_{Thank you to Cheryl from Cheryl's Sweethearts for sharing this unit with me and letting me put it on my theme page. She has such great collections of ideas from her and her friends. I will add more things as I find them. If you would like to see something added here just send me an e-mail@ dlayton@mo-net.com Please sign my guestbook for using these ideas. Teach away!}

<sub>Shapes:

Circle Shape Puppet
1 large construction paper circle and 4 small circles, 2 6-in. strips of paper and 2 4-in. strips, markers, popsicle stick, glue, pair of scissors. Fold strips like an accordion and glue on for arms and legs. Glue on small circles for arms and feet, draw on a face and glue on a stick for a handle.
(Try triangles, hearts and squares)
Circle Puppet, circle puppet, jump up high. Circle Puppet, circle puppet,
fly,
fly, fly.
.....bend down low, there you go./.....twirl around. touch the
ground.....hop,
hop, hop, now you stop.

Circle Song (Sung to: Jingle Bells)
Round circles, Round circles, Round circles to make,
Oh what fun it is to draw round circles to shake.
Oh, Round circles, Round circles, Round circles to make,
Oh what fun it is to draw round circles to shake.

Clown Face
Cut out a large circle for each child. Cut out several small circles, triangle, rectangles and diamonds from various colors of construction paper. Let the children paste them to the white paper to make a clown face.</sub>

_{Friendly Shapes (felt board)
Little Cindy Circle rolls along the ground;
She has no corners - she just spins around! (circle)
Sammy Square is his name;
He has four sides, all the same....1,2,3,4! (square)
Danny Diamond is shaped like a kite;
He has four points - I know that's right....1,2,3,4!
(diamond)
Tracy Triangle with corners three;
Count the corners now with me...1,2,3! (triangle)}

<sub>Make a circle, make a circle,
Draw it in the sky.
Use your finger, use your finger,
Make it round as a pie.
Draw a square, draw a square,
Make the lines so straight.
Make a square, make a square,
Draw a box in the air.
Draw a triangle, draw a triangle, Always start at the top.
Make a tent, make a tent, Use three lines and stop!

Rectangle
Here's a rectangle, straight and tall:
(arms straight up, over head, fingers touch)
Two long sides, and that's not all.
Two short sides that face each other.
Draw one rectangle, now another. (draw in the air)

Shape Snacks
Circle Day - sliced bananas, grapes, scoop of ice cream, Ritz crackers, muffins, cookies, sandwich made on round bread.
Triangle Day - triangular chips, cheese slices cut into triangles, triangular crackers, ice cream cones, sandwich cut into triangles
Square Day - cheese cubes, crackers, rice krispie squares, sandwiches cut into squares,
Rectangle Day - celery sticks, carrot sticks, rectangular crackers, granola bars, sandwich cut into strips</sub>

<sub>Circle Song
A circle, a circle,
Draw it round and fat. (use index finger to draw circle in the air)
A circle, a circle, (repeat action)
Draw it for a hat. (draw a circle in the air overhead)
A circle, a circle, (repeat action)
Draw it just for me. (draw in the air)
A circle, a circle, (draw in the air)
Now jump and count the three: One! Two! Three!

Triangle Song
Here's a triangle. (spread index and middle fingers apart; right index finger forms base)
Here's a triangle. (draw a small triangle in the air)
Now draw one more with me. (draw in the air)
Can you count them?
Are you ready? One! (repeat the first action)
Two! (repeat the second action)
Three! (repeat the third action)</sub>

_{Apple Sailboat Snack
The children make apple sailboats from an apple slice, a triangular piece of
cheese, and a toothpick. Eat for snack.}

<sub>Shape Poems:
I'm Celia Circle- watch me bend. Round and round from end to end.

Ricky Rectangle is my name. My four sides are not the same. Two are short,
two are long. Count my sides come right along!

Trudy Triangle is the name for me. Tap my sides- 1,2,3!

Sammy Square is my name. My four sides are just the same. Count one side,
then count more. Count to 2,3, and 4!</sub>

<sub>Shapes Clown Face
Cut out a large circle for each child. Cut out several small circles, triangles, rectangles and diamonds from various colors of construction paper. Let the children paste them to the white paper to make a clown face.

Shape Snacks
Circle Day - sliced bananas, grapes, scoop of ice cream, Ritz crackers, muffins, cookies, sandwich made on round bread.
Triangle Day - triangular chips, cheese slices cut into triangles, triangular crackers, ice-cream cones, sandwich cut into triangles
Square Day - cheese cubes, crackers, rice krispie squares, sandwiches cut into squares
Rectangle Day - celery sticks, carrot sticks, rectangular crackers, granola bars, sandwich cut into strips

Delightful Kites (trapezoid)
Materials: 9 in. X 12 in. Art Paper, scraps of art paper in assorted colors,
scissors and paste, pencil and eraser, ruler, crepe paper strips
Procedure:
Fold and cut out kite shape. Use various colors of paper scraps to create spring kite designs. (flowers, butterflies, birds) Use crepe paper for tails.

