Shapes Activities For Preschoolers

These hands-on 2D Shape activities for preschoolers will make learning shapes simple for teachers, and FUN for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarteners. Did you know that learning shapes is a foundational skill? This can be done through having a preschool shapes theme week or by doing a shape of the week throughout the year.

In this post, I’m going to share with you my favorite shape resource that I’ve spent hours putting together so that you, my teacher friend, or fellow parent, don’t have to. I will also share my favorite free shape printables and simple activities you can do at home. You can check out my 2d shapes activity pack here.

Please note that while these shape activities for kindergarteners and preschoolers can be used by various ages. Adult supervision is always required.

You can find our favorite kids activity pack supplies here.

colors and shapes activities for preschoolers and toddlers

This page will be updated constantly to add more shapes activities.

Did you know that preschool shapes recognition is an early math skill? You also may be wondering how to teach basic shapes to preschoolers or toddlers and what shapes preschoolers should learn.

The shapes preschoolers should know are:

Circle
Square
Oval
Rectangle
Heart
Star
Triangle
Rhombus
Oval
Take it further by introducing more shapes:
Trapezoid
Pentagon
Hexagon
Octagon

With these activities, not only will they be learning basic preschool shapes they will also work on early math skills and even learn preschool colors too. We often sprinkle in some shape activities throughout our preschool themes and units because repetition is the key. Children are sponges and they learn through repetition.

These activities will make teaching shapes more fun.

The first few activities on this post are from our 2D Shapes Activity Pack

GET THE SHAPE ACTIVITY PACK HERE

Your students will love learning about all kinds of shapes with this colorful and hands-on 2D Shapes Activities pack which includes building, matching and sorting activities, posters, cards, worksheets, mini books and more.

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GET THE ABOVE SHAPE ACTIVITIES

2D Shape Posters

Yes, hang those posters up! Children are more observant than you realize, so while they are learning shapes it’s a great idea to hang up some shape posters in your home or classroom.

Shape 3 Part Cards

3 part cards, also known as Nomenclature cards, refer to

The picture only card
The word only card
The whole card <— also the control card that includes the picture and word.

These Montessori inspired cards enrich vocabulary, and reading and writing skills. They help build connections. Students will match the correct words to the correct whole card.

Playdough Shapes Cards

Children learn better when we can incorporate more of their senses. We prefer to use hands on activities that encourage children to move their hands and bodies. Using play dough to make shapes will not only help them learn how to form a shape, it will also strengthen their fine motor skills, strengthen their hands, and work on their visual perception.

2D Shape Sorting Mats

These shape sorting mats include basic shapes and for a more advanced child, I’ve also included some real life shape objects. Children can sort the shapes to their correct mat. With a younger child you may opt to only give the student 2 mats at once, while with an older child you can have them sort shapes amongst all 12 mats.

2D Shape Roads

Beep! Beep! Let’s have some fun with those toys at home. Learning can be fun, especially if you pair your favorite toy with a learning activity. Children will use a toy car to drive around the shape. Add more of a sensory aspect to it by adding shaving cream to the mat (make sure to laminate the mats first.) Have them drive through the messy shaving cream and then, when they are done, dump their cars in a water bin for a carwash. This adds a sensory aspect to it, and we know how much kids love Water Play

2D Shape Lacing Activity

Hello shape friends! These smiley faces love to be cuddled and dressed in shoelaces. Work on those fine motor skills while also observing more about shape formation and shape recognition. Older children can punch the holes into the shapes themselves to work those fine motor skills even further.

2D Craft Stick Shape Cards

Children love to build and create. Not only is this great for working on problem solving skills and creativity, but they learn math skills that will help them in the future. Have students build shapes out of popsicle sticks. You can opt to add velcro dots to the edges of each stick to make the pieces more sticky. When done building shapes, see what else children opt to create.

Shape Count and Clip Cards Math Activity

First, identify the shape and then students will count how many shapes are on the card. Then they will clip the correct number.

Match The Shape Buttons

I have a 2.5 year old at home, and one of her favorite activities is anything that incorporates stickers or these shape buttons. Children will match the color and shape button to the corresponding spot on the mat. Do your little ones enjoy working with shape buttons too?

Sticker Shapes

While we are working on my toddlers (or is she a preschooler)’s favorite activity type I incorporated the pom pom shape activity. I normally offer this activity two ways. The first is with pom poms. Children will place the correct pom pom color onto each shape’s white spot. Then, once we are done with pom poms I give her some circle stickers and she can place the stickers on the white circles.

2D Shape Fish Tank Hunt

These fish come in different shapes and sizes. Students will identify the fish with the matching shape and then cover them up. You can use goldfish crackers to mark the shape.

2D Shape Puzzles

For young children, cut the puzzle into two pieces. For older children, cut the shape into 4 pieces. Then have students match the shape to the shape word heading.

2D Shape Hunt Shape Mats

The detective is on a mission. He is looking for specific shapes. Children will need to help the detective find the shape and then write the number they found. If you laminate the page children can use a dry erase marker to write the number. Or, if you don’t, you can also have them use a magnetic number instead.

Snail Shell 2D Shape Matching

Match the shape shell to the correct snail. You can make this a file folder game. Laminate the page and add velcro dots.

2D Shape Foldable Book

Fold the book then follow the prompts on each page to color, trace, and draw the shape.

2D Shape Patterns

Yep, there’s those buttons again. Like I mentioned before, we love them and if I’m going to purchase a material, I want to make sure we get to use them over and over again. These shape buttons pair perfectly with the shape pattern activity.

I am an Amazon affiliate, affiliate links are used in this post.

You can get the above fun shape activities here:

GET THE ABOVE SHAPE ACTIVITIES HERE

GET THE SHAPE ACTIVITY PACK HERE

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Shape Bestsellers In The Shop

More FUN Preschool shapes activities

Shapes themed toddler activities as well as preschool activities, constantly make a reappearance in our home.

colors and shapes activities for preschoolers

More Of The Best Preschool Shapes Activities

Mystery Shapes

Check out two of my daughters favorite shapes activities in her new YouTube video… have your child learn along with her.

Preschool Shapes Matching Activity

Make shapes collages using contact paper. This sticky shapes activity is a shapes sorting activity. The contact paper removes the need for glue and makes it easier for a toddler. This learning shapes and colors for toddler Printable activity looks as pretty as it is fun. My toddler had a blast placing the small stars in the big star.

Preschool Shapes Math Hunt Sensory Bin

This puzzle shapes hunt activity works wonderfully with any puzzle you have at home. Kids will learn their shapes through a sensory experience. The Shapes sensory bin can be made harder by having your child close their eyes and feeling the shape. My toddler was impressed by my preschool shapes game.

Toddler Shapes Activity Fishing

This shapes fishing activity is a fun shapes water play activity. Toddlers and preschoolers will use their fine motor skills to catch the shapes. They can then sort them in the muffin tin.

Preschool Shapes Paint Resist Activity

We love to do contact paper resist activities. We especially loved this shapes painting resist activity because of how beautiful the pictures turned out and how defined each shape was.

Try out this free printable shape scavenger hunt.

12 Preschool Shapes Sensory Bins from around the web

Shapes Themed sensory bins for toddlers and preschoolers

We love sensory bins in our home and these 12 shapes sensory bins from around the web give you many different options on teaching your child shapes through sensory exploration.