Matching Shapes Game

This fun game will introduce your child to new, abstract shapes. She'll need to compare shapes and then sort them, in order to match them to their outlines on the paper before her. This game will help boost her visual discrimination skills (important for reading), sorting and matching skills, and introduce her to the concept of puzzles.

What You Need:

• Craft foam
• White card stock
• Pencil
• Thick marker
• Ruler

What You Do:

1. To make the shapes, start by cutting the foam into twelve 2" squares.
2. Now, cut the squares into different abstract shapes. For example, you can cut one corner off one, turn another one into a half circle, and another one into a flower. It doesn't really matter what they look like, just make sure that they all look different.
3. Next, space out the foam shapes on the card stock and lightly trace their outlines in pencil.
4. Remove the shapes and go over the outlines in thick marker, using a ruler if necessary.
5. Give your child the card stock and the shapes, and challenge her to find the right outline for each shape.

For older kids, challenge your child to duplicate the pattern on the table beside the card stock instead of placing the shapes directly on top of their outlines. Whichever version you choose, this activity will help get your child ship shape for early math.