Toddler Lessons – Try a Shape Hunt!

March 6, 2009

dice s Toddler Lessons Try a Shape Hunt!
What do dice, small Kleenex boxes, a Jack-in-the-box, and a red wooden block have in common? Well, besides part of the mess all over the living room floor

They are all cubes!

So try this next time your toddler or pre-school age child is pulling on your pant leg and begging for attention while you’re trying to help the other 4 children with their school.

Send him or her on a Shape Hunt!

Pick a household example of a cube, sphere, cone, cylinder, pyramid, tetrahedron, or rectangular prism/cuboid. Ie. soda cans, funnels, boxes, balls, sticks, etc.
Show it to your child and explain the characteristics of the shape.
Send them off to find other examples in the house.
Choose a tally/reward for each item found: a small treat, a sticker on a page, a check mark on a chart, or make a chart and have them draw a small picture of each item they bring back in the coresponding section.
When you’re done display their chart proudly on the fridge.
Play the shape game as a distraction at the grocery car, during car drives, on the church bench . . . ok, I’m thinking of way too many places my pre-schooler is bored and needs distracting.

What fun ideas do you have for this age? I find my 3-year-old gets impatient and bored when I’m trying to help the older kids. I’d love some more ideas!!