Simple & Fun Shape Sorting Activity for Toddlers

Simple & Fun Shape Sorting Activity for Toddlers 

When your kiddo starts learning about the world around them, it can open up so many possibilities for learning. Today I’m sharing a favorite shape sorting activity for toddlers. The best part? You probably already have all of the supplies you need to do it! Using painters tape and some imagination, you can easily recreate this shape sorting activity for your toddler.

Why Shape Sorting?

Toddlers learn best through play, and this shape sorting activity is great for helping your little one distinguish between shapes.

This shape sorting activity helps them develop skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, and fine motor skills. All of which will be the foundation to learning and developing even more as they grow. 

Supplies 

You will need:

• Painters Tape ( I buy it in bulk)
• Construction Paper or even Printer Paper
• Scissors

Using construction paper or card stock allows your child to also work on differentiating their colors. I have also done it in the past with printer paper, and it was great for focusing on each individual shape.

Set Up

1. Cut various shapes until you have around 15-20 of each shape. I tried to vary the shape of the triangles so that it was a bit more challenging for my son. More on that below. You can assign each shape its own color at first to help them grasp the concept.
2. Clear a space on the floor that is roughly four feet by four feet wide. Use the painters tape to mark off each shape. In this case I am working on differentiating between circles and ovals, and squares, rectangles, and diamonds. Disregard my ability to tape a circle well!
3. Hand your kiddo one shape at a time and have them identify the shape. Once they have, ask them to put it inside the correct shape on the floor. Repeat until all shapes have been identified. 

Tips

• If your child is just starting to learn shapes, you can begin by talking about each shape and discussing what makes them different (triangles have three sides, circles are like wheels, etc…)
• If your child places a shape inside the wrong floor shape, try not to react. When they move on to the next piece, simply take the incorrect piece out and shuffle it back into the waiting shapes. Keep going until they’ve managed to assign them all correctly.
• Try not to lead your child in a certain direction. This gives them a chance to make connections in their brain. They’ll be doing it on their own before you know it!

Make it More Challenging

• Cut your triangles into different (not perfectly 90 degree) shapes. Some may be fatter, taller, wide, pointier, etc…).
• Make different sizes of each shape.
• Use all of the same color paper so that they have to differentiate based on shape alone.
• Use multiple colors for each shape. This means that they cannot rely on triangles always being blue or rectangles being green. 
• Move the taped shapes. I suggest starting with all of the taped shapes close together so that your toddler can see them all together. Once they have masted it, you can tape one shape in the kitchen, one in the living room, and one in the hallway to add a physical aspect to their learning.

This shape sorting activity is SO simple but so effective. My kiddo has asked to play this game multiple times! I love that he thinks it’s just a game but he’s developing cognitive skills that he will use for the rest of his life. This is great for a rainy day, a lesson plan, or just for fun! 

Want more toddler activities? Click here. Tell me, would you try this shape sorting activity? Let me know in the comments below!