Preschool-Kindergarten
Using objects that are familiar to young children can be a good way to introduce them to differences in shapes and to classification.
What You Need
• Snack crackers in the shape of circles, squares, triangles
• Bread cut into different shapes
What to Do
Here are some simple things that you can do to focus your child’s attention on different shapes:
• Fill a bowl with snack crackers in shapes such as circles, triangles and squares. Point to a cracker and say, for example, “Look, this one’s round. This one has three sides. See, 1-2-3. This one has four sides. Let’s count them—1-2-3-4.” Place a circular cracker on the table and ask your child to find other crackers that have the same shape. Continue with the other shapes.
• As you make sandwiches, cut the bread into circles, squares and triangles so that you have two each of each shape. Ask your child to match the pairs of shapes to make Shape Sandwiches.
• Have your child search for and point out different shapes on his clothes or in the room.
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