# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Two Dimensional Figures And Their Properties - Lessons - Tes Teach

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Classify 2-Dimensional Figures.5th Grade Math - Properties of Two Dimensional Shapes.Make New Figures - Two Dimensional / 2D Shapes from Learning Adventures...Two-dimensional Shapes (2D) - Primary Resources.Two-dimensional shapes - BBC.Classify Two Dimensional Figures Worksheets - 5th ... - Splash Math.Shapes Jeopardy Game.2-D shapes - Level 1 - quiz

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Solid Shapes activities Cones activities 3D Shapes and Faces activities 3D Shapes and Edges and Vertices activities Graphing Points on a Coordinate Plane activities Describing Position activities Comparing Shapes activities Decomposing Shapes activities 2D Shapes activities Lines and Angles activities Number Sense activities Addition activities Subtraction activities Multiplication activities Division activities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Fun Elementary Lesson Plan on Symmetry and Asymmetry

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This fun elementary lesson plan on symmetry helps teachers explain the concept of symmetry as well as asymmetry to their students. This article supplies worksheets, crafts, resources and much more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Activities to reinforce your children's understanding of the different types of symmetry.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Symmetry is a great Math topic to teach with dance. Watch a video showing some great strategies that help students better understand symmetry by using dance.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Math explained in easy language, plus puzzles, games, quizzes, worksheets and a forum. For K-12 kids, teachers and parents.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Spatial Intelligence - 13 Ways To Help Children Improve

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Spatial intelligence is a crucial STEM skill. Find out how you can improve your child’s ability with these thirteen easy and fun activities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Guest blogger Erin Bittman from E is for Explore is doing a cross-curricular series on art and math. Come back every Tuesday to see a new post and to find out how you can take mathematical learning to the next level.

While you're teaching your students about edges and corners of shapes, create geometric art!

You'll need:

Have your students connect all of the vertices of a hexagon using a ruler. Next, tell them to closely examine their hexagon. Do they see any shapes within it (triangles and quadrilaterals)? Then, have students estimate how many triangles they created within their hexagon by connecting their vertices. The answer is 110! Here is a video that shows how many triangles there are if the short diagonal is removed from NPR.

After the video, create art! Students can choose to color in triangles or quadrilaterals. They can also add more lines to create a more intricate design. You can have them make their design symmetrical or have the art be completely open-ended.

Erin Bittman is currently a student at the University of Cincinnati, earning a degree in Early Childhood Education (grades K-3). She originally graduated with a fashion design degree and worked in the design industry for five years. Her teaching philosophy revolves around constructivism and problem-based learning. Her goal is to inspire teachers to ditch the books! Creative alternatives can be implemented in lessons that prepare students for standardized testing. Learning should be fun!

More Math and Art Activities from Erin Bittman
Elementary Urban Planners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teach About Shapes & Creativity at the Same Time With This Simple Idea - WeAreTeachers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Guest blogger Erin Bittman from E is for Explore is doing a cross-curricular series on art and math. Come back every Tuesday to see a new post and to find out how you can take mathematical learning to the next level. ...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Learn and build with the geometry and shapes for kids. Tons of fun math activities included and a FREE pattern block symmetry activity!
By Proud to be Primary

Were you searching Pinterest or googling to find engaging, hands-on geometry and shapes for kids? Are you looking for lessons and activity ideas that are fun and build a strong understanding of shapes and geometry? Then you have come to the right place!

Geometry and Shapes for Kids

The math tips and strategies you need to teach geometry in primary grades are right here. You will have everything you need to quickly implement and bring a wealth of geometry activities, games, and centers into your classroom or home.

The activities, books, math unit, and other resource suggestions ( including a FREE one) cover a ton of geometry concepts and are perfect for Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. Plus, find valuable geometry materials and manipulative suggestions, as well as freebies you can access today! This post is filled with a ton of value for you as you teach.

Why is it Important to Teach Geometry and Shapes for Kids?

Children need many opportunities to learn about shapes. Learning to identify and understand what the different shapes are, as well as their parts are important concepts. Each day children are exposed to shapes in their environment. They see and interact with them everywhere daily. They need to be able to recognize shapes, verbalize what they see, and understand why they are there.

We want children to see a shape and make a connection. When they look at the wheel of a car, we want them to process that image as a circle, a shape they have learned to label. Eventually, we want children to decipher between shapes and understand formal definitions of shapes. When they look at a cracker, we want them to process that image as a square, since it has four equal sides.

As children learn each geometric concept, they will move onto the next stage of understanding. A strong knowledge of shapes is vital for learning more complex geometry concepts later.

The activities below are ones that will help develop an understanding of shapes. Use them as they are described or adapt them to your own needs. Have conversations about shapes and encourage questions. When a child notices shapes in their environment, let them share with the class! Make time for fun and engaging geometry activities daily in your math center and free play areas.

Geometry and Shapes for Kids Activities

Two Dimensional Shapes

The first stage in learning about geometry is being able to identify, name, and describe 2-dimensional shapes. Talking about shapes whenever you see them and having shape posters on the wall are helpful to kids! Have plenty of shape manipulatives available to explore and "play" with.

Activities

Create a detailed anchor chart for each 2D shape you are teaching. Draw the shape and label and describe how many sides and corners each has.

Teach a shape with a catchy song or poem to help them remember what it is called and its parts.

Use colored popsicle sticks to form the 2D shapes with straight sides. Leave them in a center for kids to put together independently.

Play and get creative with tangrams. See what pictures kids can make.

Pattern blocks are also fun, hands-on manipulatives that encourage kids to create. They are the perfect addition to any math tub!

Bring out the geoboards and practice forming shapes using elastic bands.

Let kids form shapes in a hands-on way with Playdough.

