Using Paper Crafts to Introduce Geometry to Kids: The Sailboat Collage

One way to introduce geometric shapes to kids in a fun way is to make a Sailboat Collage.

The Sailboat Collage incorporates the following geometric shapes:

triangles
rectangles
squares
circles

Sailboat Collage Paper Crafts Age Group

The Sailboat Collage paper craft is appropriate for kids two and older.

For kids under three, parents can pre-cut the shapes, or draw them out of a pre-made collage file.

Materials for the Craft the Sailboat Collage

recycled magazine pages

OR construction paper

OR shiny paper

OR any recycled paper that is colored or decorated

OR antiqued paper for the beach

safety scissors

glue

one piece of card stock or construction paper to use as the "canvas"

Paper Crafts: Learning Geometry

Parents of younger children can cut out different geometric shapes for Sailboat Collage.

The triangles should be cut in pairs, to make each side of the sailboat.

Show older children how to cut out geometric shapes.

Using scissors, explain how a rectangle can become two triangles, by cutting the rectangle diagonally.

Also show how one rectangle can become one square and two triangles. Cut off a square, and cut the remaining piece into two triangles.

Finding which geometric shapes can be cut out of other geometric shapes is a great hands-on way to teach kids about geometry.

Making the Background for the Sailboat Collage

Once all of the geometric shapes are cut out and ready to go, it's time to create the background for the sailboats.

Cut or tear up magazine pages or construction paper to collage together a beach and an ocean.

The beach scene can be as simple or as complex as you want.

Take some tan or brown paper for the bottom of the page, and make a beach. Or, you can use crayons to draw the beach.

Next, cut out some blue or blue-green waves for the ocean.

Or add a beach with paper and draw the waves with crayons, or vice versa.

The idea is to have a place to sail the sailboats.

Add a circle to the sky, to make a sun.

Geometric Shapes: Adding the Sailboats

Use one long rectangle as the bottom of the sail boat.

Select two triangles of the same size to place on top of the rectangle, to make the sails on the boat.

Finally, use one small triangle placed sideways to make a flag on top of the sailboat.

Now you have a Sailboat Collage that you made using the paper crafts skills. You also learned about geometric shapes.