Preschool Play Shapes

As I was struggling to teach my 2 year old shapes and colors last year, I came up with the idea to cut out colored paper shapes so we could play games with them together.  She loves playing with them and our shape games were exactly what she needed to motivate her to learn...
 
Our two most common games we play are sorting games.  Her job is to sort the objects by color or to sort the objects by shape.  To play by colors, I choose one shape and set all of the papers in that shape, [one of each color] out in a semicircle around her.  The remaining shapes are placed in a pile in front of her.  [When we first started playing I held the pile and handed her one shape at a time.]  To play by shapes, I choose one color, and set that color group [one of each shape] in a semicircle or line in front of her.

 

With both games, I began by telling her what each object was, for example, "This shape is RED." or "This is an OVAL shape."  Next she would repeat the object description back to me, "RED" or "OVAL".  Sometimes, I would give a full description of each object, but ask her to repeat back just the color or just the shape. For example, "This is a RED OVAL. What color is this oval?" The answer would be "RED." As she began learning, I stopped announcing the shape or color before each turn and simply ask her what it is.

 

The last part of the game sequence is for her to take the shape and place it in the correct pile, with other shapes/colors that match.  After she grew familiar with the game, I began setting the shapes out for her and then allowing her to sort them on her own.  Once she is finished, I check to make sure she had sorted them correctly and she and I discuss what each pile contains.  For example, "R., what is in the first pile, here? [I will point to the group.]"  She will answer, "RED" or "OVALS".

Another game we play with these shapes is a copying game.  I arrange the shapes into different designs. 

[a house by a tree, with the sun and clouds in the sky and a pond nearby]

[an ice cream cone...with strawberry and blueberry flavored ice cream of course]

[a smiley face]

The first part of this game is to identify the image.  I'm careful to allow her room to be creative as she expresses how she perceives the picture.  For example, if she decided that the blue circle in the first picture was a flower, we would let it be a flower.  I might explain to her that I thought it was a pond, but I'm glad she saw a flower.  Since the designs are pretty "Picasso", there is really no sense in insisting the design be interpreted in one specific way.

Sometimes I create a picture with the shapes, but not always.  A simple rectangle on top of a circle on top of a square provides a similar exercise. 

The goal here is for her to identify the shapes, choose similar shapes and arrange them together to create the design she was given to study. 

Still another game we play with these paper shapes is "Finish the Pattern".  I create a pattern of either shapes...

...or colors.

 And then request that she complete the pattern.  This is also a game I play with my older son, with more complex patterns.

If you have a toddler and enjoy paper crafts, you may want to add this fun and simple project to your "to do" list.  I have really found these simple, colorful shapes to be a valuable tool as I teach my daughter.  They don't take up much space, they are fun for her to play with, they are versatile...and I often use them as an "independent project" like the one I mentioned in my last post. 

Here is a list of what you'll need to make your own:

scissors, paper trimmer [optional, but helpful!], clear packing tape [again, optional...I use this to "laminate" the paper], a cutting system, with circle and oval templates or circle/oval stencils to trace from, a pencil, and various colors of cardstock or construction paper.  

I chose to use black, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, pink, white and brown.  You could choose whatever colors you would like. 

Basically, you determine which shapes you would like to make, and what size. 

I used ovals, triangles, squares, rectangles and circles.

If you choose to use the tape to laminate, then you will need to be sure your shapes measure within the width of the tape [or you can just double the width of the tape when you cover the shapes later].  Then, cut out your shapes, at least one each of every color.  It would be fun to have more if you want to take the time to make them. 

You can then play with them as they are, however, they will easily break unless you take another step to protect them.  You could use a laminator, or if you're cheap like me, you can follow these steps. 

First, lay out a strip of tape on a hard flat surface [like a table or countertop] with the sticky part up.  Next, lay your shapes on top of the tape, making certain you leave just a small space between each shape.  [Hint: laying out the same shapes together usually helps to minimize wasted space on the tape.]  Finally, lay a second strip of tape over the top of the shapes, sandwiching them in-between the tape.  Once you've created your shape-tape strip, you can cut the shapes out and throw away the excess tape. 

Now all that's left to do is play!...Um, I mean, learn.  ;)