Video: Everyday Fun with Shapes

Research finds that having a strong foundation in early math can lead to higher achievement in both math and reading later in school. Starting from birth, young children can benefit from exploring shapes using their senses. Later, they combine shapes and objects of different sizes, like making a block tower or art collage. Understanding shapes is one of the early math concepts that children develop from birth to age five by exploring:

• Shape characteristics—noticing what makes each shape different, like knowing that a triangle has 3 straight sides and 3 angles
• Matching—recognizing common elements of shapes and matching pairs (circles, triangles, and squares)
• Positioning shapes—understanding how shapes fit together and can be combined, like putting together a puzzle

Watch the video or download our handout with fun activities designed to support young children’s growing knowledge of shapes from birth to 5. This is a part of a series of videos Too Small to Fail developed with ZERO TO THREE highlighting the foundation of early math skills in the first five years of life, and fun, everyday activities parents and caregivers can use to support this learning.