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Shapes make up everything in our lives. Circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles are everywhere and a part of everything. Children see them every day without a clue as to what they are or how they affect them. Teaching children shapes is important and can be a lot of fun.

There are many different ways to teach children about shapes. There are songs about shapes, books that explain shapes, toys that involve shapes and even games that you can play that will help children learn their shapes.

Start out with things like picture books to help your children see what different shapes look like. They can not only picture the shape, but also see how it fits into everyday life. For instance a book may have a picture of a car. The wheels are in the shape of a circle, the windows are in the shape of square and the car itself is a rectangle. By associating shapes with items they see on a daily basis, it makes it easy for kids to understand.

Find toys that help with shapes. One toy is a plastic ball that has different shapes cutout all around the ball. The object of the toy is to find the right shape to fit into the cutout. When accomplished all the shapes sit inside the ball. Show them the shapes and tell them their names. After they have begun to pick up on what the shape is then start them on trying to fit the shape into the right hole. Before you know it they will have the ball completely filled on their own.

Play games that teach children their shapes. Remember the game I See Something You Don’t See and the Color Is_________. Try that game by using shapes. Before long the children will be calling out every item in the room that is a triangle. Just remember they only win if they call out the correct object.

Submitted by Christmas Fun

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