Reinforce learning about shapes with engaging printable activities perfect for the primary classroom!

Practice forming shapes using different tools, such as do-a-dot markers or stickers.

Make simple crafts using shape pieces cut out of construction paper. Let them invent a shape by combining shape pieces to make new ones.

Check for understanding with small, focused tasks. Review the recognition of shapes quickly with flashcards.

Draw shapes for practice using a Boogie Board or other draw and erase tool. Being able to draw basic shapes is essential for bringing other more complicated things later.

Three Dimensional Shapes

Just like 2D shapes, being able to identify, name, and describe 3-dimensional shapes is important! Our world is made up of 3D shapes, and we need to recognize them to make sense of things. Make sure to have geometric solids available to hold and interact with, as well as posters to refer to.

Activities

Create a detailed anchor chart for each 3D shape you are teaching. Draw the shape and label and describe how many edges, vertices, and faces each has.

Teach a 3D shape with a catchy song or poem to help them remember what it is called and its parts.

Form 3D shapes in a hands-on way with small balls of rolled up clay and toothpicks to hold everything together.

Let kids form geometric solids using Playdough.

Play games to reinforce understanding and recognition of geometric solids: shape Bump and Scoot are two engaging choices.

Get creative with foam blocks and build a tower or other structure.

Kids love magnetic pieces that can be joined to form 3D objects. Have a bin of these available during free play or STEM time.

Teach kids how to draw a geometric solid shape in steps. They will be surprised at how simple it is!

Look through old magazines for pictures of the different 3D shapes. Add the pictures to a class anchor chart.

Puzzles, clip cards, and matching activities are great for shape recall and building fluency.

Shapes in the Environment

The main goal of teaching children about shapes is for them to be able to see shapes in the environment and to interact with the environment because of that understanding. Get kids to talk about what they see continuously and encourage them to share.

Activities

Create an anchor chart with examples of each shape in their world. Let kids give and draw the suggestions of what each shape "looks like...".

Look around the classroom and point out different shapes.

Play games where kids must recognize what object is what shape. Give this Bingo game a try!

Go on a scavenger hunt outside and take note of what is seen.

Take photos of real-world examples of shapes. Add the photos to a class pocket chart.

Read books about shapes in the real world. The Shape of Things is a good book with lots of picture examples.

Compare & Sort Shapes

Provide opportunities for kids to compare different shapes with each other. Once an understanding is developed with the parts of shapes, teach children to sort shapes based on one or two attributes.

Activities

Provide small groups of either 2D or 3D shapes per pair of students. Ask them to take turns sorting shapes and let the other person try to guess their sorting rule.

Place shapes in a pile in front of the class. Ask them to sort the shapes into their type or by following a particular rule.

Sort 2D or 3D picture cards by a given attribute as a class or in a center

Symmetry

Teach kids at a young age about reflectional symmetry, which is a mirror image. Show kids that if you draw a line down the center of an image, both sides will match up. This is called the line of symmetry. Some shapes have one line of symmetry, and others have more. Expose them also to symmetry found in nature and their environment.

Activities

Ask kids to find symmetrical things in the classroom and share them with the class.

Go outside on a nature walk and look for symmetrical things.

Use pattern blocks to create symmetrical pictures. Given half a pattern block picture, create the mirror image. Grab these FREE pattern block symmetry cards below!

Create a Lego structure with a friend by placing the same pieces down together on both sides.

Build something symmetrical using small objects, such as blocks.

Create a piece of art using the concept of symmetry. Fold a piece of paper and paint only on one side. Fold the paper together to create symmetrical paint blotches.

Geometry and Shapes Resources for K-2

The activities seen in this post can be found in the following resources.

Free Pattern Block Symmetry Pictures

Print off a set of these to go with your pattern blocks to create an easy math center. Kids will enjoy creating symmetrical designs!

Grab FREE pattern block symmetry pictures for your math center by clicking the image below.

Geometry & Shapes Books
Kindergarten Geometry & Shapes Unit First Grade Geometry Math Unit Second Grade Geometry & Fractions Unit
Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayes
Go, Shapes, Go by Denise Fleming
When a Line Bends...a Shape Begins by Rhonda Greene
Shapes, Shapes, Shapes by Tana Hoban
The Shape of Things by Dayle Ann Dodds
Seeing Symmetry by Loreen Leedy
Jump, Kangaroo, Jump by Stuart J. Murphy
If You Were a Polygon by Marcie Aboff
If You Were a Quadrilateral by Marcie Aboff
Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns
Shape Up! by David Adler
Three Pigs, One Wolf, Seven Magic Shapes by Grace Maccarone
Shape by Henry Pluckrose
Mouse Shapes by Ellen Walsh
Shape by Shape by Suse MacDonald
Shapes! by National Geographic Kids
Captain Invisible and the Space Shapes by Stuart J. Murphy

Geometry Materials

Try the Mindful Math Comprehensive Program

Read about the Mindful Math program and how it can change your math block in positive ways! This comprehensive math curriculum is available for Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade.

More Math Activities for Kids

PIN
shape books Addition and Subtraction to 20 Activities for the Classroom Number Sense Activities to 20 Learning Fractions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Geometry and Shapes for Kids: Activities that Captivate

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Geometry and shape activities: learn, play, and build with shapes, blocks, and math manipulatives in hands-on ways. A FREE printable pattern block symmetry activity is included!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Learn and build with the geometry and shapes for kids. Tons of fun math activities included and a FREE pattern block symmetry activity!
By Proud to be Primary

Were you searching Pinterest or googling to find engaging, hands-on geometry and shapes for kids? Are you looking for lessons and activity ideas that are fun and build a strong understanding of shapes and geometry? Then you have come to the right place!

