30+ Interesting Shape Activities That Are Ideal For Kids!

I remember how fascinated 🤩 I used to be regarding different shapes during my school days. My son is always fascinated by the different shapes of the moon 🌙 throughout the month.

Teaching children about different shapes is one of the most important parts of their academic background.

There are several innovative 💡 ways of making the journey of exploring different shapes easier for them.

My daughter keeps fidgeting with blocks of different shapes all the time. Starting from the shape of a worm 🪱 to the shape of a star 🌟, everything fascinates my kids.

best Shape Activities for Your Little Ones

I have been teaching my kids about all the different shapes, and they love ❤️ learning about them, too. 

This job becomes easier when I try to teach them through a lot of fun activities. Here I am, sharing these activities 😊 with all the parents out there.

Shape Hunting Adventure 

I love this activity. I draw the outlines of different shapes on a piece of paper and ask my little ones to collect items in the shape of circles 🔵 , squares ⬛️, or rectangles from the garden.

Once, my son picked up a rock and asked me the name of its shape. This activity doesn’t only help a child to recognize different shapes but also improves their thinking 🤔 abilities. 

I ask my kids to count the number of items in the basket, thereby brushing up their counting abilities.

Match the Shape

This is an excellent activity to improve the fine motor skills of your little ones.

I draw the dotted outlines of different shapes on a piece of paper and help my little one cut ✂️ along the dotted lines.

I draw similar outlines of these shapes on another piece of paper. My little one’s job is to recognize and stick the cut-out on the accurate outline of the shape on the second paper.

Pro Tip 

I ask my little ones which shape a specific object reminds them about. My son told me that circles reminded him of yummy 🥞 pancakes.  

Shape Sorting 

Now, this activity is going to keep your little one engaged for some ⏰️ time.

I hand over a big tub of items of different shapes to my kids. I draw the outlines of these shapes on a big piece of chart paper. 

My kids try to analyze the shapes 🧐 and place them into the corresponding outlines on the paper.

Explore Nature 

Nature is the best teacher, and the best way to teach your little ones about different shapes is to associate shapes with nature.

I often spend time star-gazing with my kids on the terrace. I tell them about the shapes of 🌟, the moon 🌙 and its phases, and the constellations.

We often explore the shapes of the objects we see in the parks 🌳 or on the roads. 

Playdough Shapes

My daughter loves making different shapes using a play dough kit.

I don’t ask my kids to make a triangle or rectangle directly. I ask them to make an item and then recognize its shape.

For example, I ask my daughter to make a watermelon 🍉 and then recognize its shape. 

It makes the activity more interesting 🤩 and engaging for them.

Shape Snowman

Who says a snowman ⛄️ can only be made using circles?

I make snowmen using triangles 🔺️, rectangles, and even pentagons. 

My son loves this activity. He uses triangles to make the snowman’s head and a hexagon to make the body. His funny snowman serves as an excellent wall-hanging.

Pro Tip 

You can also build a robot 🤖 using different shapes.

Make a House

This is the most basic activity to teach children about shapes. 

I take chart papers of different colors and help my kids make a house 🏠 by cutting out different shapes from these chart papers.

Popularly, square windows 🪟 and triangular rooftops are preferred for this activity.

Pro tip 

You can also make igloos using semi-circular cut-outs.

Marshmallows and Shapes 

My son loves 🥰 this activity as much as he loves eating marshmallows. 

I just require pretzels or chocolate sticks and marshmallows for this activity. 

I ask my little one to make shapes by joining these chocolate sticks or pretzels end to end using marshmallows. 

Just put the ends of the pretzel together and force it inside a marshmallow. 

We make squares ⬛️, hexagons, and sometimes even a big decagon.

Ice Tray Play 

I figured out an interesting way to use an ice tray 🧊 to teach my kids about shapes.

I label each compartment of an ice tray with a shape cut-out. 

I prepare several cut-outs of different shapes using foam paper and mix them up. 

My little one’s job is to sort the shapes according to the label in each compartment.

I also ask them to count 🔢 the number of shapes they have sorted in each compartment to brush up their counting abilities.

Books and Shapes

I love teaching my kids about shapes by reading books like Shapes by Roald Dahl and My Very First Book of Shapes.

We have a lot of fun 😄 while coloring different shapes in amazing activity books for kids. These activity books 📚 come in handy while teaching the kids about shapes.

The wonderful book Mouse Shapes by Ellen Walsh is highly recommended for your little one’s journey of exploring shapes.

Workbooks also provide valuable matching and pattern activities for kids.

Sticks in the Park

I make sure to take my kids for a walk 🚶‍♀️ in a park very often. 

I help them collect twigs and sticks of different sizes and put them together to form a triangle 🔺️, squares ⬛️ or pentagons. 

