Today I wanted to tell you about a little geometry game for little ones that you can modify for your young learner. If your little one is already familiar with several two-dimensional shapes (squares, rhombus, trapezoid, circles, etc.), then you can accommodate and teach your little ones three-dimensional shapes (spheres, cylinders, cones, etc.). I know you might be thinking….you want me to teach my 3 year old what a trapezoid is? And I say….why not? Teach the simple and basic shapes first, but go ahead and introduce the “fancy” shapes that your little one will learn later anyway.
If you have not yet invested in some form of pattern blocks, you might want to….OR make them yourself by printing some shapes onto cardstock and cutting them out.
Basically, you want to teach your little one shapes by introducing the shape, some of its features (how many sides, how many sides are the same, what types of things in the house are shaped like it, etc.) and then you can play the following guessing game to see if your little one can become familiar with these shapes.
Basically, with my lack of artistic ability, I wrote on a brown bag and drew shapes to make it my official shape grab bag. There are three ways you can play (more if you are creative):
1) Place shapes in the bag and have your little one pull one out and guess the name of the shape. If he/she gets it wrong he has to put it back in the bag, but if he/she names it right he gets to “keep” it.
2) Place shapes in the bag, and grab hold of one without taking it out of the bag. Describe the shape you are feeling to your little one in detail as best you can. Draw the shape in the palm of their hand with your finger, or use other ways to hint at what the shape is until they guess it.
3) Place shapes in the bag, and have your little one stick their hand inside and describe the shape to you until you guess it.