Flower shapes (5 identical pairs of colors)
Cut ten identical flower shapes from construction paper and group them in pairs. Glue a different kind of fabric to each pair of flowers. Mix up the flowers and let the children take turns finding the matching pairs.
Variation:
Cut pairs of identical flower shapes from five different colors of construction paper. Let the children take turns finding the flowers with matching colors. For older children instead of matching colors they can match number with dots.</sub>

<sub>1) Shape Tape--with masking tape or something else of your choosing--draw
a large shape on the floor. Children go around the shape singing this
song:
"Here we Go Round the Shape Tape"
tune "Here we Go Round the Mulberry Bush"

Here we go round the ___________ (circle, square, triangle, etc.),
_____________________.
Here we go round the ___________ (circle, square, triangle, etc.),
___________________.
It's shaped just like _____________(circle-the sun, triangle-a tent,
rectangle-door, etc.)

You could do this with colors too or with a color shape!


2) Give each child a small cutout of the shape you are working on. Sing
this song--
"Shape Shake"
tune: "Hokey Pokey"

You put your ________(shape--circle, square, triangle, etc.) in,
You put your ________(shape--circle, square, triangle, etc.) out,
You put your ________(shape--circle, square, triangle, etc.) in, and you
shake it all about. . . .
That's how the shape shake goes!</sub>

_{An activity that I enjoy doing at the end of a unit on shapes is to have a party with snacks cut into the 4 basic shapes. I cut sandwiches into triangles, use square crackers or graham cracker squares with peanut butter, round crackers with cheese and rectangular wafer cookies. I encourage the children to tell us what shape they are eating and we also brainstorm other shaped foods (pizza, cake, cucumber/carrot slices, etc.)}

<sub>Games/activities:
1. Put shape blocks (or attribute blocks) in a bag. Child puts hand in the bag and picks a shape. The child attempts to identify the shape without looking at it. Have them justify the guess before removing the shape from the bag.
2. Put shapes in bag. Instruct child to find a ________ without looking.
Again have them tell why they think the shape they have is the correct one.
3. Give each child a shape -- shapes could be clothes pinned to the child or on a piece of yarn (or put a shape on each table). Give instructions related to the shape -- circles stand up, triangles hop, rectangles crawl under the table and the favorite -- squares get ON the table. etc.!
4. Hide a shape in your hand, give clues (one at a time) and have the children guess/tell what the shape is/could be. (ex. the shape has straight sides, there are 4 sides, 2 or short and 2 or long).
5. Use shapes to make patterns on paper or in pocket charts. Children practice the names of the shapes by reading the pattern (circle, triangle, circle, triangle).
6. Put toothpicks on the table and instruct them to make various shapes (ask them to make a circle and see how many actually try!)</sub>

_{Shape books
Secret Birthday Message/Carle
Tana Hoban's books - photography
Ed Emberley's books - drawing techniques}

<sub>Use a shape as the beginning of a picture:
a circle can be turned into a face
a square can be turned into a house
a triangle can be turned into a tee-pee
a rectangle can be turned into a high rise
an oval can be turned into a balloon
a diamond can be turned into a kite
a heart can be part of the body

Shape Walking
Cut out different shapes--circles, triangles, rectangles and squares--from foam about 3/4 inch thick. (This can be obtained from an upholstery shop.) Place them on the floor and have the kids "cross the river" only walking on triangles or squares or another specified shape. Cut from foam they can walk on them without ruining them--they should last for several years. Add to your set each year.</sub>

_{This is a take-off of Brown Bear, Brown Bear and goes like this....
Shape Monster, Shape Monster,
munch, munch, munch...
How about a red circle for your lunch?
1 red circle
2 blue squares
3 yellow triangles
4 green rectangles
5 orange ovals
6 purple diamonds
goes Shape Monster Shape Monster
Munch, Munch, Munch}

_{Another book idea...
"Shapeman, What Do You See?"
A circle sees a square, sees a triangle, sees rectangles, sees ovals, until a shapeman is built- a circle head, square body, triangle hat, rectangle arms and legs, oval hands and feet. This can be done in conjunction with colors, or without so that the kids can make their own color configurations.}

_{Fine Motor Help
Cut out assorted shapes in sandpaper, about 4" down to 2" big. The kids place them under large white or manila construction paper and rub with the sides of crayons (without the paper). By overlapping the sandpaper shapes, and changing crayon colors, the kids can make beautiful shape collages!}

<sub>THE SHAPE OF THINGS
What is a circle? What is round?
A quarter rolling on the ground.
A wheel is a circle, so is the moon,
A bottle cap, or a big balloon.

