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Feed the Shape Monsters (Sorting Everyday Shapes)

This fun math activity will have young children sorting real-life objects according to shape

When it comes to math activities, I’m always looking for opportunities to connect math to everyday life. It really is a great way to make math relevant for young learners.

When it comes to the topic of shape, there are lots of opportunities to connect the math to real life. Why? Because shapes are all around us.

My new resource, called ‘Feed the Shape Monsters’, is a fun way for young children to become familiar with simple 2D shapes.

It’s a sorting activity that will have children identifying and sorting the everyday objects according to their shape.

Let’s take a look.

Tell me about these shape monsters

This resource consists of five shape monsters and 36 photo cards.

Each hungry shape monster eats a different shape (circles, squares, ovals, triangles and rectangles), and each photo card has a photograph of a real life object that is either a circle, square, rectangle, oval or triangle.

Five shape monsters on table top

This activity is designed for preschoolers and kindergarten-aged children.

Children will enjoy spotting the objects on the photo cards and will get lots of practice identifying and naming the different 2D shapes shown.

Photo card of steering wheel, chess board and coat hanger

How does this activity work?

To get started, print the five shape monsters and all the photo cards. If you’re using these in the classroom, laminate the monsters and cards so that they last. The shape monsters are included in both full-page colour versions as well as half-page black ink versions.

Next, cut out all the photo cards.

Depending on the age of your child, you can choose to sort all five types of shape at once, or you could start with just two or three of the shape monsters to begin with.

Spread the monster pictures out on the floor or table and place the photo cards in a pile.

Then the shape sorting can begin!

Take a card from the pile and talk about the object on the card. (What object is it? Where would you find it? Do we have one? What does it do?).

Then ask your child what shape the object is. Encourage them to explain why they think it’s that particular shape. Can they describe the shape? How many sides does it have? Are the sides straight or curved? How many corners does it have?

Then, find the monster that eats that type of shape and place the card with that monster.

Shape monster that eats squares. Three photo cards showing square objects (chess board, box, cheese slice)

Continue until all the cards have been sorted.

Shape monster that eats rectangles. Three photo cards showing rectangles - paver, Kleenex box, window

If you’re using this shape monsters activity in the classroom, it makes a great math station.

If you’re doing this activity at home with your child, you could also challenge them to find some real life objects around your home to feed to the shape monsters.

Where can I find these shape monsters?

If you’d like to get your own copy of our ‘Feed the Shape Monsters’ activity, you can find it over in the Math, Kids and Chaos online store (US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand only), or over in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Feed the Shape Monsters product cover.

As well as being available as a stand alone product, this shape sorting activity is also included in our Preschool Activity Pack. Read about the Preschool Activity Pack here.

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Feed the Shape Monsters - monster that eats squares with 3 pictures of chess board, cheese slice and wooden box

I hope you liked these shape monsters. Do check out our other shape posts below for more activities and resources.

More shape posts from Math, Kids and Chaos:

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