Shape Games

 

Materials: 

Carpet samples or polyspots

Shape and shape flashcards

Buckets

Cones

Jump ropes

Beanbags

Shape chart

Twister

Laminated hearts

Two sets of old clothing

 

Teaching shapes to preschool students or to those with special needs can be a challenge.  Here is a list of games that you can teach not only in the classroom but also on the gym floor.  Get ready to learn and move!

 

Stretch Shapes

 

Have kids act out various shapes as they warm up.  This is a great way to have kids act out shapes kinesthetically and learn them in a concrete way.

 

Shape Calisthenics

 

Spread shape-laminated flashcards in a gym area 15-20 feet apart. Have students dance to the music; when the music stops, they pick up a flashcard. Students perform the gross motor action associated with that shape.

 

For example:

Circle = Run around the gym

Square =Jumping jacks

Rectangle= Hop

Triangle= Roll arms

Pentagon= Kick

Hexagon= Dance

Oval =Skip

 

Four Corner Shape Game

Attach a different shape to each of your classroom’s corners. Choose one child to hide his eyes. Ask the other children to go to a corner and stand quietly. The person hiding their eyes then calls out a shape. The children standing in that shape corner are out. Have them sit at the table or another specific area of the room. Choose another person to hide eyes. Repeat this sequence until the last person is standing in a corner.

 

Musical Shapes

Place large cutouts of shapes on the floor in a circle. Have the children step from shape to shape while you play music. Stop the music and have each child tell you what shape they are standing on.

 

I Spy

The children really enjoy I Spy with shapes. Each child takes a turn; they look around the room and find a shape. They recite, “I spy with my little eye, something _____.” They name a shape. The other children take turns trying to guess what the child spied.

 

Shape Twister

 

Cut different shapes from sturdy construction paper. Tape the shapes to the floor so they don't move. Have one basket with shapes that match the construction paper floor tiles and one basket with left hand, right foot, etc. Pick one item from each basket; the children must put the proper body parts on the proper or shapes.  You can also use the game Twister and just use the mat for shapes. 

 

Actors and Actresses

 

Students take turns acting out a shape while the teacher and other kids try to guess it. 

 

Shape Toss

 

Tape various shapes to the wall. Have each student get a ball and a carpet sample. On the teacher's signal, students throw underhand to hit the target shapes. Have students keep their own score: one point for each time they hit a target shape. Encourage students to aim for different shapes in their throwing area.

Crazy Shapes

 

Take various shapes and put them under a cone.  Have the students find the shapes and call them out.  The student who correctly identifies the most shapes the most wins.  When they find the shape, be sure to have them put the shape back for someone else to find.

 

Shape Tag

 

Choose one person to be the tagger who calls out a shape. A student must name an object that is that shape before he or she gets tagged.  If they are unsuccessful, they are it.

 

Find it!

 

Arrange students on carpet samples that they can leave and return to. Have the students look around the room and ask them to notice things in the activity area. Tell them there are lots of shapes that make up the activity area. Tell them you are going to identify some of these items at the beginning of this class.

 

On the teacher’s signal, the students must locate shapes in the activity area, touch them with their hand, and then move back to their spot. This activity can be enhanced by adding locomotor activities such as skipping, leaping, and sliding.

 

Shapes Parachute Toss

 

Have students put shape flashcards on top of the parachute.  As they toss the items into the air, call out a shape.  Whoever finds that shape first wins!

 

Mix and Match

 

Put identical shape flashcards in two different hula hoops. Have students take turns running down and finding one of the matching shapes.  The group of students who find the most matches wins.

 

Wave’em in the air

 

Take a shape flashcard and wave it in the air.  When the teacher calls on you, tell them why you like the shape and where you would find it. Try to do other locomotor movements as you are waving them in the air. 

 

 

Musical Shapes Variation

 

Use various shapes during this activity.  Cut out a  shape for each player.  Place the shapes in different parts of the room.  March around the room, and when the music stops, students find one shape flashcard.  Ask a student to identify the shape. When the music starts again, they drop the shape flashcard and march around again.  Play until their interest wanes.

 

Heart Hop

 

Place many hearts on the floor.  Have students gather around the hearts.  When they hear the word “heart” they are to hop on a heart.  When they hear the names of other shapes, they hop around again.

 

Shape Treasure Hunt.

 

Hang a shape chart on your wall.  Name a shape and have the children go get the shape that you call out.  If you want to add more excitement to the game, add a locomotor gross movement. 

 

Here are some ideas:

Circle: Run

Square: Speed Walk

Triangle: Creep

Rectangle: Skip

 Pentagon: Hop

Oval: Jog

Octagon: Hop on one foot

Hexagon: Swim

 

 

Jumping Shapes

 

Give kids jump ropes, and as you call out different shapes, have the kids twist the ropes into the appropriate shapes on the floor.

 

Scarf Shapes

 

Have students make shapes waving in the air with their scarves and have them identify what shape they are making.

 

Earle, James. (2003). Songs and Colors and Shapes. Long Branch, NJ: Kimbo Education.

 

PE Central

http://www.pecentral.org/lessonideas/

 

Perpetual Preschool

http://www.perpetualpreschool.com/preschool_themes/shapes/shapes_games.htm