Geometry and Shapes for Kids

The math tips and strategies you need to teach geometry in primary grades are right here. You will have everything you need to quickly implement and bring a wealth of geometry activities, games, and centers into your classroom or home.

The activities, books, math unit, and other resource suggestions ( including a FREE one) cover a ton of geometry concepts and are perfect for Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. Plus, find valuable geometry materials and manipulative suggestions, as well as freebies you can access today! This post is filled with a ton of value for you as you teach.

Why is it Important to Teach Geometry and Shapes for Kids?

Children need many opportunities to learn about shapes. Learning to identify and understand what the different shapes are, as well as their parts are important concepts. Each day children are exposed to shapes in their environment. They see and interact with them everywhere daily. They need to be able to recognize shapes, verbalize what they see, and understand why they are there.

We want children to see a shape and make a connection. When they look at the wheel of a car, we want them to process that image as a circle, a shape they have learned to label. Eventually, we want children to decipher between shapes and understand formal definitions of shapes. When they look at a cracker, we want them to process that image as a square, since it has four equal sides.

As children learn each geometric concept, they will move onto the next stage of understanding. A strong knowledge of shapes is vital for learning more complex geometry concepts later.

The activities below are ones that will help develop an understanding of shapes. Use them as they are described or adapt them to your own needs. Have conversations about shapes and encourage questions. When a child notices shapes in their environment, let them share with the class! Make time for fun and engaging geometry activities daily in your math center and free play areas.

Geometry and Shapes for Kids Activities

Two Dimensional Shapes

The first stage in learning about geometry is being able to identify, name, and describe 2-dimensional shapes. Talking about shapes whenever you see them and having shape posters on the wall are helpful to kids! Have plenty of shape manipulatives available to explore and "play" with.

Activities

Create a detailed anchor chart for each 2D shape you are teaching. Draw the shape and label and describe how many sides and corners each has.

Teach a shape with a catchy song or poem to help them remember what it is called and its parts.

Use colored popsicle sticks to form the 2D shapes with straight sides. Leave them in a center for kids to put together independently.

Play and get creative with tangrams. See what pictures kids can make.

Pattern blocks are also fun, hands-on manipulatives that encourage kids to create. They are the perfect addition to any math tub!

Bring out the geoboards and practice forming shapes using elastic bands.

Let kids form shapes in a hands-on way with Playdough.

Reinforce learning about shapes with engaging printable activities perfect for the primary classroom!

Practice forming shapes using different tools, such as do-a-dot markers or stickers.

Make simple crafts using shape pieces cut out of construction paper. Let them invent a shape by combining shape pieces to make new ones.

Check for understanding with small, focused tasks. Review the recognition of shapes quickly with flashcards.

Draw shapes for practice using a Boogie Board or other draw and erase tool. Being able to draw basic shapes is essential for bringing other more complicated things later.

Three Dimensional Shapes

Just like 2D shapes, being able to identify, name, and describe 3-dimensional shapes is important! Our world is made up of 3D shapes, and we need to recognize them to make sense of things. Make sure to have geometric solids available to hold and interact with, as well as posters to refer to.

Activities

Create a detailed anchor chart for each 3D shape you are teaching. Draw the shape and label and describe how many edges, vertices, and faces each has.

Teach a 3D shape with a catchy song or poem to help them remember what it is called and its parts.

Form 3D shapes in a hands-on way with small balls of rolled up clay and toothpicks to hold everything together.

Let kids form geometric solids using Playdough.

Play games to reinforce understanding and recognition of geometric solids: shape Bump and Scoot are two engaging choices.

Get creative with foam blocks and build a tower or other structure.

Kids love magnetic pieces that can be joined to form 3D objects. Have a bin of these available during free play or STEM time.

Teach kids how to draw a geometric solid shape in steps. They will be surprised at how simple it is!

Look through old magazines for pictures of the different 3D shapes. Add the pictures to a class anchor chart.

Puzzles, clip cards, and matching activities are great for shape recall and building fluency.

Shapes in the Environment

The main goal of teaching children about shapes is for them to be able to see shapes in the environment and to interact with the environment because of that understanding. Get kids to talk about what they see continuously and encourage them to share.

Activities

Create an anchor chart with examples of each shape in their world. Let kids give and draw the suggestions of what each shape "looks like...".

Look around the classroom and point out different shapes.

Play games where kids must recognize what object is what shape. Give this Bingo game a try!

Go on a scavenger hunt outside and take note of what is seen.

Take photos of real-world examples of shapes. Add the photos to a class pocket chart.

Read books about shapes in the real world. The Shape of Things is a good book with lots of picture examples.

Compare & Sort Shapes

Provide opportunities for kids to compare different shapes with each other. Once an understanding is developed with the parts of shapes, teach children to sort shapes based on one or two attributes.

Activities

Provide small groups of either 2D or 3D shapes per pair of students. Ask them to take turns sorting shapes and let the other person try to guess their sorting rule.

Place shapes in a pile in front of the class. Ask them to sort the shapes into their type or by following a particular rule.

Sort 2D or 3D picture cards by a given attribute as a class or in a center

Symmetry

Teach kids at a young age about reflectional symmetry, which is a mirror image. Show kids that if you draw a line down the center of an image, both sides will match up. This is called the line of symmetry. Some shapes have one line of symmetry, and others have more. Expose them also to symmetry found in nature and their environment.

Activities

Ask kids to find symmetrical things in the classroom and share them with the class.

Go outside on a nature walk and look for symmetrical things.

Use pattern blocks to create symmetrical pictures. Given half a pattern block picture, create the mirror image. Grab these FREE pattern block symmetry cards below!

Create a Lego structure with a friend by placing the same pieces down together on both sides.

Build something symmetrical using small objects, such as blocks.

