Materials
A very long piece of string or ribbon
scissors (adult only)
Instructions
1. Cut a very long piece of string or ribbon that will be big enough for all of the
children to hold in one large circle.
2. Begin with two children holding the string or ribbon between them. Ask the
children, "How many ends are there?" Explain that when there are two ends,
the string makes a line.
3. Ask another child to join them. Give one child both ends of the string to hold
and ask the other two children to hold the string tightly with their fingers to
create a triangular shape.
4. Ask the children how many sides are there now. Ask how many children are
holding the string. Ask them what shape this makes.
5. Ask another child to join them by taking a part of the string and creating a new
shape. Help the children form a square. Repeat the same questions.
6. Continue to add one child at a time to create a pentagon (some children may
call this a house shape), a hexagon, heptagon, and octagon (which some
children might call a "stop sign").
Assessment
To assess the children's learning, consider the following:
l Can the children recognize a variety of shapes?
l Can the children repeat the names of the various shapes?
