This is a collection of our our favorite math art projects and the best thing about them is that they will get math kids thinking about art and art kids thinking about math!

Turn number sequences into art

• We did this when we turned pi into a cityscape
• Spirolaterals will help your kids practice their multiplication tables.
• Create Fibonacci art with circles.
• This Fibonacci valentine from Math Four could be adapted for any time of the year.

What do your kids prefer, math or art? Do you ever do math art projects with the kids? 

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The next theme week of math camp is "patterns and math art," one of my very favorite subjects! But before you go, be sure to hop over to Coffee Cups and Crayons for another geometry math activity (using grapes no less!) to tide you over until next Thursday.

Previous camp mathematics fun: 

• Counting game to teach subtraction
• Magic squares

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When you are looking for some good activities and ideas for teaching shapes at home or for preschool lesson plans, fit these easy, playful learning activities, shape games and geometry-learning ideas into your schedule. They also work when you want to teach shapes to toddlers or are looking for shapes activities for kindergarten.

Note: this post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through these links may earn commission for this blog.

Explore Pattern Blocks

Pattern blocks come in lots of different shapes and sizes. We love this wooden pattern block set from Melissa and Doug. While kids can certainly use the block to build the preset designs, they are also excellent shapes for further exploration.

Use the pattern blocks to make free form shapes, sort them or create repeating patterns. One fun way is to get out a muffin tin and watch how preschoolers arrange the shapes inside the constraints of the muffin tin cavities.

Felt Pattern Shapes

Repetition and creating patterns is a great activity for building pre-math skills. Felt shapes are an excellent (and quiet!) alternative to wooden or plastic blocks. Plus, you can make a set of felt shapes for patterning at home! Cut shapes like circles, triangles, and squares from different colored sheets of felt. Make as many different varieties as you want!

View our explorations of color and shape patterning with felt here on the blog.

3D Shape Hunt

Remember that classic shape game where kids drop blocks through the correspondingly shaped slot in a big box? This 3D and 2D shape matching game is a similar concept. Teach children about the relationship between three dimensional shapes and their two dimensional counterparts with our 2D and 3D shape matching and sorting activity. Kids hunt for shapes, identify, sort and match blocks with a pictorial representation.

DIY Shape Book

With the free printable template, preschoolers can construct their own cut-out shape booklet. When the book is completed, children will observe how the shapes relate to one another, learning the concept of relative size. The creative process can double as an art project. See our process and grab the template here.

Exploring Triangles

Educators versed in Montessori will be familiar with the blue constructive triangles. The good news is that you don't have to go all in on Montessori education in order for your preschoolers to reap the benefits of playful learning using the blue scalene triangles.

See how we made our own triangles from soft foam instead of purchasing the expensive "official" shapes. The right-angled scalene triangles are especially fun to manipulate

Shape Print Art Project

Upcycle objects based on their shapes. For example, lids and bottle caps are circles, and sponges can be cut into squares, triangles and rectangles. Squeeze out paint onto a paper plate and set out large sheets of paper. Children will love pressing the the different shaped objects into the paint and then making prints on paper.

If desired, print shapes in patterns, sorting by shape, size and color.

Geoboard

A geoboard is a classic shape activity in which little hands build different shapes by stretching rubber bands around pegs on a board. Building your own geoboard is very easy with these instructions.

Shape Recognition

These two shape recognition activities couldn't be easier and you can do them with your little ones when you are out and about. If you find yourself in a waiting room with your preschool-aged child and everyone is getting a bit antsy, pick up the nearest magazine and start to flip through it. Ask your child to point out and name the shapes they see!

Translate the same activity to outdoors. When you are walking through the park your child can be on the lookout for shapes in nature. Is that flower center a circle? Is that leaf an oval? Is the sidewalk made up of squares?

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Making a shape book is a lovely hands-on, artsy way to learn about shapes, alongside our other recommended shape activities.

If you saw yesterday's post about the Kaleidograph Design Toy this cut out shape book follows a similar concept. Each page opens up to reveal a new shape in descending size. As with all of Babble Dabble Do's projects, the design of the book is exceeding pleasing to the eye.