Create a piece of art using the concept of symmetry. Fold a piece of paper and paint only on one side. Fold the paper together to create symmetrical paint blotches.

Geometry and Shapes Resources for K-2

The activities seen in this post can be found in the following resources.

Free Pattern Block Symmetry Pictures

Print off a set of these to go with your pattern blocks to create an easy math center. Kids will enjoy creating symmetrical designs!

Grab FREE pattern block symmetry pictures for your math center by clicking the image below.

Geometry & Shapes Books
Kindergarten Geometry & Shapes Unit First Grade Geometry Math Unit Second Grade Geometry & Fractions Unit
Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayes
Go, Shapes, Go by Denise Fleming
When a Line Bends...a Shape Begins by Rhonda Greene
Shapes, Shapes, Shapes by Tana Hoban
The Shape of Things by Dayle Ann Dodds
Seeing Symmetry by Loreen Leedy
Jump, Kangaroo, Jump by Stuart J. Murphy
If You Were a Polygon by Marcie Aboff
If You Were a Quadrilateral by Marcie Aboff
Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns
Shape Up! by David Adler
Three Pigs, One Wolf, Seven Magic Shapes by Grace Maccarone
Shape by Henry Pluckrose
Mouse Shapes by Ellen Walsh
Shape by Shape by Suse MacDonald
Shapes! by National Geographic Kids
Captain Invisible and the Space Shapes by Stuart J. Murphy

Geometry Materials

Try the Mindful Math Comprehensive Program

Read about the Mindful Math program and how it can change your math block in positive ways! This comprehensive math curriculum is available for Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade.

More Math Activities for Kids

PIN
shape books Addition and Subtraction to 20 Activities for the Classroom Number Sense Activities to 20 Learning Fractions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Geometry and Shapes for Kids: Activities that Captivate

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Geometry and shape activities: learn, play, and build with shapes, blocks, and math manipulatives in hands-on ways. A FREE printable pattern block symmetry activity is included!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
© 2016-2019 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved

Spatial skills predict a young person's achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. They are crucial for the mechanic, visual artist, architect, and surgeon.

Yet traditional schooling does relatively little to foster the development of these abilities, and that's troubling. Studies indicate that people can improve their spatial skills with training, sometimes with dramatic results. What are the practical applications of this research? How can we help kids develop excellent spatial skills?

Here is a list of evidence-based tactics and activities.

1. Encourage active, physical exploration of the real world

Experiments suggest that infants can learn rapidly about three dimensional shapes. Within days of birth, babies seem to understand that the apparent size of an object will change as it moves closer or farther away.

As I explain in this article, newborns also show signs of visually recognizing objects they have previously touched, but not seen. This suggests babies can map tactile information onto some sort of internal, visual simulation of the 3-D world (Streri et al 2013; Slater et al 1990).

So the capacity is there, but it doesn't develop by magic. Children need raw data. They need to feel shapes and textures, and explore objects hands-on.

By 9 months, researchers have detected differences in the spatial skills of infants. The babies with superior mental rotation abilities are the ones who spend more time handling and investigating objects (Schwarzer et al 2013).

Other experiments indicate that hands-on experiences with objects can improve a toddler's ability to track items through space (Frick and Wang 2014).

When we insist that kids "look but don't touch" we are likely hampering the development of spatial skills.

2. Seize everyday opportunities for spatial thinking and spatial talk

In their review of the research on spatial skills in young children, psychologists Nora Newcombe and Andrea Frick (2010) note that opportunities to practice spatial skills are everywhere. Adults can stimulate spatial thinking by asking kids questions, and engaging them in conversation:

"Which way does the sheet fit on the bed? Does the left shoelace go over or under-and which one is the left? Will the groceries fit in one bag? Which shapes do I get if I cut my bagel the other way-and will it still fit in the toaster? For young children, these questions are challenging and provide ample opportunities to learn and think about space."

These conversations are also opportunities for children to learn new vocabulary -- words that will help kids reason about spatial properties, like over and under. Tall and short. Bent and curvy. Triangle, rectangle, cube, and sphere.

Common sense suggests that kids who learn such terms are more likely to use them when they talk, and that will help them tap into the power of verbal explanation. Studies show that children learn concepts better when they are asked to explain what they discover to other people.

Moreover, longitudinal research hints that youngsters who are chatty about spatial concepts end up with superior spatial skills.

When Shannon Pruden and her colleagues tracked the development of 52 babies, the researchers found that early exposure to spatial language predicted higher spatial ability later on.

Kids who had heard and used a lot of spatial terminology scored higher on spatial skills tests when they 42 months old (Pruden et al 2011).

For details, see my article, "Spatial intelligence: What is it, and how can we enhance it?".

3. Provide kids with tools for building structures, and boost enthusiasm by getting involved yourself

An array of evidence suggests that children develop better spatial skills when they build and create with blocks. For more information, see this article and the accompanying list of tips for sparking a young child's interest in block play.

4. Introduce construction games that challenge kids to "match the design"

Research hints that a particular form of block play, called structured block play, may be especially valuable. This is when kids are shown the "blueprints" for a structure and given a set of blocks to recreate it.

In recent experiments, 8-year-old children showed measurable improvements in their mental rotation abilities after just five, 30-minute play sessions. Post-training, they also showed changes in brain activity, suggesting that these kids had changed the way they processed spatial information (Newman et al 2016).

You can create your own sessions of structured block play at home with wooden blocks, interlocking plastic blocks (like Lego

or Mega Bloks

, Keva planks

,Lincoln Logs, and Tinker Toys.

For the budding engineer, I also like the FoxMind Equilibrio Game , a set of 18 plastic blocks that come with 60 illustrations of structures to be erected. As the name suggests, part of the challenge is getting the structures to remain in balance, so concentration and fine motor skills are required.

