Free Printable 2D Shapes Chart and 10 Fun Activity Ideas

Introducing the 2D Shapes Chart: a fun and essential tool for introducing your child to various geometric forms. Children naturally recognize shapes from a young age, even before they can name them. Understanding the unique features of each shape, like the number of sides or its visual characteristics, is a fascinating journey for young minds. Proficiency in shape recognition enhances communication skills and enriches their learning in reading, art, math, and science.

Scroll down to download 2D Shapes Chart (English) for Free!

The Importance of Learning Shapes

Everything around us is made up of different shapes – for instance, the doors are rectangles, the dishes are circles, and so on. Learning about shapes at an early age helps your child either improve their communication skills and be prepared for more advanced concepts at school.

1. Identifying the differences between objects – such as the difference between an apple and a banana by recognizing the differences in shape and colors.

2. Recognizing letters and numbers better

Every number and letter is made up of different shapes. Learning about shapes and their characteristics can help them recognize the difference between each letter or number. For example, the difference between the number 0 and the letter O, or the different shapes between A, B, C, and so on

3. Improve communication skills by using descriptive vocabulary 

For example, shapes recognition allows your kid to express what she wants (I want the start cookies, not the circle ones), what she sees (I see a circular wheel in the backyard), and her ideas/opinions (I think a square pizza might be taste better the circle pizza)

4. Boost reading and math skills in the future

5. Develop problem-solving skills and complete puzzles

The Basic 2D Shapes Chart

The basic shapes chart contains the 6 most common shapes that your babies or toddlers need to learn and practice – circle, square, rectangle, triangle, oval, and diamond.

Here, I also share with you a variety of fun activities for learning shapes that you can pick and have fun with your kids while teaching and learning 2D shapes.

If your kids already know all the basic shapes, you can introduce them to the advanced level of shapes (ready more below!) – which includes 16 shapes from basic to complex.

The Advanced 2D Shapes Chart

The advanced shapes chart includes 16 different shapes, ranging from basic shapes to more complex shapes such as hexagon and parallelogram.

Try our 3D (three-dimensional) shapes chart if your youngster is ready for more difficult shapes. Download it for FREE here!

Fun Activities with Shapes Charts

1. Shape Hunt Game

Cut a shape out of the chart and have fun searching your house or neighborhood for objects that match that shape. You can make the game more challenging by searching for the objects that have the same shapes and colors as the 2D shapes in the chart.

2. My Mystery Shape Bag

Gather several different objects and put them in closed bags. Your kids have no idea what is inside. Encourage them to take one-by-one objects in the bag and call out what shapes they are and help your toddler sort them into piles according to shape.

This game can be more difficult if you use a dark cloth to gently cover their eyes. Let your kids take the object in the bag without seeing them. They have to use other senses like touch, smell and hear to guess what it is and what shape they are. Don’t forget to reward them with something that they like after their guess is correct. I am sure your kids will love this game and learn the shapes faster.

3. Explore 2D Shapes

Along with 2D Shapes Charts, our 2D shapes worksheet can help you introduce easily the shapes to your little ones. You can use them to compare the shapes by counting the number of sides and corners or other characteristics. Let’s explore the shapes with your kids!

Download the worksheets for FREE here!

I’d be grateful if you checked out our 40% OFF Bundle – All About 2D Shapes Worksheets, which has 100+ pages with a variety of activities for toddlers, preschool through kindergarten kids. Shapes learning activities for homeschool and class that are simple and enjoyable!

4. Playdough Shape Tracing Activity

Playdough is also a useful tool for exploring shapes. Print out and laminate the charts (optional) then let your kid trace each shape with play dough, buttons, pebbles from your garden, or even beans and pasta in your kitchen.

Another way to play is to use playdough and a set of geometric cookie cutters to make shapes. An easy and fun activity for kids!

5. Matching Shapes

Print 2 copies, then cut out the shapes and play matching with your kids. While playing, you keep repeating the names and characteristics of each shape, such as this square is blue and has 4 sides.

To make it harder, you can print in black and white so your kids will focus on the shapes’ form instead of matching by colors.

6. Drawing Time!

Give your toddler one piece of paper. Instruct them to draw the shapes on the paper, and call out their names. You can start with basic shapes first before teaching them some advanced shapes. After drawing some shapes, your kids can color them and use them to find and match with the objects around your hours which are the same shapes.

7. Memories Games – Which Shape is Missing?

Cut the shapes out of the chart. Show 3 or 5 shapes in front of your child, then encourage them to focus and remember the shapes in 5 seconds. After that, they close their eyes and you hide 1 or 2 shapes before your kids open their eyes. Ask them which shape is missing? 

You can make it harder by decreasing the time your kids can watch and remember the cards before you hide some of them. 

8. Shape the Numbers/Letters

If your kids already know a bit about numbers from 0 to 10  and 26 letters of the alphabet, you can ask them which numbers or letters do have circle shapes or triangle shapes? – For instance, circle shapes – 0, 8, 9, 10 and O, C, B… or trilingual shapes – 4 and A, V, …

Teaching them the correlation between shapes and numbers/letters can help your kids learn and remember them faster!

9. Draw Animals with Shapes

Kids love drawing and painting. Why don’t we incorporate the teaching of simple shapes (such as circles, ovals, and triangles) into drawing animal activities?

This is a tutorial video Drawing Animals with Shapes for kids that your kids might love!

10. Tell Me What You Want Game

You ask your children what they want in this game. They’ll express what they desire using just descriptive vocabulary like shapes, colors, smells, and tastes. Remember that your children will not speak directly about what they are thinking about in their minds. You’ll try to figure out what they’re talking about once you’ve listened to them.

If your children can express what they want in great detail and your response reflects what they believe, they will win. This game will help your child to expand their vocabulary.

More Shapes Resources

• Free 3D Shapes Charts (English)
• 2D and 3D Shapes Flashcards (English)
• Bilingual Shape Flashcards in English and Spanish/Vietnamese/Japanese
• Shape Worksheets – a variety of no-prep shapes worksheets have been prepared to teach children to learn 2D and 3D shapes and to improve their fine motor skills by accurately tracing, coloring, drawing, and much more. Great resources for homeschool or for morning work, pencil control activities, scissor skills activities, and homework in classes. Click the images to preview these value bundles – you can save up to 35%!

More Free Printable English Resources

• Flashcards of Alphabet and 28 Fun Alphabet Games
• Number Flashcards and 15 Fun Number Activities
• Weather Chart and Worksheets
• Printable Solar System Flashcards

At Little Multilingual Minds, your voice is more than just feedback. It would be our motivation to grow and do better through time.

Please feel free to give us feedback, embellish, modify, and expand these activities for your child. Share with us the pictures that your children are playing with these charts on our communities on Facebook and Instagram as well.

Love to hear your voice here!