22 fine motor skills activities
All children will develop their fine motor skills at different paces, but there are plenty […]
Read moreShape puzzle
What you need
- A large piece of paper or cardboard
- A selection of large shaped objects (either shape blocks/toys or household items)
Benefits
Your child will develop spatial awareness and develop their understanding of different shapes and their properties. This activity also works to develop problem-solving skills and critical thinking.
The experience
Have you exhausted your puzzles? Here’s a great way to get all the benefits of a puzzle, using objects you have around the house.
Collect an assortment (around 3-5 is ideal for this age group) of different shaped objects. These may be different toys your child uses, such as a circular stacking ring, a cube-shaped wooden block etc. Or you may use different items from around the house, e.g. a spoon, a cup, a book.
Draw around the outline of the shapes. E.g. draw around the circular base of the cup, using a marker such as a sharpie. Then present the shape board to your child, along with the objects and encourage them to match the object to its outlined shape. Model doing this first, and make a big fuss and get excited when your child places one on to the correct shape!