And whatever your chosen medium, don't forget to keep up the conversation. "Match-the-design" construction games may be helpful, in part, because they stimulate spatial talk (Ferrara et al 2011).

5. Try origami

Have you ever thought through the steps required to construct a box from a flat piece of cardboard? Or tried to predict how a paper object would look after folding one of it's faces?

People who are good at such tasks -- folding in the mind's eye -- have strong spatial skills. But what's especially interesting is that "mental folding" ability predicts a student's performance in STEM fields.

For instance, a study of British primary school students found that kids with stronger mental folding abilities scored better on tests biology, physics, and chemistry (Hodgkiss et al 2018).

And researchers suspect they can boost mental folding ability by training kids in origami -- the traditional Japanese art of paper-folding.

In a preliminary study, researchers found that school children improved their performance on a very challenging mental folding task after just a few hours of instruction in and hands-on exploration of origami (Burte et al 2017).

6. Encourage children to use and create maps

By the age of 3 or 4, most kids are ready to learn simple lessons about maps. For instance, young children can learn to interpret a map of their living room floor plan, and then use a map to show where, in the real room, they have hidden a toy (Shusterman et al 2008; Vasilyeva and Huttenlocher 2004).

Older kids can handle more complex maps, and they benefit from structured mapping activities, especially ones that require them to explain their choices.

For example, in a study of American 4th graders, kids were given incomplete maps of their school yard and asked to (1) locate unmarked features (like a flagpole) and (2) place stickers on their maps to indicate where these features could be found (Kastens and Liben 2007). Some kids were quite accurate. Other kids were far off the mark. But when kids were asked to write down what clues they used to decide where the stickers should go, they performed much better.

It's a finding that's consistent with other studies: Kids learn better when they have to explain how they solve problems.

Do such mapping exercises improve a child's general spatial skills, and, if so, how?

That's not yet clear. But the sticker-placement study suggests that guided activities force children to pay close attention to spatial cues and shifting visual perspectives. They're practicing spatial thinking, and they are learning how to read maps - which is an important spatial skill.

So researchers and educators promote the use of maps with children.

Start with simple tasks, and keep in mind that it's normal for kids to have trouble translating their first-person spatial knowledge into a bird's eye view.

In one study, less than 30% of first and second graders could identify their own school's distinctive U-shaped building plan from a bird's eye view map (Liben and Downs 1989).

Looking for resources to help teach kids about maps? For very young children, I recommend As the Crow Flies (Rise and Shine)

. It helps children think about seeing the world from a bird's eye view. For children in primary school, another helpful book is Mapping Penny's World

.

7. Expose kids to tangrams and other spatial puzzles

I haven't seen any controlled experiments testing the effects of tangrams or jigsaw puzzles on the development of spatial skills. But it seems pretty clear that puzzle-solving ability and spatial intelligence are linked.

For example, in an observational study, researchers tracked the behavior of toddlers from the age of two, and then tested the children's spatial abilities when they were four and a half. The more frequently kids played with puzzles, the more likely they were to finish the study with high test scores (Levine et al 2011).

The U.S. National Council of Teacher's Mathematics promotes the use of tangrams to teach spatial skills. You can read more about tangrams -- and find a printable template for making you own tangrams -- in this Parenting Science article.

8. Let kids experiment with photography

As Nora Newcombe points out, photography encourages kids to experiment with different camera angles and different senses of scale (Newcombe 2010). For ideas to inspire children's photography projects, see my article "Digital cameras for kids: Cool tools and windows into the minds of children."

9. Play action video games (and Tetris too)

We sometimes hear bad things about video games. Some people are concerned about the effects that too much game time can have on a child's homework performance, physical fitness, and ability to pay attention in school.

There is also evidence that violent video games can have short-term affects on behavior, temporarily switching players into a more aggressive mode.

But studies suggest that video game technology may have important applications for the training of spatial skills.

For example, young adults with weak spatial skills have made substantial improvements after playing high-paced, "first-person shooter" action video games. [Read more about it in this Parenting Science article).

If such games sound violent, they usually are. But it's the spatial information, not the violence that makes these games useful for spatial training. And some non-violent first-person shooter games do exist -- like Mirror's Edge, Greg Hastings Paintball, and Pirate Blast.

If you're looking for age-appropriate, non-violent first-person shooter games, try searching the Common Sense Media website for recent reviews.

In addition, you might try the classic video game, Tetris.

In an experiment on college undergraduates, Melissa Terlecki and colleagues (2008) asked undergraduates to take weekly practice tests of mental rotation. In addition, some students were randomly assigned to spend an hour each week playing Tetris. Other students were assigned to play a non-spatial computer game (Solitaire).

At the end of twelve weeks, both groups had made big improvements on the mental rotation task. But unlike the non-gamers, the students with the supplemental Tetris training also showed transfer effects -- improvements on other, related tests of spatial thinking. These improvements were still evident when the students were re-tested 2-4 months later.

10. Encourage kids to use gestures when solving spatial problems

Experiments demonstrate that adults and children solve problems more readily when they are allowed to gesture.

In one study, people were better at performing mental rotation tasks (a key measure of spatial thinking) when they were encouraged to use their hands (Chu and Kita 2011). In another, 5-year-olds who spontaneously gestured during spatial problem-solving were more like to get the right answer (Ehrlich et al 2006).

Read more about the many cognitive benefits of gesturing in my article, "The science of gestures: Why it's good for kids to talk with their hands."

11. Be prepared for gradual progress

In a popular article for American Education, Nora Newcombe (2010) stresses that students with poor spatial skills are often slow to improve - in the beginning. So if you start a program of spatial skills training, don't be discouraged if kids don't show improvements right away. It may take 6 sessions or more before you notice a difference.

