| Babies are able to recognize the difference | | | | Encourage your child to draw shapes. They can |
| between a square and a circle by looking at them | | | | follow a dot-to-dot outline, trace around drawn |
| and touching them. Learning the names of the | | | | shapes and eventually try drawing them on their |
| shapes, recognizing them in various forms and | | | | own. A set of worksheets can be invaluable here. |
| being able to draw them are an important learning | | | | 4. Make a Shape Collage |
| area for preschool children. Try these fun | | | | Find pictures of the shapes your child knows in |
| activities for preschool children, and teach them all | | | | magazines, cut them out and make a collage with |
| about shapes. | | | | the pictures. If you can't find all the shapes you |
| Shapes are used to learn writing, as most letters | | | | need, cut some out of colorful card. |
| involve shapes. Learning to draw starts with | | | | 5. Make a Shape Picture |
| drawing basic shapes, as most objects are | | | | Cut out different sized shapes, and see how |
| formed from them. Shapes are used in spatial | | | | many pictures you and your child can make with |
| perception, as well as in mathematics - and not | | | | them. For example, a small circle on top of a big |
| only for geometry. As adults, we use shapes to | | | | circle with two small triangles on the top circle |
| help us recognize road traffic signs, pack a kitchen | | | | forms the basic outline of a cat. A house can be |
| cupboard or rearrange the furniture in the living | | | | made up of a triangle for the roof, a big square |
| room. | | | | for the house, and smaller squares for windows. |
| There are many ways to introduce shapes to | | | | Some worksheets include drawing exercises that |
| your child, and the earlier you start the better. | | | | use shapes to help teach children how to draw. |
| Try some of these activities for preschool | | | | 6. Have a Shape Treasure Hunt |
| children between the ages of 3 and 6 years. | | | | On your next walk around the block, in the park |
| 1. Name the Shapes | | | | or in your own yard, have a Shape Treasure |
| Chances are your child has toys and books with | | | | Hunt. Help your child look for shapes in branches, |
| pictures of shapes in them. Use those, flash cards | | | | roots, leaves, water and other things they see |
| or shape worksheets to help your child identify | | | | while out and about. If you're playing in your own |
| different shapes. Start with basic shapes like | | | | yard, hide some cut out shapes for your child to |
| squares, circles and triangles then add diamonds, | | | | find. Just don't forget that there must be some |
| ovals and rectangles as you progress. More | | | | 'treasure' at the end of it all - an ice-cream, extra |
| complex shapes like hexagons will only be learnt | | | | TV time or something small will do the trick. |
| later on in school. | | | | Shapes can also be used to help your child learn |
| 2. Find the Shape | | | | about colors, in exercises that ask him or her to |
| Choose a particular shape to 'find' each day. As | | | | color the circles red, squares blue and so on. |
| your child goes about their daily routine, point out | | | | Counting the shapes helps to introduce counting |
| the shapes around them and ask them to name | | | | and numbers as well. |
| them. Once they are familiar with some shapes, | | | | The best way to help your child learn is to make |
| they can find and name them on their own. Some | | | | learning fun. These activities for preschool children |
| examples are a plate, a clock, a button, a watch | | | | will help your child enjoy learning about shapes. If |
| face and wheels on the bike or car for circles. | | | | they enjoy it, they'll remember it. |
| 3. Draw the Shape | | | | |