3D Shapes Kindergarten Activities with Real World Objects

I spy with my little eye… another super fun digital activity!  My preschoolers love playing I spy and looking for objects that are different shapes and colors!  They are so curious about colors, shapes, and the world around them!  This 3D Shapes Kindergarten Activities with Real World Objects is perfect for any little learner who is working on mastering their shapes. The brightly colored images of objects from the real world will engage them from the moment they open the activity!

I always find that learning is more meaningful for little learners if it is hands on and tied in with the real world.  This activity checks off both of those boxes!  

Kindergarteners will enjoy having solid shapes brought to life for them!  Their creative thinking skills will be exercised as they make connections between real world objects and the 3D shapes they are learning about.

They will never even realize that with the help of technology they are practicing their fine motor skills and hand/eye coordination when dragging and dropping the shapes to the pictures that they match!

What Geometry Skills Should Preschoolers and Kindergarteners Know?

In Preschool and Kindergarten little learners are introduced to 2D and 3D shapes.  When teaching kindergarten and preschool, activities such as this 3D Shapes with Real World Objects Digital Activity provide opportunities for students to gain knowledge about how to describe and identify shapes.  

This activity provides practice for the following basic 3D shapes for kids: cone, cube, cylinder, sphere, pyramid, triangular prism, rectangular prism.

One of the Kindergarten math standards for Geometry involves students being able to use geometric shapes to describe objects in the real world.  This digital activity is PERFECT practice for that!

Looking for similarities and differences in shapes is another Preschool and Kindergarten skill this activity provides practice for!

Why Should I Teach Shapes?

Besides being fun and engaging for students, there are also many educational benefits when we teach 2D and 3D shapes!

Shape identification is an awesome skill for pre-readers to have!  When students can identify shapes such as lines, triangles, and circles it makes learning letters so much easier for them!  For example, the letter O looks like a circle, while the letters A, M, W, and V resemble parts of a triangle.

When little learners are practicing drawing shapes they are also working on their pre-writing skills.  The curves of a circle help with writing letters such as C, B, D, P, and G.  Drawing lines to make squares and rectangles helps with letters such as T, H, L, and F. 

Knowledge of both 2 and 3 dimensional shapes helps strengthen spatial reasoning skills and the ability to complete puzzles!

Who knew there were so many benefits for learning about shapes!

How else can I use this activity and practice shapes?

• Print the pages from the digital activity.  Have your little learner work on their scissor skills by cutting out the shapes.   Use the cut out shapes to practice identifying, sorting, and comparing!
• Extend the learning into your house by having a 3D shape scavenger hunt!  (Great job matching the party hat to the cone!  Can you find any of your toys that are shaped like a cone?)
• Take your shape scavenger hunt outdoors!  This is also great practice for being a little scientist and making observations about the world! Little learners LOVE sharing their ideas! (I notice that the tree trunk is round like a cylinder!  That fence post has four sides like a rectangle!)
• Make 3D shapes out of playdough for some sensory play and shape learning fun! 
• Gather some old magazines that you have around the house.  Let your little learner find real life 3D shapes pictures, cut them out, and make a collage of them!

How to use this Digital Activity:

Click the link in your email to download the activity.  Select the image on the left for the Google Slides version and select the image on the right for the Seesaw version.

If you select the Google Slides version you will be prompted to make a copy of the activity.  You must do this to ensure that you are able to share an editable, interactive version with your students!

Once the activity is opened in Google Slides make sure it is in edit mode and you will be able to interact with it.

All your little learner needs to do is decide which 3D shape matches the real life picture provided and drag it into the box!

Be sure to check out the 2D version of this activity for some extra shape practice!