Shapes
The children explored and learned all about shapes!
We practiced sorting, identifying, and matching a variety of shapes.
During circle time, children observed our shapes poster and took turns using the “helping hand” to point to a shape. We also read books about shapes and listened to the song “Shapes” by the Kiboomers. After we listened, we looked around the room to identify objects that were each shape from the song.
I am providing a link to the song on YouTube in case you want to listen to it with your children at home and you could look around your house for any shapes from the song.
The children engaged in many shape themed activities throughout the classroom.
For our art projects, the children made Rectangle robots, 2-D paper houses, and shape collages.
The children practiced their gluing and observation skills by choosing different sized rectangles to build the robot.
The children practiced their scissor skills to cut paper into squares and triangles. From the book “Mouse Shapes,” we learned that a triangle on top of a square makes a house. The children cut along a pre-drawn line on the paper. Cutting with scissors is beneficial in helping preschoolers develop fine motor skills, improve hand-eye coordination, enhance bilateral coordination (using both hands together), strengthen hand muscles, boost focus and attention, and contribute to overall visual-motor development, which are all important for daily activities and future learning. The children added some details to the houses with markers.
For the final shape project, the children used sponges previously cut into various shapes to paint a shape collage. They identified which shape they wanted to use.
On the rug, the children built with different shaped wooden blocks. The blocks had a colorful transparent center. When the sun shined through the windows onto the blocks, it made a colorful reflection. The children also observed that if they hold the blocks up and look through the transparent part so everything looked that color. The children made different castles and structures using the different shapes. They were proud of their creations.
In the sensory table, the children explored with rice, scoops and funnels. Foam shapes were scattered in the rice. The children searched through the rice identifying each shape they found.
The children sorted shape “mail” into envelopes that had a picture of each shape. They matched the shape on the mail with the shape in the envelopes.
The children explored 3-D pyramid shapes on one side of the easel. On the other side, they explored color mixing by painting with multiple colors. The children also used cookie cutters to make shapes of the play dough.
The children made shape patterns using foam shapes and pre-made templates.
One of the shapes on our shape poster was a crescent. Which means for cooking this week we made crescent rolls. The children first rolled the triangle shape dough, then curved it to make the crescent shapes.
As a class, we played a shape matching board game. It was a game similar to bingo, but we went one person at a time.