More reading about spatial skills

For a quick overview of the evidence that we can improve spatial skills with training, see my article, "Spatial intelligence: Why training matters."

In addition, check out the writings of Nora S. Newcombe, a professor of cognitive development and expert in the development of spatial cognition. Her article "Picture this: Increasing math and science learning by improving spatial thinking" is a non-technical review for school teachers.

For the academically-inclined, I also recommend her review "Early education for spatial intelligence: Why, what and how," coauthored with Andrea Frick. You can download this, on many other academic papers, at Newcombe's personal website. Finally, pay a visit to the Spatial Intelligence and Learning Center, Spatial Intelligence and Learning Center, an impressive online resource created by researchers and associated with the National Science Foundation.

References: Tips for improving spatial skills in children and teens

Burte H, Gardony AL, Hutton A, Taylor HA. 2017. Think3d!: Improving mathematics learning through embodied spatial training. Cogn Res Princ Implic. 2(1):13.

Chu M and Kita S. 2011. The nature of gestures' beneficial role in spatial problem solving. J Exp Psychol Gen. 2011 Feb;140(1):102-16.

Ehrlich SB, Levine SC, Goldin-Meadow S. 2006. The importance of gesture in children's spatial reasoning. Dev Psychol. 2006 Nov;42(6):1259-68.

Ferrara K, Golinkoff R, Hirsh-Pasek K, Lam W and Newcombe N. 2011. Block Talk: Spatial Language During Block Play. Mind, Brain and Education 5(3): 143-151.

Frick A and Wang SH. 2014. Mental spatial transformations in 14- and 16-month-old infants: effects of action and observational experience. Child Dev. 85(1):278-93.

Hodgkiss A, Gilligan KA, Tolmie AK, Thomas MSC, Farran EK. 2018. Spatial cognition and science achievement: The contribution of intrinsic and extrinsic spatial skills from 7 to 11 years. Br J Educ Psychol. 88(4):675-697.

Joh AS, Jaswal VK, and Keen R. 2011. Imagining a way out of the gravity bias: preschoolers can visualize the solution to a spatial problem. Child Dev. 82(3):744-5.

Kastens KA and Liben LS. 2007. Eliciting self-explanations improves children's performance on a field-based map skills task. Cognition and Instruction, 25, 45-74.

Liben LS and Downs RM. 1989. Understanding maps as symbols: The development of map concepts in children. In H. W. Reese (Ed.), Advances in child development and behavior (Vol. 22, pp. 145-201). New York: Academic Press.

Levine SC, Ratliff KR, Huttenlocher J, and Cannon J. 2011. Early puzzle play: A predictor of preschoolers' spatial transformation skill. Dev Psychol. 2011 Oct 31. [Epub ahead of print]

Newcombe NS. 2010. Picture this: Increasing math and science learning by improving spatial thinking. American Educator: Summer 2010, 29-43.

Newcombe NS and Fricke A. 2010. Early education for spatial intelligence: Why, what, and how. Mind, Brain, and Education (3), 102-111.

Newman SD, Mitchell Hansen T, and Gutierrez A. 2016. An fMRI study of the impact of block building and board games on spatial ability. Frontiers in Psychology 7: 1278.

Pruden SM, Levine SC and Huttenlocher J. 2011. Children's spatial thinking: Does talk about the spatial world matter? Developmental Science (14): 1417-1430.

Sann C and Streri A. 2007. Perception of object shape and texture in human newborns: evidence from cross-modal transfer tasks. Dev Sci. 10(3):399-410.

Schwarzer G, Freitag C, and Schum N. 2013. How Crawling and Manual Object Exploration are Related to the Mental Rotation Abilities of 9-Month-Old Infants. Front Psychol. 4:97

Shusterman A, Ah Lee S, Spelke ES. 2008. Young children's spontaneous use of geometry in maps. Dev Sci. 11(2):F1-7.

Slater A, Mattock A, and Brown E. 1990. Size constancy at birth: Newborn infants' responses to retinal and real size. J. Exp. Child Psychol. 49:314-322.

Terlecki MS and Newcombe NS. 2008. Durable and generalized effects of spatial experience on mental rotation: Gender differences in growth patterns. Applied Cognitive Psychology 22: 996-1013.

Vasilyeva M and Huttenlocher J. 2004. Early development of scaling ability. Dev Psychol. 2004 Sep;40(5):682-90.

image of girl peering through rectangle by Yoshihito / flickr

image of mother and boy by Bill Strain / flickr

image of boy with map by ZIP / wikimedia / flickr

Image of paper icosohedrons by Andrew Turner / flickr

Image of girl by Nevit Dilmen / wikimedia commons

Content last modified 2/2019

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Improving spatial skills in children and teens: 10 evidence-based tips

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Spatial skills predict a young person's achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. They are crucial for the mechanic, visual artist, architect, and surgeon. Yet traditional schooling does relatively little to foster the development of these abilities, and that's troubling. Studies indicate that people can improve their spatial skills with training, sometimes with dramatic results.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Lesson Overview

At the root of all computer science is something called an algorithm. The word "algorithm" may sound like something complicated, but really it's just a list of instructions that someone can follow to achieve a result. To provide a solid base for the rest of your students' computer science education, we're going to focus on building a secure relationship with algorithms.

Lesson Objectives

Students will:

List steps to move character around a map

Arrange directions to reach predetermined goal

Predict where character will land, given a list of steps

Materials, Resources and Prep

For the Student

For the Teacher

Getting Started (10 min)

1) Vocabulary

This lesson has one new and important word:

Algorithm - Say it with me: Al-go-ri-thm
A list of steps that you can follow to finish a task.

