Exploring Shapes
Here's What To Do
Show your child the set of cut out shapes that you’ve made and talk about them. Say, "This is a triangle—it has three sides. And this is a square—it has four equal sides!"
Hand your child a few shapes and have them move, stack, or combine the shapes. Narrate their actions and show interest. Say, "Let’s put two triangles together. Let’s see what they make!"
Encourage your child to experiment by asking questions that spark curiosity. Questions such as, "What happens if you put a triangle and a square together? Do they make something new?"
Copy your child’s actions or build alongside them. Let them take the lead, but offer help if they seem stuck. Repeat a few times to make new shapes.
Put PEER Into Action
Pause:
- Touch hands with your child (palm to palm) and move your hands up as you take a deep breath and down as you exhale.
Engage:
- "I see you’re stacking shapes on top of each other. Can I try that too?"
- "Can you make something tall or something wide with the shapes? What do you see?"
Encourage:
- "I like how you are moving the shapes around to try and make new shapes!”
- "It’s okay if it doesn’t work the first time. You can always try a different way, and I’m here to help if you need me!"
Reflect:
- “What did you enjoy most about playing with the shapes?"
Not quite ready?
Start by focusing on just one shape at a time.
Ready for more?
Challenge your child to combine shapes to make specific objects, like a pretend bridge or a tower.
As your child masters this skill...
Can make new combined shapes.