Squares, Circles, Triangles and more!
The shapes are all here and ready for a fun storytime. Below are some fun read aloud books, songs, and activity ideas for learning shapes with toddlers and preschoolers.
Shape Storytime for Toddlers
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Books about Shapes
Featured Book: Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh
From the creator of Mouse Paint and Mouse Count comes a book about mice and shapes. What can you make with shapes? Well it turns out you can make pretty much whatever you set your mind too. Sweet and simple like Walsh’s other popular books. Mouse Shapes is a lovely introduction to shapes for the littlest learners. It is full of primary colors, minimalist illustrations, and lots of shapes!
Perfect Square by Michael Hall
Author of the creative MY HEART IS LIKE A ZOO has another fun shape book. We love this one for a discussion about creativity and art – but at the heart of the book it is about the shape, Square. This one explores the square and invites the readers to manipulative and get to know a square. Unique illustrations and topic – inspirational book.
Go, Shapes, Go! by Denise Fleming
Mouse has a collection of shapes and he wants to make a monkey so off the shapes go! Fun exercise in how shapes work together to make different objects that invites you to make something of your own.
Round by Jennifer Ward illustrated by Lisa Congdon
This one is just about round shapes. It is original and STEM inspired. It is engaging and perfect for reading aloud. The text is simple which is perfect for the young, shape learning target audience. It encourages the reader to notice shapes all around them in the natural world. The illustrations are bright and bursting off the page. The big, bold shapes lend themselves to being viewed during a story time. This book begs to be read aloud to little ones and then taken outside on your own hunt for round things in nature.
Read Also: Let’s Learn Shapes Picture Books
Songs + Rhymes about Shapes.
Do You Know What Shape This is? (watch Jbrary sing on YouTube)
Shapes Song for Kids from Kiboomers (watch on Youtube)
A Circle is a Shape from Librarian Lisa (watch Jbrary sing on YouTube)
Mouse Shapes Inspired Art Invitation
In MOUSE SHAPES by Ellen Stoll Walsh, the mice build different images using basic shapes which inspired our activity.
Set Up:
Gather your supplies. You will need:
*Construction paper (one per child + extra to cut into shapes)
*Glue stick (one per child)
To prep,
Cut various colored construction paper into basic shapes. Place these in a basket on a table with a piece of white paper and a glue stick for each child.
Activity
Read the story together and then go back and look at what the mice made with their shapes.
Then show your kids the shapes you have pre-cut. Offer each child a piece of white paper, a glue stick, and some shapes.
Invite them to make pictures with the shapes as well.
also read: Pete the Cat Counting Activity for Preschool
For older children, ask them to plan what they want to make before they start.
For younger children, expect that they will merely enjoy gluing shapes. Focus on working shape vocabulary into your conversation about their art.
Want to do more?
I left the glue and the shapes on the table with some paper for a few afternoons so they could continue to explore. Try using different sized paper to see how that affects their art.
also read: Opposites Storytime for Toddlers
Table Invitations about Shapes.
This is such a fun book that you can take in so many directions. My fabulous Virtual Book Club for Kids co-hosts have some more inspiration for you.
Literacy Activities
Fizzing Shapes from The Educator’s Spin on It
Math Activities
Counting and Building Shapes from Mama Smiles
Perfect Square Invitation to Create from Bambini Travel
Movement Activities
Finding Round Shapes Nature Hunt with Printable from Bambini Travel
Mess Free Patriotic Star Painting from Toddler Approved
Sensory Activities
Sensory Bottle Exploration with Shape Printable from JDaniel4’s Mom
This is our last VBC for Kids post until Fall. I will post updates when it gets closer to September. I hope you’ll join us again next year.
