I Know My Shapes!

I Know My Shapes!

Do you know your shapes? 
Shapes review that includes flat and 3D shapes.

Toys: Shape foam blocks, (new) Fish Tank shapes sorter, FP Village, Skee-Ball, Tinker Toys

Snack: Olives, carrots, and alphabet cookies. (Vegetables and fruits have fun shapes to talk about.)


Circle Time discussion began at snack time. We had fun looking at pictures of fruits, vegetables, and crackers and guessing their shapes.  We talked about fruit like strawberries (cut sideways=hearts), starfruit (star shape--showed picture. Taste is tangy like citrus but sweeter), melons and bananas (cut=crescent shape), plums, oranges, apples, apricots, peaches (circle shapes), avocado (this was a new vegetable/fruit for some) was an oval, etc.

We watched a short DVD clip (3 minutes) by Baby Einstein called, "I Know my Shapes!" about a box of crayons who are drawn into shapes and form a clown.

We enjoyed reading and learning about shapes and became "Shape Hunters!" discovering shapes all around our classroom: the round clock, the rectangular lights, the square books, the rectangular bathroom door, etc.
We also talked about octagon, sounding like octopus, is a shape that has eight sides.  A hexagon has six sides.  A pentagon has five sides. A circle is a continuous side with only one side.

Shape Games (and fun assessment): Cranium Hullabaloo. In this clever and fun game put to music, students must listen for directions to lead them to a "cranium pad" of a certain shape, color, or with an animal, food, or instrument on it. Kids are having so much fun moving and listening--they don't know they are learning as well.

Extension Activity: Why not go on a shapes hunt around your house or neighborhood? You could say..."I spy with my little eye" or be Shape Detectives. Homes have rectangular doors, magazines, books and bricks. Windows are often square. Trampolines, bowls, frames can be circular. Some roof tops and gables can be triangular. You get the idea--have fun learning and talking about shapes!

Shape Books:
Fun with Colors and Shapes (World Book)
My First Book of Shapes (Baby Einstein ) by Julie Aigner-Clark, Ill. by Nadeem Zaidi
Colors and Shapes (Let's Look, DK) Essential Preschool Learning
Baby See-a-Shape Shapes by Mark Tattam (Make Believe Ideas Limited)
Making Shapes: A Very First Math Book Ill. by Jo Moon *finger traceable shape tracks
The Silly Story of Goldie Locks and the Three Squares (Hello, Math lvl. 2) by Grace Maccarone, Ill. by Anne Kennedy. Math Activities by Marilyn

Parents for Free Shape Printables and Flash Cards click here: TLSBooks

Parents: FYI State Kindergarten Core changed in 2013.  The Kindergarten entrance exam now asks children to identify Geometric shapes that include 2D shapes (circle, oval, triangle, star, rectangle, square, pentagon, hexagon, and ocatagon) in addition to 3D shapes: sphere, cylinder, cone, cube, and rectangular prism.