Learning Shapes through Art & craft

Our Shape Collection: Using small collage shapes & Marble Art.

Our first shapes were done by collage,
First I cut out our large shapes as the background (cut a large square, triangle, circle & what ever other shape you wish large enough to glue smaller shapes on) and using paintings left over from Rolling Pin Art & Home made wrapping paper I cut out lots & lots, I mean lots. Of teeny tiny matching shapes.  You could use any coloured paper or any old painting, you could even using magazine or news papers if you felt like a different effect.

Then, we played a shape matching game. I laid out the large square, covered it with glue and we had to pick out small squares  to stick on it - So in a sense it is a shape matching collage.
Then the triangle, cover it with glue and pick out all the teeny tiny triangles to stick on it & so forth.
After the glue on the large shapes had finished, I wrote their name & laminated them so they could go on the wall.

The most recent shape learning art process we did was using marble art.
You can see a previous post of ours using a similar process, but with cherry tomatoes, stones & other circular objects - tomato-marble-art.
Basically, you need a tray large enough to put in your shapes. A plastic storage box or an aluminium BBQ tray would work well.
You put your shape in the bottom, a few marbles or circular objects on top & your choice of paint blobs. Have your little one swirl & shake the box.
Dimples loves this part & we sing a little song made up song to jig to "side to side - side to side- now back & forth back & forth, round & round, can you go round and round."

Remember its the process, not the product when it comes to little ones & this process was lots of fun - do what ever makes it fun for you!  After the shapes are dry & laminated they went up on the wall for display. I ask Dimples to label them & match them etc and to find objects that are the same shape.