Shapes Everywhere!

Penelope loves learning about shapes and is very interested right now in spotting them wherever we go. It reminds me so much of the lessons I had been working on in First and Second Grade when I was in the classroom. 

Kids seem to love geometry! Maybe its the great connection you can make with them to art or most simply, the fact that they surround us every day. 

I will post a few different lessons to connect shapes using various artists, but I wanted to take a moment to show you what we did here at home. 

           SHAPE HOPSCOTCH! 

1. Using sidewalk chalk, create a hopscotch board on the ground.
2.  Encourage your child to tell you which shapes they would like to have in each box.
3.  Depending on the age of your child, either draw the shapes yourself or have them draw them. 
4. Color the shapes in so that they are easier to see. 
5. For Penelope, we don't worry about throwing a rock to skip boxes. She just jumps through each box and calls out the shape she lands on. However, if you have an older child or want to try to make it a little trickier, have your child toss a rock to land in a box. They can call out the shape they must skip over, and then make sure they don't jump in that box as they are going! 

So simple, but yet such a great way to practice those shapes. Really great way to practice drawing the shapes, as your child gets older. 

               IN THE CLASSROOM
I always loved taking my class outside for some fresh air. What better excuse than to do a little geometry! 

1. Break your class into pairs. 
2. Have each pair create a hopscotch together. One person calls out a shape, while the other person draws it in the box. Working together and helping one another with shapes will be a great bonding activity. 

**Make it harder as they get older by giving them cards with clues to create the shapes (ie. "this shape has four sides and four angles" One partner reads the card aloud and the other partner must figure out the shape and draw it in the box)

Common Core Connection: 

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.A.2

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.G.A.2