Paper Shape Pictures

from 38 months · 10-15 min · Fine motor

What you need

Cut a few shapes out together: squares, rectangles, triangles and circles. Let your child snip some strips into squares themselves.
Ask what they could make: a house from a square and a triangle, a car from a rectangle and two circles.
Let them arrange the shapes on the big sheet and stick them down.
Ask them to tell you about the picture and name each shape in it.

Putting shapes together to make a house or a car shows what shapes can do, and the snipping is part of the making.

Shape names: Square, rectangle, triangle, circle, said as each one is placed.
Snipping strips: Cutting a strip into small squares.
Joining things: Sticking pieces down so the picture holds together.

Notice them turning a shape round to make it fit.

Sit beside them while the scissors are out and put them away when you finish. Children's safety scissors only.

Easier: cut all the shapes yourself and let them arrange and stick

Harder: make a picture using only triangles