Quick And easy shape activities for preschool – activities to go along with the book Mouse Shapes, and other shape book recommendations.
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It’s the last week of the 2016-17 Virtual Book Club for Kids! This week’s book is Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh. Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert is another fun book for exploring shapes with kids. Today I’m sharing some of our favorite shape activities that my kids enjoyed.
5 Quick and Easy Shape Activities for Preschool
What You'll Find on This Page
#1 Use Geometric Shapes to Make Pictures
This easy preschool shape activity shows up in the book Mouse Shapes, and it is the illustration technique used in Color Zoo. I have several geometric shapes templates you can use to get started:
- Boat Geometric Shapes Printable
- Truck Geometric Shapes Printable
- Castle Geometric Shapes Printable
- Train Geometric Shapes Printable
#2 Play with Pattern Blocks
Pattern blocks are one of my favorite math manipulatives for children! Here are a few of the ways we use pattern blocks:
- Designing and building with pattern blocks
- Play dough and pattern blocks
- Pattern block mosaic art
- Match and sort pattern blocks
#3 Design 3D Shapes
Use toys like Magna-Tiles and Geometiles to explore 3D shapes. Magna-Tiles are easier for small hands to manipulate, but Geometile shapes stay put together.
#4 Build Shapes Using Simple Tools
Use Q-tips and other everyday household materials to build different shapes with your children. You can also stamp shapes.
#5 Explore Shapes and Light
Light tables are one of my favorite ways to explore shapes with my children, but toys such as Viewthru Geometric Solids and Rainbow blocks work very well in daylight as well.
More Shape Activities for Preschoolers
My co-hosts also came up with some great shape themed activities for preschoolers this week!
- Using sensory bottles to explore shapes
- Shapes storytime for toddlers
- Mess free star painting
- Fun shape activity for kids who love trains
THE 2016-17 VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB FOR KIDS
This is the final post for the 2016-17 season of the Virtual Book Club for Kids! Click on the image above to see all of the themes, books, and activities for this year’s 2016-17 Virtual Book Club for Kids!
More Preschool Learning Activities
For parents looking for preschool activities, this ebook is a great resource:
I contributed to the book, along with some of my favorite early education bloggers. The activities provide a tiny bit of structure in a playful environment where children can explore early literacy and numeracy skills. This post is also a wonderful resource if you are looking for fun math games and activities for kids.
What are your favorite shape activities for preschoolers? Please share in the comments below, or on my Facebook page. You can also tag me on Instagram. Still looking for ideas? Try reading this post on raising kids who love math.
MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
I love pattern blocks. My kids never super got into them, but I think that was poor presentation of them and poor quality of materials.
This will be great for a summer activity!