We learn about different shapes while enjoying the ambiance of the park.

Noodle Shapes

I grab a bowl of spaghetti or noodles 🍜 and ask my little ones to stick each noodle along the outline of every shape. 

My little ones enjoy making a triangle or circle out of noodles.

You can also cut ✂️ pasta into tiny sizes and ask them to stick these within the outline or along the border of each shape.

Dots and Shapes

I draw random dots on a piece of paper and ask my little ones to connect these dots to form a shape. 

I am often astounded by how far their imagination can go.

Balloons and Shapes 

Now, this activity is going to make the little ones tired. 

I love ❤️ this energetic activity. I draw different shapes on inflated balloons 🎈 and put them in a box. 

I label a bunch of empty boxes 📦 with different shapes.

I set the timer to 10 minutes ⏰️and then release all the balloons in the living room.

My kids catch a balloon and sort it according to the shape drawn on it to the box labeled with the same shape.

I encourage my kids to read out the name of the shape on the balloon before sorting it into the box.

When the time is up, the one with the highest number of accurately sorted balloons wins the game.

Origami

My grandmother taught me how to make wonderful pieces of art using origami. 

I teach my kids how to make a flower 🌼 or a boat 🚢 by folding a simple piece of paper. It is also a great opportunity to teach your kids about the different shapes that can be formed by folding paper in a certain way.

For example, if we fold a square piece of paper along the diagonal, we get an isosceles 🔺️ triangle.

Pasta and Shapes

Pasta comes in several shapes. Why not use it to teach your little ones?

I mix up pasta of different shapes and sizes in a bowl and ask my little ones to sort them into different groups according to the shapes.

You can also make your little one count 🔢 the number of pasta in each group to improve their counting skills.

Geoboard Activities 

I have a fantastic time teaching my kids about shapes using a geoboard. 

Try it at home, and you will enjoy it to the fullest, along with your little ones.

Shape Sensory Pouches

This is a viral activity for little ones. 

I ask them to collect twigs 🌱 , cute little branches, vibrant flowers 🪷, pencils ✏️, and anything they like from all around the house.

I place all of these items inside a zip-lock transparent bag. I squish a tiny bit of paint inside. 

I encourage my kids to spread the paint 🎨 inside while feeling all the shapes inside the bag with their fingers. I ask them to try and name those shapes, too.

I can assure you that this is an ideal sensory activity for little ones. You can also place cut-outs of different shapes inside the bag.

Shape Fizz 

This is an interesting scientific experiment that will leave your little ones surprised 😲 and fascinated.

I make a mixture of several colors and baking soda and ask my little ones to paint the cut-outs of different shapes with this mixture.

When they are done, I squirt vinegar on the shapes. Baking soda gorgeously reacts with vinegar to generate a satisfying😌 fizz. 

My son is a die-hard fan of this simple yet interesting experiment.

Important Note:

Please keep your little ones under strict supervision ☠️ during this experiment to prevent any kind of mishaps or accidents.

Stamp the Shapes

I take the cut-outs of different shapes and attach a piece of thick foam sheet on one side to serve as a holder. 

I ask my little one to dip it in any shade of color 🎨 and stamp it on a piece of paper to form a painting comprising diverse shapes. 

I try to use edible paints for this activity because my daughter ends up putting the paint into her mouth every time.

Pro Tip

You can also use slices of vegetables or fruits to serve as stamps of a particular shape. 

Tissues, Rainbows and Shapes

For this activity, I usually grab some colorful tissue paper 🧻 and prepare cut-outs of different shapes from it.  

I encourage my little ones to arrange them in the shape of a rainbow 🌈 on a piece of white paper. My daughter prefers using circular or heart-shaped ❤️ cut-outs, while my son has always liked using cut-outs of all shapes. 

I guide my little one to paint on these tissue papers with water.

After my little ones have finished showcasing their painting skills, I pick up the tissue papers once the water has completely dried up.

The color from the tissue paper forms an impression of different shapes, making a rainbow on the piece of white paper when the water dries up. 

You will be delighted to watch your adorable little ones burst into giggles ☺️ when they see the unique rainbow.

Shape Photography

I teach my little one how to use a camera 📷 very often. I let them turn into a photographer for a day and click the picture of a certain shape they spot anywhere. 

Amongst all the pretty flowers 🌼 , trees, shrubs, cupboards, toys 🧸 , books, and insects, they always end up clicking pictures of fascinating shapes.

We segregate the pictures of each shape and stick them on a paper cut-out of the same shape.

We decorate it using paint, pompom balls, or embellishments.

Shape Sensory Tub

I make a sensory tub for my little ones by adding toys 🧸, cut-outs, and items of different shapes in a tub.

