Plane Shapes
Background Information & Activities

Classes revisit shapes each year and what your children already know will vary. Thus, a review of the basic shapes is helpful. The Plane Shapes movie covers and reviews circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles. More advanced shapes will be covered in a separate BrainPOP Jr. movie. It is important for your children to know the attributes of basic shapes before moving on to more difficult ones.

A circle is a round shape with no corners or sides. The distance from the center to any point on it’s line (circumference) is equal. A wheel, analog school clock, and coin are all usually circles. An oval is shaped like an egg—an oblong circle. A square is a shape with four corners and four sides. The length of each side is equal. A sandwich, window, and a tile can be squares. A diamond is a square turned on one of its corners. However, a diamond does not need to have right angles. A kite, or baseball diamond are examples. A rectangle is a shape with four corners and four sides. Each pair of opposite sides has the same length. Most refrigerators, computer screens, and bookcases are rectangles. A triangle is a shape with three corners and three sides. The sides do not have to be the same length, nor do all of the angles need to be the same. A slice of pizza, a sail in a sailboat, and a yield sign are all triangles.

Shapes are everywhere—in the items we use everyday and the things we see all around us. Encourage your children to look for shapes in their surroundings. How are shapes useful? When would using a square shape be more useful than using a round shape?

Plane Shapes Teacher Activities – Click Here!

Plane Shapes Family Activities – Click Here!

Plane Shapes Teacher Activities

Sorting Shapes

Have students gather objects around the room that are circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles. Have students identify each item and its shape. Then have them sort the objects into different piles. Which shape is the most common? Which shape is the least common? Why?

Mosaic Mural

Make a class mosaic. Have students cut out different shapes and color them. The shapes can be different sizes and orientations. Then students can glue them together to make a large class mosaic. Discuss different patterns students can make with the shapes.

Scavenger Hunt

Have students go on a scavenger hunt for shapes in the school or classroom. Divide the students into small groups and give each group a list of different-shaped items to find. You can use clues to point them to the right item. For example, students can find something round that ticks or something rectangular with pages. Groups can write where they find each item or if possible, bring the item along.

Shape Bingo

Have students make their own Bingo cards. Have them make a 3 x 3 chart and fill each square in with a shape. Limit their shapes to circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, ovals, and diamonds. They can reuse shapes and put them in different orientations. Then call out different shapes at random. The first student to get three across, three down, or three diagonally wins.

Plane Shapes Family Activities

Square Dance

Have your child dance in shapes. Together make up a dance routine where you and your child dance in squares, circles, triangles, and rectangles. Set your routine to music and perform it in front of other family members. Have family members guess what shape is being made.

Shape Cookies

Make shape cookies with your child. You can find a recipe for sugar or butter cookies on line. Then together with your child, roll out dough into different shapes. You may want to use a cookie cutter to make shapes or you can use your hands. Bake the cookies and have your child decorate each one. Share the cookies with friends and family members and have your child describe each shape.

Shape Town

Make a town using different shapes. Find objects around the house like shoeboxes, jewelry, and notepads to create a model of a town. Have your child describe what is in the town and what each shape represents in the town. For example, a shoebox can be an office building and a saucer can be a lake.