What is a square, with sides the same?
The wooden board for a checker game.
A slice of cheese, a TV screen,
A table napkin to keep you clean.

What is a rectangle, straight and tall?
The door that stands within your wall.
A dollar bill, a loaf of bread,
The mattress lying on your bed.

What is a triangle, with sides of three?
A piece of pie for you and me.
A musical triangle, ding, ding, ding,
A slice of pizza with everything!

These are the shapes seen everywhere:
A triangle, rectangle, circle, square.
If you look closely where you've been,
You'll surely see the shapes you're in!</sub>

_{SUGGESTIONS FOR SHARING
Have children use their thumbs and index fingers to form each of the four shapes as they recite the poem. Or have them use their index fingers alone to draw each shape in the air as they recite.}

<sub>THEMATIC ACTIVITIES
Have them go on a shape hunt to search for daycare items that have their
assigned shape. Later, let each group display the items they found.

Play a variation on Concentration by preparing eight or more index cards, each bearing a circle, square, rectangle, or triangle (each card should have a match). Lay the cards face down. Players take turns turning two cards over in an attempt to make a match. A player keeps the cards if they are the same shape and the player can correctly name it.</sub>

_{Pancakes, Crackers, and Pizza: A Book of Shapes by Marjorie Eberts
and Margaret Gisler, Children's Press
Shapes and Colors by Denise Lewis Patrick, Western
Shapes, Shapes, Shapes by Tana Hoban, Greenwillow}

_{RECTANGLE ROBOTS
Pre-cut several rectangle shapes: larger rectangle for body, smaller for head. For arms, legs, hands and feet I cut paper strips with my paper cutter, in various sizes. Actually I use my paper cutter for all the rectangles for this craft, come to think of it! Lots of colors. It's fun to use wrapping paper or paper with other textures too. The kids put their rectangles on their paper first --I tell them it's like making their own "puzzle". Then when they are pleased with their arrangement they paste them on the paper. Add facial features with crayon or marker and "antennas" with coiled pipe cleaners. They really turn out cute. Everyone's is different. Some of them look like they are walking, some have arms raised, some have feet turned in ,etc. It's a fun way to emphasize "rectangle" and makes a cute display too.}

_{Learning shapes through the year
(from Clare Cherry's book, Creative Art for the Developing Child).
Sept.- Use art/easel paper cut into circles - explore round things (this could tie into an apples unit)
October- Use rectangular paper - help children find the corners Then return to round at the end of the month for pumpkin shapes
November - introduce pennant-shaped paper - help the children discover that pennants have points. Paint leaf shapes with many points. Towards the end of the month, return to circles for fruit shapes
(Thanksgiving)
December- Provide triangular shaped paper for Christmas Trees.
January - Use square shapes. Show the children that the sides are the same length on each side. Fold the squares into a cone and make snowflakes.
February - Continue with folding activities - make hearts
March - Diamond shapes, kites use this shape again in May for Japanese kite holiday.
April - Oval shapes - Paint giant eggs for Easter on egg shaped easel paper.
May - Scalloped circular shapes inspire children to make flowers.
June- Make long murals using crayons, chalk or collage materials.
July- use over-sized rectangles - make flags.
August - Have the children lay on butcher paper - trace the outline of their shapes. Let the children paint their paper shapes.}

<sub>Point a Path
Purpose: To provide meaningful experience with geometric shapes.
1. Provide a muffin tin containing several colors of mixed finger
paints for each table or small group of 4-6 children.

2. Supply a large piece of paper for each child.

3. Direct children to make various geometric shapes by dipping one finger in the paint and making a "fingerprint path" to show that shape.

Examples: " Make a fingerprint path that shows a blue circle."
" Make a fingerprint path shows a triangle."</sub>

<sub>Triangle
Here's a triangle. (spread index and middle fingers apart; right index finger forms base)
Here's a triangle. (draw a small triangle in the air)
Now draw one more with me. (draw in the air)
Can you count them?
Are you ready? One! (repeat the first action)
Two! (repeat the second action)
Three! (repeat the third action)

The Circle
A circle, a circle,
Draw it round and fat. (use index finger to draw circle in the air)
A circle, a circle, (repeat action)
Draw it for a hat. (draw a circle in the air overhead)
A circle, a circle, (repeat action)
Draw it just for me. (draw in the air)
A circle, a circle, (draw in the air)
Now jump and count the three: One! Two! Three!