2) Step-by-Step

Ask your students for directions to the chalkboard.
If they start shouting simultaneously, explain that you can only hear one instruction at a time. Call on students individually if that helps.

When you reach the board, ask for instructions to draw a smiley face.
Again, request one step at a time.

Explain that many tasks can be described using a specific list of instructions. That list is called an algorithm.

Challenge your students to work together in small groups to come up with algorithms for their single-step and double-step mazes.

Students can work in pairs to create the adventures, then work in pairs to solve the adventures of others. If this feels too chaotic you can work together as a class and create the adventure on a document camera, then work together to solve it.

Activities: (20 min)

This worksheet helps teach students how to think ahead in order to plan a short route from the Flurb's start location to the final location, just one square away.

Print out an activity packet for every group (ideally 2 to 4 students) and cut the Maps apart. Leave the arrow symbols for the students to cut apart.

Explain the rules to the class, making sure to emphasise the new word "algorithm."

Flurbs are happy, fuzzy little things.

Flurbs love to eat fruit. Fruit is hard to find in Flurb Town. Use the maps to help the Flurb find some fruit.

Work with your group to decide which direction the Flurb needs to step to get to the fruit.

Directions for Class:

1) Cut out an arrow for each member of your team.

2) Start with Map 1 to help the Flurb look for fruit.

3) Have each member of your group put an arrow next to the map to vote for which way the Flurb should step.

4) If not all arrows are pointing the same way, talk to each other and decide as a group which way the arrow should point.

5) When your whole group agrees on a direction, your team can share your answer with the teacher.

6) If your answer is correct, move on to the next map.

Wrap-up (5 min)

4) Flash Chat: What did we learn?

Did you feel like you were actually telling the Flurb what to do?

What would it be like to control a robot that way?

What would you create if it were that easy to tell a computer what to do?

Flash Chat questions are intended to spark big-picture thinking about how the lesson relates to the greater world and the students' greater future. Use your knowledge of your classroom to decide if you want to discuss these as a class, in groups, or with an elbow partner.

5) Vocab Shmocab

Which one of these definitions did we learn a word for today?

"Breaking something into exactly two pieces"
"A list of steps that you can follow to finish a task"
"The plastic coating on the end of a shoelace"

...and what is the word that we learned?

Assessment (10 min)

Hand out the worksheet titled "Move the Flurbs" and allow students to complete the activity independently after the instructions have been well explained.

Extended Learning

Use these activities to enhance student learning. They can be used as outside of class activities or other enrichment.

Create Your Own

Allow the students to guide you toward solving a problem (that you provide) one step at a time. Point out that every time they make a step, the rest of the adventure gets easier. If the students are still excited by the exercise, give them a more complicated configuration to solve.

Flurb Flash

Cycle quickly through single-step puzzles on your projector. Have the students hold up an arrow card or simply point in the direction that they think the Flurb should move.

Connections and Background Information

ISTE Standards (formerly NETS)

1.c - Use models and simulation to explore complex systems and issues.

2.d - Contribute to project teams to solve problems.

6.a - Understand and use technology systems.

CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards

CPP.L1:3-04 - Construct a set of statements to be acted out to accomplish a simple task.

CT.L1:6-01 - Understand and use the basic steps in algorithmic problem-solving.

CT.L1:6-02 - Develop a simple understanding of an algorithm using computer-free exercises.

CT.L2-03 - Define an algorithm as a sequence of instructions that can be processed by a computer.

CT.L2-06 - Describe and analyze a sequence of instructions being followed.

Common Core Mathematical Practices

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

6. Attend to precision.

7. Look for and make use of structure.

8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Common Core Math Standards

K.G.A.1 - Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to.

Common Core Language Arts Standards

SL.K.1 - Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

SL.K.2 - Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if something is not understood.

SL.K.5 - Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.

L.K.6 - Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.

SL.1.1 - Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

SL.1.2 - Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

SL.1.5 - Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

L.1.6 - Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using frequently occurring conjunctions to signal simple relationships.

SL.2.1 - Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

SL.2.2 - Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

SL.2.5 - Create audio recordings of stories or poems; add drawings or other visual displays to stories or recounts of experiences when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

L.2.6 - Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using adjectives and adverbs to describe.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
At the root of all computer science is something called an algorithm. The word "algorithm" may sound like something complicated, but really it's just a list of instructions that someone can follow to achieve a result.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Coding is all the rage in elementary schools right now, and it's not hard to see why! Coding, or the language of programming, is quickly becoming a language that our students need to learn how to "speak," even as young as Kindergarten. Fluency in coding is necessary in order to design apps, software, websites, video games, and so much more. More importantly, programming is a profession that continues to rapidly grow in demand in our workforce, and by introducing our kiddos to the basics, we are opening new doors for possible passions, interests, and career paths in STEM fields.

Here are just a few of the many benefits of teaching our students to code:

(Graphic from www.kodable.com)

The second week of December is dedicated to the "Hour of Code," during which students around the world spend a full hour practicing programming in a variety of ways. I like to offer my students a variety of websites, apps, and coding toys during the Hour of Code.

By far, my favorite app for teaching Pre K, Kindergarten, and First Grade students the basics of block coding is Kodable. The app itself is free, with more levels unlocked if a teacher has created a class account on their website. To play Kodable, students drag and drop a series of commands to get a lovable little "fuzz ball" through a maze, attempting to collect coins along the way. It is highly kid-friendly, developmentally appropriate, and engaging, with courses that slowly increase in difficulty from Sequence and Algorithms, to Conditional Expressions, to Loops and Patterns and beyond. Kodable continues to add more features and options as it grows in popularity, including teacher accounts where we can enroll full classes and track their progress. Full paid curriculum packages are also now available for teachers interested in more extensive, yearlong lessons.

