MSU Extension Child & Family Development

Preschool Activity Pages

Shape Hunt

Materials

• Paper
• Scissors
• Marker or crayon

Area of School Readiness

Approaches to Learning: Approaches to learning According to the Head Start Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center, approaches to learning refers to how children learn or the behaviors and skills that children need to have in order to be able to learn. These skills include both emotional and cognitive self-regulation, initiative and curiosity and creativity.

Cognition: According to the Head Start Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center cognition is your child’s ability to reason, use their memory, engage in problem solving and thinking skills that help children learn about and understand the world around them.  

Purpose of the Activity

Initiative and Curiosity: Your child will practice curiosity by showing interest in the world around them to find the items on their shape hunt.

Cognitive Self-Regulation:  Your child will practice self-regulation by practicing focusing and paying attention on the task of finding different shapes.

Geometry and Spatial Sense: Your child will practice recognizing and describing different shapes.     

Instructions

1. Cut shapes from paper (circle, rectangle, square, triangle, oval)
2. Hunt around the house or outside for items of each shape (pillow, TV, door)
3. When you find a shape, name it out loud “That pillow is a rectangle!”
4. If you can, trace the shape with a crayon or marker on a piece of paper.
5. Encourage older children to write down items as you find them and keep a list of the shapes you found.