometry understanding but also foster development of their overall motor skills, spatial awareness and spatial reasoning skills.

Shapes Activities for Preschoolers

Shape Activity 1: Shape collages

Use paper cut out shapes to create pictures

Having a selection of paper cut outs to create pictures from is a great way to begin to engage your child in discussion about shapes!

Shape Activity 2: Lollipop sticks

Use lollipop sticks as a shape formation activity for preschoolers

Shape Activity 3: DIY paint stamps

make shape paint stamps with sponges and a lollipop stick

These require a little bit of preparation. Cut them out of a washing up sponge, then make a small indent in the top and insert a lollipop stick as a hand hold.

Shape Activity 4: Pizza Shapes

An easy shape matching activity for the little pizza lovers!

Shape Activity 5: Playdough and cutters

Playdough and cutters make a great shape learning activity for preschoolers

Using a rolling pin is a great way of developing your child’s bilateral coordination! Once they have tackled this part, they are ready to either use playdoh tools or cookie cutters to cut out shapes.

Shape Activity 6: Toothpicks and playdough

Use toothpicks and playdough to make geometric shapes with children

This one is a little fiddly and will need support from a more nimble-fingered helper! Encourage your children to roll little balls of playdoh before they get started poking cocktail sticks in to assemble them.

Shape Activity 7: Geoboard

geoboards are great fun for making shapes

Another fiddly one but great fun for making 2D shapes and especially helpful for beginning to use vocabulary for corners.

Shape Activity 8: Shape Symmetry Challenge

Try this hands-on activity using Duplo blocks to explore shapes and symmetry!

Shape Activity 9: Pipe cleaner shapes

bend pipe cleaners to make shapes with preschoolers

Shape Activity 10: Cotton Bud Shape Monsters

A cute monster theme activity for children to construct basic shapes with cotton buds!

Shape Activity 11: Go on a shape hunt!

Time to take your learning outside! Go on a walk outside and encourage your child to be a shape hunter and see what they can recall about their learning in a different environment. Can they recall properties of shapes when they see them in the world around them?

Shape Activity 12: Shape Sorting Suncatchers

An activity to get your preschoolers to sort the shapes and create beautiful suncatchers at the same time!

FAQ on Learning Shapes

How do you teach preschoolers shapes?

Point out and name shapes in the environment around them, such as circles on clocks, squares on building blocks, or triangles on road signs. This helps children make connections between shapes and real-life objects. Building with blocks, playing with shape puzzles, or using shape sorting toys are great ways to reinforce shape recognition and spatial reasoning skills. Cutting out shapes from colored paper, creating collages using different shapes, or using playdough to sculpt various shapes can also help reinforce shape concepts while enhancing fine motor skills. Try our collection of hands-on shape activities for preschoolers to explore the world of shapes and geometry!

What are some daily life examples of basic shapes?

Daily life is filled with various examples of shapes. Encouraging children to observe and identify shapes in their daily lives can enhance their understanding and recognition of different geometric forms. Here are some common shapes that can be found in our everyday surroundings:
Circle: Wheels, coins, clocks, buttons.
Square: Windows, tiles, books.
Triangle: Road signs or slices of pizza.
Rectangle: Books, tables, doors.
Heart: Valentine's Day cards, chocolates, drawings, decorations.
Star: Flags, stickers, badges.

Why are shapes important for preschoolers?

Learning shapes helps preschoolers develop visual discrimination skills, enabling them to distinguish and recognize differences in shapes, sizes, and spatial relationships. By exploring shapes, preschoolers begin to comprehend concepts like symmetry, patterns, and geometry, which are crucial for later mathematical understanding. Engaging with shapes helps children develop visual-spatial skills, including understanding positions, orientations, and spatial relationships. This lays a foundation for activities like reading maps, assembling puzzles, and later, advanced math concepts.

These shape activities provide the opportunities for preschoolers to develop their geometry skills while simultaneously enhancing cognitive abilities, fine motor skills, and critical thinking. Try these hands-on shape activities for preschoolers today and witness the joy on your child's face as they explore the exciting world of shapes and geometry!