Code.org is also a highly popular, free coding website that is most appropriate for advanced first graders and up. Kids absolutely love this site because it features popular programs and characters such as Minecraft, Star Wars, Moana, and Frozen. Plus, there are introductory video tutorials to explain each new stage. Just like Kodable, teachers can create class accounts and track students' progress. This site is wonderful for dedicated coders because the levels increase to highly advanced strategies in the middle school range. Students can also "skip around" levels to try out different programming strategies and difficulty levels.

My Mini Sphero robotic balls are a brand new addition to my classroom this year and I absolutely LOVE how I can differentiate them for my different grade levels. At only $45 apiece, they're a super affordable option to get robotics into your kids hands. It connects to a Sphero Mini games app for free range driving, ball controlled games, and even a "Face Drive" setting that controls the ball based on your facial expressions that the front-facing camera read!. There is also a Sphero Edu app loaded with ready-made lessons that vary in difficulty. My youngest ones can draw shapes and paths for the Sphero to follow and older ones can code paths through block coding. They can control the speed and angle of the ball, LED lights, sounds, and even make the ball spin. The kids absolutely LOVE them!

Bee Bots and Pro Bots are another wonderful way to introduce sequence coding to little ones. Bee Bots are most appropriate for K-1st and Pro Bots are recommended for Second Grade and up. Students press the directional buttons to program the Bee Bots to move forward, backward, and turn in different directions. I have clear vinyl grids that work as perfect "maps" for the Bee Bots because you can design various games by placing pictures, shapes, and words underneath the squares, then program the Bee Bot to travel from shape to shape. My students also love to tape a fine point pen vertically in the back hole of Bee Bots and Pro Bots and program them to draw shapes and designs on paper! As a bonus, there's a free Bee Bot app for students to practice the same programming on iPads or other devices, although it's more difficult than Kodable for very young students.

(Amazon Affiliate links below)

Some of my other favorite coding toys for Second Grade and up are Cubelets, Ozobots, and brand new Osmo Coding. You can read more about my favorite STEM Toys over on my Top 10 STEM Gifts for Kids blog post.

So what about classrooms that do not have computers and devices readily available for students to practice coding, or do not have enough to share among large groups of students? No worries! Students can also practice the basics of coding through "unplugged" activities and games.

One of my new favorite additions gets my students up and moving with Hopscotch Coding! Students map out interactive codes on the floor and act them out to practice sequencing, conditions, and loops!

For other unplugged coding games, students can map out the code on paper, then have a partner figure out the code and write the code to match! My brand new Unplugged Coding Bundle for K-3 is perfect for practicing simple block coding on paper.

You can also try a free sample for Gingerbread Coding by clicking below:

I hope you are excited and ready to try coding with your little ones!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Coding for Little Kids - Teach Outside the Box

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Coding for Little Kids Coding is all the rage in elementary schools right now, and it's not hard to see why! Coding, or the language of programming, is quickly becoming a language that our students need to learn how to "speak," even as young as Kindergarten.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Five Ways to Make Geometry Memorable | Scholastic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Merge body and mind as you get your students out of their seats with these five easy ways to make learning geometry concepts memorable and lasting.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Do you know that March 14 is a Pi Day? This Pi Day is extra special, because only this year in 21st century, we will have more of Pi digits aligned on the digital clock: 3/14/15 9:26:53. In honor of Pi Day and for all math geeks out there who find pleasure in this kind of facts, I share 20 brilliant hands-on geometry ideas for kids - 10 geometry ideas for students in preK, K, and first grade, and 10 more geometry ideas for students in grades 2 and up.

Hands-On Geometry Ideas for Pre-K, K, and First Grade

1. Exploring Pattern Blocks from Picklebums

2. Learning about open and closed polygon shapes with Lego from JDaniel's Mom

3. Geometry riddles with Lego from JDaniel's Mom

4. Learning geometry vocabulary with a fun alien craft from JDaniel's Mom

5. Building polygons from Lemon Lime Adventures

6. Exploring shapes in preK from Little Bins for Little Hands

7. Decomposing shapes with pattern blocks from Gift of Curiosity

8. Exploring triangles with pattern blocks from Kids Activities Blog

9. Building symmetrical shapes from Teaching Tales Along the Yellow Brick Road

10. 3D shapes with toothpicks and marshmallows from Arvin Gupta Toys

Hands-On Geometry Ideas for Grades 2 and Up

1. Best geometry apps for kids of different ages from Imagination Soup.

2. Heart tangram and calculating area from Almost Unschoolers

3. Math art with parabolic curves from What Do We Do All Day

4. Angles Art from In the Playroom

5. Pythagorean Theorem from Empowering Parents to Teach

6. Estimating circumference from Gift of Curiosity

7. Circle Art from Mess for Less

8. Paper polynedron from Deceptively Educational

9. Hands-On math tools - tangrams from Planet Smarty Pants

10. 3D shapes and bubbles from Babble Dabble Do

Your Turn

Were you good at geometry at school? I was except in 3D geometry.

More Math for Kids

From this blog:
Follow my Math Pinterest Board
Follow Natalie Planet Smarty Pants's board Math on Pinterest.

Don't Miss Any Posts

Subscribe to my email updates!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
20 Brilliant Hands On Geometry Ideas for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Do you know that March 14 is a Pi Day? This Pi Day is extra special, because only this year in 21st century, we will have more of Pi digits aligned on the digital clock: 3/14/15 9:26:53.

# data[].attributes.body
2D shapes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Use these downloadable resources and activities to teach and reinforce concepts in 2D shape.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Use these ideas and resources in your 3D shape topic to develop your children's understanding.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore the properties of perspective drawing.