How to Make the Shapes Book

The first thing you need to do is head over and download the template ---> My Shape Book Template (at Babble Dabble Do). You will also find all the instructions for assembly on Ana's post but we put our own spin on the book by printing the pages on watercolor paper.

My 5-year-old and I decided to color our book with watercolors, but Ana has some other variations, too.

At first my son was quite adamant that I NOT cut out the shapes! I had to explain to him that the entire design and function of the book was based on the cut outs so he relented, but insisted that I cut them out veeeerrrry carefully.

I think his favorite part of the whole project was stacking the shapes in order. He had recently played with the Kaleidograph, so the concept of shape layering and relative size was fresh in his mind.

He liked naming the shapes as he turned the pages. Geometry lesson? Check!

He did, however inform me that I had forgotten to include a diamond and a "rumpus." (That would be a "rhombus" to the rest of us.)

The watercolor paper was too thick to staple, so I used a hole punch and a piece of yarn to bind the shape book pages together.

Take a peek at what Ana created:

Children's Books about Shapes

Read these books to teach your children more about the wonderful role shapes play in our world. I also have a list of math art books for more creative goodness. (Titles are affiliate links that earn commission from qualifying purchases.)

Museum Shapes. Recently my son's kindergarten class went on a field trip to the MOMA, and my older son's 3rd grade class has visited both the Met and the Guggenheim. (I know! How cool is that?) I love that we are able to visit some amazing art in person and no doubt you have a wonderful museum or gallery near you. One of the best ways for young kids to learn about art is to look for familiar shapes in the pictures.

Round is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes. Told in a gentle rhyme, a young girl looks around her home and neighborhood and discovers the shapes in objects. Many of the objects are culturally Chinese, like dim sum and inking stones. There is a glossary at the back so kids can learn about any unfamiliar items. I'm a big fan of Grace Lin's illustrations, which bring this book to life.

Mouse Shapes. Three mice hide and escape from a cat by building with colorful shapes in this classic book. This is a nice introduction to shapes for younger kids.

Color Zoo Board Book. Lois Ehlert's signature bold, graphic style is on display with this clever board book. The die-cut concept is similar to what Ana has created with her shape book for our project. As each page is turned a new layer reveals a different animal. On the reverse of each page, the shape is labelled so young kids can compare which shapes are used to make each creature.

When a Line Bends . . . A Shape Begins. Rhyming text takes kids on a journey demonstrating how a single line can transform into all kinds of shapes and objects. Got a ball of string? Cut off a piece and let your kids explore the concept on their own.

Find five more books to read at Babble Dabble Do.

Thanks again to Ana at Babble Dabble Do for designing this project. We hope you are enjoying our Book Art series as we look forward to bringing you another awesome project and book list soon.

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Easy Stained Glass Art with Cellophane

I have been wanting to make this colorful faux kids' stained glass window art project using cellophane shapes with the kids ever since I saw it on Matzo Ball Soup. Isn't it gorgeous? It's a variation on another cellophane art activity we did (that one used page protectors!) and terrific for covering up a less-than perfect view! (Note: affiliate links included for products, below)

The boys had so much fun. All you need is:

• Cellophane  cut into a variety of shapes (you could easily customize this for any theme, like snowflakes for winter or hearts for Valentine's)
• solution of ⅔ water and ⅓ dish soap
• paint brush or roller

To begin, Kiddo used a sponge roller to apply the soapy mixture to the window. I think this was just as much for him as adding the shapes.

Stick the shapes on however you want. Overlap, create scenes or just engage in free art, like the boys did.

If the soap dries, just add more. You can also paint or roll over any cellophane corners that may be poking up.

By the way, those bars are child-safety bars required by the city, not prison bars! If you want to take window decorating one step further,  kids can paint directly on the window with washable paint and even wash the windows afterward!

Will you be trying this project?

*Note: many of you know that I have been trying to reduce the amount of plastics that we use. Cellophane is made out of plant material, although the process of making it is hardly environmentally friendly (sadly this is true for many art materials). We made this project using Hygloss Cello Sheets.

