Build a Snowman with Shapes
I originally shared this as a guest post on Domain of the Mad Mommy. If you haven't been over to her site, you should check it out. You'll find great tips and ideas doled out in a candid and humorous spirit.
Since we got our first snow of the season, we've been reading winter themed books which have inspired us to do snowmen crafts and activities. I always try to tie some learning into our fun activities, so I came up with a way to build a snowman while practicing shape skills.
With the printables at the end of this post, your toddler and/or preschooler can practice identifying circles, rectangles, and triangles, as well as sort these shapes into their different categories. And of course, have some fun "building" a snowman in the process.
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Here's how I recommend doing the activity.
First, after printing (on thick paper) and cutting out the "Snowman Shapes," set them up on a tray or similar work surface with the "Snowman Shape Sort" printable.
(We’ve used these trays a ton for all kinds of things from play-doh to painting etc.)
Next, spend some time discussing the printable and shapes. Instruct the child to sort all the circles into the first area, then the rectangles into the next section, and finally, the triangle at the end.
As the child sorts the shapes, discuss their names and attributes (round, four sides, etc...).
Now you're ready for the really fun part. Set up the shapes with the "Build a Snowman" printable. Explain that the goal is to use the shapes to make a snowman that looks like the little one pictured in the upper right corner.
As your child builds the snowman, continue to discuss the shapes.
And before you know it, you have a paper snowman! You can glue the pieces down if you want, or you can store everything in a large baggie to make this a busy bag activity.
Click the links below to download the pdf files.
PDF Printables
Pooky has been enjoying this activity repeatedly. I hope your little ones do too.
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