I fill up half of it with sand and ask my little one to pick up items of a certain shape at a time.

It is a very effective way of helping them remember the names of each shape and the items associated with it.

Bubble Wrap Painting

All of us have numerous memories of playing with bubble wrap since our childhood days. 

I prepare cut-outs of different shapes from bubble wrap and ask my little ones to dip these bubble wrap cut-outs in different shades of paint and press them on a piece of paper. 

After they have finished making their unique painting 🎨 of diverse shapes, I help them stick buttons or embellishments of their choice on it to create a wonderful piece of art.

Paper Collage Activity 

I prepare several cut-outs of different shapes and mix them up. 

I hand over an outline of a particular shape drawn on a piece of paper to my little ones and encourage them to pick cut-outs similar to the outline of the shape provided to them.

For example, they stick the cut-outs of circles within the outline of a circle 🔵 to make a collage of circles.

You can use different kinds of paper for this activity. 

Ice Cream Shape Rainbow

I paint a bunch of ice cream sticks in the colors of a rainbow 🌈 , attach a random number of a particular shape’s cut-outs on each stick, and mix them up in a box.

I encourage my little one to segregate each stick with similar cut-outs in separate boxes. I help them count the number of cut-outs on each stick and arrange them in ascending or descending order, in a semi-circular fashion, to resemble a rainbow. 

You should make sure to guide 🥰 them in regard to using a particular shape for each row of a rainbow’s color.

For example, all the sticks painted in violet may carry triangular 🔺️ shaped cut-outs. 

This is an excellent activity to brush up on the counting abilities of your kid alongside teaching them about shapes.

Pro Tip

You can replace the rainbow with flowers 💐 of different colors or a star and ask your little one to place the ice cream sticks around a central point to create a star 🌟 or a flower.

Slime Time

I love making gooey slime with my kids and adding items of different shapes to it. You can also add different shape cut-outs ⬛️🔵🔺️in the slime. 

You can also make edible slime at home. Take a bowl of melted chocolates 🍫 and add candies of various shapes to it. Your little one will learn about the different shapes of the candies 🍬 while enjoying this sweet delight.

Jar of Shapes

I take a transparent bottle and fill it with a mixture of shower gel and water.

I add glitter and then foam paper cut-outs of different shapes into it.

I shake the bottle a bit and ask my little ones to rotate the bottle while observing the contents floating from one end to another.

My daughter loves ❤️ playing with it.

Pro Tip

You can also fill up an empty jar with embellishments or beads of different shapes and ask your little one to shake it, making different 🎵 sounds. 

Shape Detective

I cut out a bunch of shapes from printed sheets or use stickers.

I hide a shape cut-out in locations associated with that specific shape around the house. For example, I hide a square-shaped cut-out under an object that is square in shape(a box 📦 or a table). 

Ask your little one to search for cut-outs of a specific shape at a time. 

The little ones will eagerly use their brains 🧠, thereby enhancing their thinking abilities.

You can also make them count the number of shapes they found to brush up their counting abilities.

The greater the number of shapes they are able to locate, the better the prize they will receive. 

Shapes and Greeting Cards

Making a greeting card 💌 using different techniques to incorporate several shapes in it has always been a favorite in my household.

I teach my kids how to fold a greeting card to make it look more unique and add cut-outs of different shapes to add to the decoration.

Puppets of All Shapes

Puppets always add joy 😊 to any interaction with my kids. 

I love making puppets. In fact, we make puppets using different shapes and name them accordingly, too. 

I helped my son make a puppet using my triangular 🔺️ cut-outs, and we named it ‘Mr. Triangle’. 

Just take your favorite shape’s cut-out, draw a face, and add an ice cream to serve as a holder.

Shape Fishing

My kids love this activity. I prepare cut-outs of different shapes and ask my kids to draw fins and eyes on them to resemble fish.

I glue magnets to each fish 🐟 and put them in a tub. My kids love fishing 🎣 each one out using another magnet tied to a thread.

Shapes and Food 

I teach my kids to use cookie cutters of different shapes to make a brownie or cookie 🍪 of their favorite shape.

You can also teach your kid how the slice of a watermelon resembles a triangle 🔺️ and how an orange 🍊 resembles a circle.

Water Gun Painting 

I ask my kids to grab a water gun 🔫 loaded with colors and draw different shapes on the chart paper hanging on the wall.

They have a lot of fun throughout this activity. 

Conclusion 

Shapes have always been a very important part of a child’s education. Teaching them about shapes is not only an ideal activity for kids but also for parents.

I hope you will enjoy these ideal and interesting activities 😀 with your kids. 

Let me know which activity you liked the most 😇 in the comments below.