This post contains and affiliate link.

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Cut up a variety of felt pieces in different colors and shapes. I started with white squares and circles, blue squares and orange circles. I used a plain black piece as a board. (You could attach it to a piece of cardboard for a sturdy playing surface.)

First I demonstrated a pattern and then New Kid repeated the pattern underneath. You can also start a pattern and have the child simply continue it. Once your child gets the hang of it, he can make his own patterns, or simply play around with the shapes in whatever manner he chooses. In addition to teaching pre-math lessons, preschoolers work on their fine motor skills. Win-win.

Felt is inexpensive and I use it for a lot of DIY projects. I adore the color options in this pack: Felt creative colors pack

More early math activities:

• Math quantities craft
• Montessori triangles. You can make them yourself and they are much cheaper!
• Make your own puzzles. Some great ideas for toddlers and preschoolers.

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This 3D shape sorting activity is based on a similar Montessori shape sorting activity using Geometric Solids which matches 3D solids to the corresponding 2D shape.

Note: this post contains Amazon affiliate links that may earn commission.

Materials Needed

Blocks in various shapes. You'll want cubes, prisms, cones, rectangular solids, cylinders, etc. I love these plain geometric blocks.

Large piece of white paper. You know I love our roll of butcher paper and use it for all kinds of activities at home!

Marker or crayon.

Set-up

Place the paper on a table or floor. Using your marker, divide it into four sections. In each section draw the following 2-dimensional shape (one in each section): square, rectangle, circle, triangle.

MORE: Best Sorting Activities for Preschoolers and Toddlers

In the image below, you can see a green shape in the corner of each section.

Instructions

Show your child how the base of a solid matches up to the 2D shape in each section of the paper.

Show them how to sort the 3D shapes to the corresponding 2D shapes.

It's as simple as that! If you like, follow up with questions like, "How did you decide where the pyramid went?" Or, "Was there any shape you had trouble with?" "Why did you decide the cone went next to the circle instead of the triangle?"

The best part of this activity is that is usually ends up in a lot of free block play at the finish!

MORE: Easy diy puzzle ideas for kids for toddlers to tweens

Idea first published 5/1/09, updated 2022,

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Preschoolers learn through their independent play and this playful geometry activity harnesses their natural curiosity and creativity. One of the best ways to help toddlers, preschoolers and even kindergarteners explore geometric concepts is with a set of pattern blocks and a muffin tin.

(Note: this post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through these links may earn commission.)

Pattern blocks are flat wooden blocks in a variety of shapes and colors. Each shape corresponds to a color. For example, in our pattern block set, diamonds are yellow, trapezoids are blue, triangles are green and hexagons are red.

The reason pattern blocks are so important to include in your young child's curriculum is because they help kids explore a number of mathematical concepts like congruence, symmetry, area, perimeter, and patterns. Manipulating the smaller shapes to create larger shapes teaches fractions.

It may be tempting to find a computer game that allows kids to work with digital pattern blocks, but going screen-free with a hands-on activity is twenty-million times better for their brain development.

All you need for this simple geometry activity is a set of pattern blocks and a muffin tin!

Our favorite pattern block is the fantastic Melissa & Doug Pattern Blocks set, which we get a ton of use out of. Pattern blocks are great for free exploration of shapes, as well as following the design cards that are included. This post has some great alternative suggestions for how to use the blocks to teach math concepts.

Why do you need a muffin tin? I'll explain.

My son loves muffin tin sorting, which is a great last minute boredom buster, especially if you add in chopsticks. When he set out to sort pattern blocks, my son discovered something very cool! He could make shapes in each cup using multiple blocks.

This was a wonderful way for my son  to explore the relationship between the shape and size. The muffin tin holds the blocks from slipping around and is the perfect size to demonstrate how small triangles, trapezoids and parallelograms fit together to form other, larger shapes. He doesn't know it yet, but he was also exploring fractions!

If you are a teacher and have pattern blocks in one of your centers, why not add a muffin tin to the shelf? What will the kids do with it?

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