Toddlers are naturally curious and love to explore the world around them. As they grow and develop, they begin to learn about shapes and how they fit together. By introducing shape activities for toddlers into their playtime, parents and caregivers can help toddlers develop important cognitive skills in a fun and engaging way.
Why are shape activities important for toddlers?
Learning about shapes is an important part of early childhood education. Not only does it help toddlers develop their cognitive abilities, but it also plays a vital role in their overall development. Here are a few reasons why shape activities for toddlers are important:
Develops spatial awareness
Shape activities help toddlers understand spatial relationships and develop a sense of spatial awareness. As they manipulate different shapes and learn to categorize them, they begin to understand the ways in which objects fit together in their environment.
Enhances problem-solving skills
Shape activities also help toddlers develop problem-solving skills as they learn to match and sort shapes. By experimenting with different shapes and figuring out how they fit together, they learn to solve problems in a logical and systematic way.
Improves visual recognition
Shape activities help toddlers improve their visual recognition skills. By recognizing and categorizing shapes, they begin to develop an understanding of the visual world around them, which helps them learn to read and write later on.
Fosters creativity and imagination
Shape activities also foster creativity and imagination in toddlers. By exploring different shapes and using them to build structures, toddlers learn to think creatively and develop their imagination.
Shape Activities for Toddlers
Here are 10 shape activities for toddlers that you can try at home.
Activity 1: Shape sorting with household objects
Materials: Various household objects (e.g. toys, utensils, containers)
Step-by-step:
Gather a variety of objects from around the house that have different shapes (e.g. a ball, a spoon, a box).
Show your toddler each object and name the shape (e.g. “This is a round ball,” “This is a rectangular box”).
Invite your toddler to help sort the objects by shape, placing the round objects in one pile and the rectangular objects in another.
Encourage your toddler to describe each object’s shape as they sort.
Activity 2: Playdough shape making
Materials: Playdough, cookie cutters, plastic knives
Step-by-step:
Roll out the playdough on a flat surface.
Show your toddler a few cookie cutters in different shapes and invite them to choose one.
Help your toddler press the cookie cutter into the playdough to create a shape.
Use a plastic knife to cut the shape out of the playdough.
Encourage your toddler to repeat the process with different cookie cutters and shapes.
Activity 3: Shape scavenger hunt
Materials: Flashcards or pictures of different shapes, a basket or bag
Step-by-step:
Show your toddler flashcards or pictures of different shapes (e.g. circle, square, triangle).
Invite your toddler to search for objects around the house that match each shape and place them in a basket or bag.
Encourage your toddler to describe each object’s shape as they find it.
Activity 4: Shape matching game
Materials: Shape cards, cardboard or foam board, scissors, glue
Step-by-step:
Cut out several large shapes from cardboard or foam board.
Glue smaller versions of the same shapes onto index cards.
Place the index cards face down on a flat surface and invite your toddler to turn over two cards at a time.
Encourage your toddler to match the small shape on the card to the larger shape on the board.
Activity 5: DIY shape puzzle
Materials: Cardboard, markers, scissors
Step-by-step:
Draw different shapes on a piece of cardboard.
Cut out each shape to create puzzle pieces.
Mix up the pieces and invite your toddler to put the puzzle back together.
Encourage your toddler to describe each shape as they complete the puzzle.
Activity 6: Shape painting with sponges
Materials: Sponges, paint, paper, scissors
Step-by-step:
Cut sponges into different shapes (e.g. circle, square, triangle).
Pour paint into separate containers.
Invite your toddler to dip the sponge shapes into the paint and press them onto the paper to create a painting.
Encourage your toddler to describe each shape they create with the sponges.
Activity 7: Shape sensory bin
Materials: Rice, beans, or other sensory material, small toys or objects in various shapes
Step-by-step:
Fill a bin with rice, beans, or other sensory material.
Hide small toys or objects of different shapes in the sensory bin.
Invite your toddler to search for and name each shape
Activity 8: Shape hopscotch
Materials: Sidewalk chalk
Step-by-step:
Draw different shapes on the ground using sidewalk chalk.
Invite your toddler to jump from shape to shape, calling out the name of each shape as they go.
Activity 9: Shape building with blocks
Materials: Blocks in various shapes and sizes
Step-by-step:
Show your toddler how to build a structure using blocks of different shapes and sizes.
Invite your toddler to join in and build their own structure, incorporating different shapes and sizes of blocks.
Encourage your toddler to describe the shapes and sizes of the blocks they use.
Activity 10: Shape tracing with crayons or markers
Materials: Paper, crayons or markers
Step-by-step:
Draw different shapes on a piece of paper.
Invite your toddler to trace over the shapes with crayons or markers.
Encourage your toddler to describe each shape they trace.
Tips for Introducing Shapes to Toddlers
Start with basic shapes: Begin with simple shapes such as circles, squares, and triangles before moving on to more complex shapes.
Make it fun: Incorporate games, songs, and other fun activities to keep your toddler engaged and interested.
Use positive reinforcement: Praise your toddler’s efforts and achievements to build their confidence and encourage further learning.
Adapt activities to suit your toddler’s needs: Adjust the level of difficulty or modify the activity to suit your toddler’s learning style and abilities.
Learning through play is an essential part of early childhood education. By introducing shape activities for toddlers into their playtime, you can help them develop important cognitive skills while having fun. Try out these 10 shape activities for toddlers at home and watch your toddler’s learning and development soar.
Yumna is the lead author. She is a mom to two young children and have always been passionate about finding fun and educational activities for them. With her background in early childhood education, she strive to create engaging and age-appropriate activities that promote learning and development in toddlers.
