Teach Your Toddler About Shapes!

Parents, grandparents, babysitters and other adults are a child's first teachers. Years before a child is old enough to enter regular school, these adults can begin teaching a toddler some important concepts. Here are a few fun and simple ways to start teaching toddlers about shapes!

Shape Collage. Cut out lots of paper shapes. You can either focus on one shape at a time (for instance, cut out many different colors and sizes of triangles) or cut out all different shapes. Help your child to paste these shapes on a piece of paper. As you do so, make sure to name each shape, saying, "Where will you put the triangle? You're putting it next to the square? Here's another square!"

Coloring Shapes. Cut out a triangle, a square, a circle, etc. Let your toddler decorate each shape by coloring it, finger painting it, putting stickers on it, etc. Hang these up in a place where the toddler can see them. Whenever you can, point them out to him, saying, "Where is your circle? Where is your square?" The toddler will most likely be excited to point out the shapes, because he made them!

Shape of the Day: Get some large, colored sheets of paper or poster board, and cut a different shape out of each one. Each day, hang one of the shapes up in a spot where the toddler will easily see it. Point it out to him, saying, "Here is our triangle!" Throughout the day, at transitional times, tell him, "Lets run to our triangle!" or "Go and touch the triangle!"

Shapes On the Floor. Use masking tape to make different shapes on your floor or carpeting. Play a game similar to "Musical Chairs," where you play music and you and your child dance around.. When the music stops, tell your child, "Quick, run to the circle!" Or, race with your child from one shape to another.

Magnetic Shapes. If you can't find a set of magnetic shapes to buy, you can make a set! Cut some shapes from different colored construction paper. Lay them on the sticky side of a sheet of clear contact paper, and then lay a second sheet of contact paper on top of them with the sticky side down. Get a roll of magnetic tape, and attach a magnet to the back of each shape. Now, your child can play with magnetic shapes on the refrigerator! Or, let him play with them on a metal cookie sheet.

Personal Shape Book. Use the large shapes you cut from posterboard. Take pictures, preferably with a digital camera, of your child holding each shape. Tell him, "Hold up the triangle!" Once you've taken these pictures, print them out and staple the pages together. Read your child's personal shape book with him. He'll love looking at the pictures of himself!

By showing the child the concept of shapes repeatedly, in different ways, you will help him to learn about them!