Rectangle
Here's a rectangle, straight and tall: (arms straight up, over head, fingers touch)
Two long sides, and that's not all.
Two short sides that face each other.
Draw one rectangle, now another. (draw in the air)</sub>

_{Shape Collage
Construction Paper
Magazines
Draw large shapes on construction paper. Have the children fill in the shapes using pictures cut from magazines. Fill a circle with circular shapes etc.}

_{Gumball Circles}

• _{Oaktag
  colored construction paper
  glue
  crayons}
  

_{For each child, cut a gum ball machine shape out of oaktag along with a number of small paper circles to use as gum balls. Have the children color their gum ball machine shapes with crayons. Let them choose the circles they want for the gum balls and glue them on their shapes. Hint: If you are working on a particular color make all the circles that color.}

_{Shape Walk
Construction Paper
Masking Tape
Tape a series of geometric shapes to the floor using masking tape a rectangle, square, circle and triangle on the floor (large enough for a few children to stand in). Give the children directions to follow i.e.: Stand in the circle. Sit in the triangle. Hop in the square. Etc.}

<sub>Every week add the "Shape of the week" in several colors and sizes to the box. We use the same colors and sizes for each shape. Make matching felt pieces for the board. We can then play all sorts of games with these:

Find the largest shape
Find a certain color
Find all the Triangles

For the felt board - we play which one is missing, pick one out of a pile and someone matches it.</sub>

<sub>What Shape is this? Sung to: "The Muffin Man"
Do you know what shape this is,
What shape this is, what shape this is?
Do you know what shape this is
I'm holding in my hand?


The Square Song Sung to: "You are my Sunshine"

I am a Square, a lovely Square,
I have four sides, they're all the same.
I have Four corners, Four lovely corners,
I am a Square, that is my name.


The Triangle Song Sung to: "POP! Goes the weasel"
I am a small triangle
I have three sides you see.
I also have three corners.
They're just right for me.


Shapes Sung to: "Frere Jacques"

This is a square, this is a square,
How can you tell? How can you tell?
It has four sides,
All the same size.
It's a Square, It's a Square.

This is a circle, this is a circle.
How can you tell? How can you tell?
It goes round and round,
No end can be found.
It's a circle, It's a circle.

This is a triangle, this is a triangle.
How can you tell? How can you tell?
It only has three sides,
That join to make three points.
It's a Triangle, It's a triangle.

This is a Rectangle, This is a rectangle.
How can you tell? How can you tell?
It has two short sides
And it has two long sides.
It's a rectangle, It's a rectangle.


Triangles Sung to: "Jingle Bells"
Triangles, triangles,
Have three sides.
Triangles, triangles,
Have three sides.
You can draw big triangles
In the air,
It is fun to use your hands
And make them anywhere.


It's A Rectangle Sung to: "B-I-N-G-O"
There is a shape that has four sides,
But it is not a square NO!!
It's a rectangle; It's a rectangle; It's a rectangle;
It is not like a square NO!!
Two sides are long; two sides are short.
They are not the same NO!!
It's a rectangle; It's a rectangle; It's a rectangle;
The sides are not the same NO!!


The Rolling Circle Song Sung to: "Have You Ever Seen A Lassie?
Have you ever seen a circle, a circle, a circle?
Have you ever seen a circle, which goes 'round and 'round?
It rolls this way and that way, And that way and this way.
Have you ever seen a circle, which goes 'round and 'round?</sub>

<sub>Mount five shapes (I have used stars, apples, squares, elephants, whatever shape goes with your unit) onto posterboard. Find a small shape that corresponds with the large shape (i.e. apples=worms, elephants=peanuts) . Cover the small shapes as well as the posterboard, place Velcro dots on the small shapes and Velcro numbering one through five on the large shapes. Make a pocket to hold your small shape counters and simply hang this on your wall in the manipulatives & math area of your room. The children can match the numbers on the shapes by placing the worms on the apples or feeding the elephant etc.

Take a large ziplock bag and fill it with a cup full of paint. Make two or three bags and use a variety of colors. Then we fill the bag with different shaped confetti, found at various party stores. ( For valentines day we used hearts and cupids, for everyday we use shapes, or animals) You then seal the bag and tape it with masking tape and let the kids have it. The kids enjoy feeling around for the shapes and trying to identify what the shape is through the paint.</sub>

_{FUN WITH SHAPES
WHAT YOU NEED:
a.. Colored construction paper cut into shapes:
b.. 10 squares
c.. 10 circles
d.. 10 triangles
e.. 10 rectangles
WHAT YOU DO:
a.. Have children sit in a circle or sit across from your child on the floor.
b.. Place all of the cut-out shapes in the middle of the floor.
c.. Have the children choose a number of shapes.
d.. Each child then creates an animal or other creature using the shapes they have picked up.
e.. Make a game of it and when one "round" is complete, put all the shapes back in the pile and start again.}

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