25 Fun Hands On Activities For Learning With Shapes Puzzles And Games

Shapes are all around us, whether it's the circle of a clock, the square tiles on the floor, or the triangle shape of a sandwich. Teaching children about shapes is not only important for their academic development but also for their real-world understanding. Engaging children in hands-on activities can make the learning process more enjoyable and effective. In this article, we will explore 25 fun activities that involve shapes, puzzles, and games to enhance children's learning experience.

1. Shape Sorters

Introduce shape sorters with various shapes such as squares, circles, triangles, and rectangles. Let children match the corresponding shapes to the holes, helping them identify and differentiate between shapes.

2. Puzzle Boards

Provide puzzle boards with different shapes and encourage children to assemble them correctly. This activity improves problem-solving skills and spatial reasoning.

Little Learning Labs: Math Games for Kids, abridged paperback edition: 25+ Fun, Hands-On Activities for Learning with Shapes, Puzzles, and Games

by Rebecca Rapoport(Kindle Edition)

4.2 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	16746 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	80 pages
Screen Reader	:	Supported

FREE

3. Tangram Puzzles

Explore the ancient Chinese tangram puzzle by giving children a set of shapes and challenging them to create specific objects using all the pieces.

4. Shape Memory Game

Create a memory game where children match pairs of cards with different shapes. This activity enhances concentration, visual memory, and shape recognition.

5. Playdough Shapes

Let children use playdough to sculpt various shapes. This tactile activity reinforces shape recognition and fine motor skills.

6. Shape Hunt

Take children on a shape hunt adventure, whether it's in the classroom or outdoors. Ask them to find and identify different shapes in their surroundings.

7. Shape Bingo

Create a bingo game using various shapes instead of numbers. Children will have fun matching the called shapes on their game cards.

8. Pattern Block Puzzles

Provide children with pattern blocks and challenge them to recreate specific patterns or designs, promoting spatial awareness and problem-solving abilities.

9. Shape Building with Blocks

Encourage children to build structures using blocks of different shapes. This activity enhances spatial reasoning and creativity.

10. Shape Matching Puzzles

Give children puzzles with fragmented shapes and ask them to match the pieces to complete the whole shape. This activity improves visual discrimination.

11. Shape Stamps

Provide shape stamps and let children create artwork using various shapes. This activity combines creativity with shape recognition.

12. Geoboard Exploration

Give children a geoboard and rubber bands to create different shapes. They can experiment with stretching the rubber bands to form various polygons.

13. Shape Hopscotch

Create a hopscotch grid with different shapes instead of numbers. Children can have fun hopping on the shapes while identifying and naming them.

14. Shape Mazes

Design mazes with different shapes, and children navigate through them, reinforcing shape recognition and problem-solving skills.

15. Shape Collages

Provide a variety of materials like construction paper, foam shapes, and stickers for children to create shape collages. This activity combines art and shape exploration.

16. Shape Dominoes

Create a domino game using different shapes. Children match the shapes together, connecting them like traditional dominoes.

17. Shape Scavenger Hunt

Organize a scavenger hunt where children search for specific shapes within their environment. This activity encourages observational skills.

18. Shape Puzzles with Everyday Objects

Use everyday objects like kitchen utensils or toys to create shape puzzles. Children have to find objects that match specific shapes.

19. Shape Charades

Play a game of charades, where children act out different shapes for their peers to guess. This activity combines physical movement with shape recognition.

20. Shape Relay

Divide children into teams and set up a relay race where they have to pass along different shaped objects. This activity promotes teamwork and shape identification.

21. Shape Origami

Introduce origami and teach children how to fold various shapes using paper. This activity enhances fine motor skills and spatial awareness.

22. Shape Memory Tray

Place different shaped objects on a tray, let children examine them for a few minutes, then cover the tray and ask them to recall and draw what they saw. This activity improves visual memory and shape recognition.

23. Sensory Shape Sensations

Create sensory bins filled with different textured materials shaped into various shapes. Children can explore and identify the shapes through touch.

24. Shape Storytelling

Invite children to create stories using different shapes as characters and objects. This activity combines imagination with shape recognition.

25. Shape Balloon Toss

Blow up balloons in different shapes and let children toss them to each other while naming the shape they catch. This activity combines physical movement with shape identification.

Learning about shapes can be an exciting and interactive experience for children. By implementing these hands-on activities, you can make the process engaging, effective, and memorable.

Little Learning Labs: Math Games for Kids, abridged paperback edition: 25+ Fun, Hands-On Activities for Learning with Shapes, Puzzles, and Games

by Rebecca Rapoport(Kindle Edition)

4.2 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	16746 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	80 pages
Screen Reader	:	Supported

FREE

Little Learning Labs: Math Games for Kids—an abridged paperback edition of Math Games Lab for Kids—presents 25+ hands-on activities that include coloring, art, puzzles, and more that make learning about math fun.

• Explore geometry and topology by building, drawing, and transforming shapes.
• Discover how to color maps like a mathematician by using the fewest colors possible.
• Draw graphs to learn the language of connections.
• Create mind-bending fractals with straight lines and repeat shapes.

Everything you need to complete the activities can either be found in the book or around the house.

The popular Little Learning Labs series (based on the larger format Lab for Kids series) features a growing list of books that share hands-on activities and projects on a wide host of topics, including art, astronomy, geology, math, and even bugs—all authored by established experts in their fields. Each lab contains a complete materials list, clear step-by-step photographs of the process, as well as finished samples. The activities are open-ended, designed to be explored over and over, often with different results. Geared toward being taught or guided by adults, they are enriching for a range of ages and skill levels. Gain firsthand knowledge on your favorite topic with Little Learning Labs.

Open Little Learning Labs: Math Games for Kids and start exploring the exciting world of math!