2D and 3D shapes activities for your 1st grade math centers! WOW! This pack has 20+ hands-on 2D and 3D shape activities, so every child gets excited to learn about shapes with a wide variety of engaging centers.

First graders sort shapes by their sides, build pattern block pictures, play shape BINGO and Go Fish, search for shapes, graph what they find and fold their own 3D shapes. Real-object sorts help children spot cones, spheres, cubes and prisms in the world around them.

With this 2D and 3D shapes pack, you get

• 2D and 3D shape practice in one pack
• Shape games, puzzles, clip cards and sorting mats
• Pattern block cards for building shape pictures
• 3D shape templates children cut, fold and build
• Every activity in both color and black and white

Print, prep once and your shape centers are ready to go!

What's Included

• 2D/3D Shape Posters
• 2 Sets of Shape Clip Cards
• 2D/3D Shape Puzzles
• Shape Sorting
• I Spy Shape Graphing
• Spin & Graph
• 2D and 3D Shape BINGO
• Find the Shape Mats
• Create a 3D Shape Templates
• Sort the Shapes (2D/3D Shapes)
• Sorting Mats (polygon, curved sides, number of sides)
• Roll, Make and Write 3D Shapes
• Create a Shape Prompts
• Create a Shape Pattern Block Cards
• Create a Shape Pattern Block Blank Templates
• 2D Shape Go Fish!
• 3D Shape Go Fish!
• All activities in both color and black/white, so you can use this pack no matter what your printing abilities are

Why Teachers Love It

• A whole shape unit in one pack: Posters, games, sorts, puzzles and building activities cover both flat and solid shapes.
• So many ways to practice: With 20+ activities, children can work with shapes again and again without the practice feeling the same.
• Hands-on geometry: Children build pattern block pictures, model shapes with play dough and fold 3D shape templates.
• Real-world connections: Real-object sorts show children that a cone, a sphere or a prism can be found all around them.
• Easy to print: Every activity comes in color and black and white.
• Games kids ask for: Shape BINGO and Go Fish make shape review feel like play.

Skills Students Practice

Primary Academic Skills

• Naming 2D shapes: Children identify flat shapes on posters, puzzles, clip cards and game cards.
• Naming 3D shapes: Children identify solid shapes such as cones, spheres, cubes and prisms.
• Shape attributes: Sorting mats ask children to look at polygons, curved sides and the number of sides.
• Telling 2D and 3D shapes apart: The Sort the Shapes activity has children decide whether each shape is flat or solid.
• Composing shapes: Pattern block cards and Create a Shape prompts have children put shapes together to make pictures.
• Building 3D shapes: Children cut and fold templates (flat patterns called nets) to make their own solid shapes.
• Graphing: I Spy Shape Graphing and Spin & Graph have children count shapes and record them on a graph.
• Shape vocabulary: Games and posters build words such as polygon, sides, cone and prism.

Secondary Life & Learning Skills

• Taking turns
• Following directions
• Using mathematical language
• Communicating choices
• Working independently
• Waiting during group play

How to Use It

Step 1: Choose the shape activities you want for the week. Print them in color or black and white, laminate the mats and cards for durability and cut apart the cards.

Step 2: Introduce the shapes with the 2D/3D shape posters. Model one sort or one game with a small group and talk about how many sides each shape has.

Step 3: Set the activities out in your math centers. Play shape BINGO with the whole class and rotate in new games, sorts and building activities to keep the practice fresh.

Easy Differentiation

First graders come to geometry with very different skills. These activities are easy to adjust for each child.

For Children Who Need More Support

• Start with 2D shapes before adding 3D shapes
• Use the 2D/3D shape posters as a reference during every activity
• Offer fewer shapes and only two groups on the sorting mats
• Name each shape together before playing BINGO or Go Fish

For On-Level Practice

• Use the activities as written in math centers
• Play 2D Shape Go Fish! and 3D Shape Go Fish! with a partner
• Sort shapes by curved sides and by number of sides
• Ask children to explain why each shape belongs in its group

For an Extra Challenge

• Use the blank pattern block templates to design new shape pictures
• Have children fold a 3D shape and describe its faces
• Compare the shape graphs and tell which shape has more and which has fewer
• Find real objects in the classroom that match each 3D shape

For Speech, OT, ELL or Special Education Support

• Use the posters and game cards for shape vocabulary practice
• Use a simple sentence frame such as "This is a cone" or "It has 4 sides"
• Build fine motor skills with clipping, cutting, folding and play dough
• Let children point to or place a shape when speaking is hard
• Give extra processing time and model each activity first

Perfect For

• 1st grade math centers
• Small groups
• Partner games
• Whole-group BINGO
• Geometry units
• Intervention
• Early finishers
• Homeschool
• Substitute plans

Standards

These 2D and 3D shapes activities support 1st grade geometry and data standards in Common Core, the TEKS (Math, adopted 2012) and the Virginia Math SOL (2023), with review of kindergarten shape skills:

Common Core State Standards

• CCSS 1.G.A.1: Tell defining attributes, such as closed and three-sided, apart from attributes like color or size. Build and draw shapes with those attributes.
• CCSS 1.G.A.2: Compose 2D or 3D shapes to create a composite shape, as with the pattern block cards.
• CCSS 1.MD.C.4: Organize data in up to three categories and tell how many more or less are in one group, using the shape graphs.
• CCSS K.G.A.3: Identify shapes as two-dimensional (flat) or three-dimensional (solid).

Texas TEKS

• TEKS Math 1.6.A: Classify and sort regular and irregular 2D shapes based on attributes using informal geometric language.
• TEKS Math 1.6.B: Distinguish between attributes that define a 2D or 3D figure and attributes that do not.
• TEKS Math 1.6.D: Identify 2D shapes and describe their attributes using formal geometric language.
• TEKS Math 1.6.E: Identify 3D solids such as spheres, cones, cylinders, rectangular prisms and triangular prisms. Describe their attributes using geometric language.
• TEKS Math 1.6.F: Compose 2D shapes by joining two, three or four figures to produce a target shape.
• TEKS Math 1.8.B: Use data to create picture and bar-type graphs.

Virginia SOL

• VA SOL Math 1.MG.2: Describe, sort, draw and name plane figures by characteristics such as number of sides, vertices and curves.
• VA SOL Math 1.PS.1.f: Represent data with object graphs, picture graphs and tables.

Add the 2D and 3D Shapes | 1st Grade Math Centers pack to your cart and have 20+ hands-on shape activities ready for your math centers. Print, play and watch your first graders sort, build and name shapes with confidence!

Download Details

Please note: This is a digital download that will be available to you directly after purchase. Nothing will be mailed to you.

You will receive a link to the download in three places

1. On the 'thank you' page after checkout
2. In your email
3. Login on the site here: https://lifeovercsstore.com/account