Teaching Shapes – Squares

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Last month we celebrated squares in my 2-3 year old class!

Here are a few fun activities and crafts we did to help learn this shape.

We study the color RED (see my color RED unit HERE) at the same time we learn about squares, so you might notice an overlapping of themes to really help my kiddos GET IT. 🙂

Popsicle Stick Shapes

One day during Circle Time, I gave each student 4 popsicle sticks.  Their mission – make a square!  It took a little guidance on my end, but it came together!

I followed up with them gluing their popsicle sticks to the above FREE Printable from Moms Have Questions Too.

We also practiced making squares with pretzel sticks – yum!

Square Magnets and File Folder

We used this square-themed FREE Printable from Lovely Commotion.

I laminated them and added magnets to the back.  We hung them on our magnet wall to review during Circle Time.

There is also a wonderful file folder activity in this pack that I use as well.

Square Bulletin Board

I love these FREE Printable shape poems that I found from Miss Kindergarten!  We memorize it throughout the month.  And we always greet Sandy Square with a big, “Hello Sandy Square!” throughout the day.

Square Watercolor Worksheet

We painted squares with watercolors using the above adorable FREE Printable from 3 Dinosaurs.

Square Exploration

I put squares on the floor using painter’s tape.

Then we went on a ‘Square Hunt’ around the room and found various square items and put them inside our floor squares.

I also filled a box with a bunch of square items (like the ones above) mixed in with some other random items.  I told the children to shout “SQUARE!” if I pulled out a square from the box.  But if it wasn’t a square, they had to shake their heads and say, “No, no, no.  Not a square.”

Square Dancing

We used our painter’s tape squares to do some square dancing!

I played this amazing Square Song Video and we danced all around the room.  Every few seconds, I stopped the song and everyone had to run and stand in a square on the ground.

Kind of like Freeze Dance, but running to the squares and then freezing once inside one.

Square Bean Bag Toss

We also used the floor squares to play a little game of toss the SQUARE bean bag into the square on the floor.

You can purchase these adorable shape bean bags on Amazon!

Square Art Projects

I loved this simple painting perfect squares project that I found over at Teach Preschool!

You can find the details HERE.

We used square blocks to stamp squares on a piece of paper.

Square Learning Video Resources

These are my favorite videos that teach about squares.

The first song is SO CATCHY – my 2-year-olds actually walk around saying, “A square is a shape that has 4 equal sides, it has 4 right angles and 4 straight lines.”  2-year-olds, people!!!  They might not understand exactly what that means, but it’s getting in their heads and preparing them for all that geometry coming their way in about 10 years.

• Square Song Video by Have Fun Teaching
• Squares by Storybots
• Cookie Monster Shape Cookies

Other Shape Toys and Resources

I hope you found something helpful here to start teaching your littles about shapes.  Next month is circles!

– Julie 🙂