Use Shapes in an Unexpected Way

Your second grader knows by now that people come in all shapes. She just doesn't know the names of those shapes yet. This simple activity will help her think of people in a whole new way. And she'll get in some number practice in the process!

The key shapes in this activity are squares and rectangles. Show your child examples of these shapes around the house or on paper. Invite her to draw a few on her own, explaining that a square is special kind of rectangle, all of whose sides are equal in length.

Now, ask her, “Do you think you're a square or a rectangle?” Here's how to find out:

• Get scissors and a ball of string. Measure your child's height and cut the string as long as she is tall.
• Have your child hold an end of the string you just cut in each hand and stretch her hands wide.
• Explain that if the string stretches from hand to hand, she's a square. If there is too much string or not enough to reach, she's a rectangle.

Assist her in repeating this process with you and other members of the family. Are you a family of squares? Your child has the tools to find out for herself! This is a great way to practice estimation and measurement.

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