Activities

Draw or trace matching shapes onto index cards. Have children fi nd the matches. To make the game more difficult, you may vary the color or size of the shapes. So you have a pair of red circles and a pair of blue circles and so on.

Provide various sizes of paper or fun foam shapes, paper and glue for the children to make shape monsters in the art center. Have them describe and share information about their creations with the children.

Provide the children with cutout foam shapes, all the same color, and a piece of poster board or a section of plastic shower curtain divided into sections for sorting.

Provide stamps and sponges in various shapes in the art center. Encourage the children to use the stamps and sponges as they paint.

During outdoor time, provide each child with a picture card of a 2-D shape. When the teacher says, “Go!”, the children run around until the teacher says, “Partner up!” Each child finds a partner.

During outdoor time, provide each child with a picture card of a 2-D shape. When the teacher says, “Go!” the children run around until the teacher says, “Partner up!” Each child finds a partner.

Use shapes to make patterns on paper or in pocket charts. Children practice the names of the shapes by reading the pattern, circle, triangle, circle, triangle. This could be done in large group.

Cut shapes out of sandpaper, lace doilies or corrugated cardboard and attach them to clipboards with contact paper and place in the match center. Have the children use these to make rubbings of the shapes.

Create fun opportunities for the children to explore the concepts of putting objects “in” and “out” and “on” and “off.” Place a long VELCRO® strip on a wall. Give the children large pom-poms to stick to the strip wherever they like.

Provide a number of shape stencils and outlines in the writing center for the children to trace and include in their drawings and writing work.

Place black construction paper in the art center along with shape stencils and various colors of chalk. Allow the child to select their own stencil. Have the child choose a stencil and shade over the stencil with chalk.

Provide a collection of many sizes and colors of pre-cut shapes from construction paper. As the children glue the shapes onto paper, ask them to share information about their shape collage.

Ask families to bring in real and found objects from home to use in a shape game. Talk with the children about the shapes they see. Match paper cutout shapes to the real and found objects.

Divide a sheet of poster board into eight equally sized sections. Glue a different shape in each section. For example, a circle, square, rectangle, triangle, rhombus, trapezoid, oval, hexagon or others. Place the game board on the floor.

After reading Shapes in the Sky: A Book About Clouds by Josepha Sherman, encourage the children to lie on their backs during outdoor time and look at the clouds, describing what the cloud shapes resemble.

Use a cube-shaped empty box, such as a tissue box, and draw or glue pictures of faces expressing feelings on each side: happy, sad, angry and excited.

During closing large group, pick two children to share an accomplishment of the day. Ask, “What is something you did today that deserves a pat on the back?” Let the children know ahead of time they will be sharing so they have time to think about it.

Read Sharing Time by Elizabeth Verdick with the children. Use concrete examples from the classroom to talk about items that everyone wants to play with and that need to be shared.

Providing opportunities for imaginary play is an important activity for practicing many social- emotional skills.

Write the words “sharing ball” on a medium-sized rubber ball. Use the ball when the children are taking turns talking as a visual cue for the other children to wait their turn. This could be done in large group.