Tot Explorations: Fun with Shapes

My son knows a few shapes already – circle, diamond, oval, and triangle… but we haven’t done much to work with the various shapes or learn new shapes.

This week we’re going to focus on squares, a shape he’s not quite certain of yet.

He loves to build with his blocks, so I thought using paper squares we can “build” objects on a piece of paper to reinforce the concept of square shapes. Today we’ll build a cow for starters!

Fun with Shapes for Toddlers

Simply cut out squares from paper, card stock, or construction paper. Use various colors depending on what you want to create. Try using papers with different weights or thicknesses for a textured variety.

Cut the squares in various sizes for toddlers to experiment with as they design. Show kids how four of the same size square put together make a larger square! This will open up more design options for them.

Arrange shapes on another sheet of construction paper, being sure to use a contrasting color so your child can see their design. Let your child try many variations. Build on your own paper to model using the shapes to create pictures they recognize.

It’s a bit cubist… but a fun way to play around with squares and talk about this basic shape. Once your child is satisfied with the design they have made, use a glue stick to keep their design in place permanently.

And, don’t feel you have to make a cow. Cow was our animal of the week, so we did that, but simply playing with and talking about squares (how they have four sides, how all the sides are the same, etc) is a learning experience.

Or, if you’ve used sturdy paper, you could put the shapes away in an envelope to take out and play with another day!

What are some other ways to have fun with shapes?