Adult-led activities
Squares
In our topic on shape we concentrated on the four two-dimensional shapes of square, rectangle, triangle and circle, and started by making a quilt for teddy -a fun way of exploring the properties of a square and tessellation.
Key learning intentions
To recognise and name a square and name attributes such as side, face, and corner. To show awareness of tessellation To be able to co-ordinate hand/eye when using equipment.
Adult:child ratio 1:1
Resources
*3 paper with outline of teddy in bed and *our squares marked to indicate the quilt *oloured gummed squares *rototype quilt *ritt sticks (three- and four-year-olds find it very hard to lick and stick gummed squares).
Activity content
* Explain that teddy is cold in bed and needs a nice, warm quilt. Ask what shape teddy's quilt is. Talk about the properties of a square. Some children may already be using language such as side, corners and straight.
* Show the children the quilt that you have made and count the squares.
* Point out how the squares 'fit together' with no gaps between them, or tessellate.
* Suggest the children make their own quilt for teddy, supporting their work with the appropriate language.
Extending learning
Key vocabulary
Square, side, length, corner, straight, same, four, tessellate.
Follow-up activities
* Leave the activity out as a free choice activity once all the children have completed it.
* Repeat the activity using A4 paper, so making the squares smaller and further encouraging hand-eye co-ordination.
* Do some square printing in a grid.
* Do anything to do with Elmer!
Triangles Make a kite.
Key learning intentions
To recognise and name a triangle and to name attributes such as side, face and corner
Adult:child ratio 1:2
Resources
*Black squares, about 20x20cm *large coloured gummed squares folded along the diagonal *Pritt sticks *scissors *assorted ribbon *stapler *prototype kite *four flat plastic or wooden triangles of the same size to fit together into a square.
Preparation
* Make a prototype kite shape. Cut two gummed squares into four triangles and stick them on to a black square. Attach a ribbon at one corner of the kite. The kite shape won't fly, so get the children to attach a piece of string to another corner when they go outside to play. By holding the string they will be able to run and have their kites 'fly' behind them.
Activity content
* Show the children the kite you have made. Most will know what a kite is. Ask them what shapes you have used to make the kite. Some children will call the square a diamond because of the way the corners are used for a ribbon. Talk about its features, such as its long ribbon, and when you might fly a kite.
* Can the children identify the shapes you have used to make your kite? Talk about the properties of a triangle. Ask the children to count how many triangles you have glued on to your kite. Use the flat shapes to show how triangles 'fit together' or tessellate. Let the children experiment with the triangles.
* Make the kite with the children. They will need to cut two coloured gummed squares of their choice into four triangles, carefully using the folded line you have made as a guide for where to cut.
* Assemble the triangles on the larger black square. (It might be a good idea to place the first triangle on the square for some of the children). Glue the triangles down, then let the children choose a ribbon to make the tail. Staple the ribbon on to the kite.
Extending learning
Key vocabulary
Triangle, three, side(s), corner, tessellate, kite, square, fly, weather, windy, tail.
Follow-up activities
* Cook squares of toast and cut them first into two triangles, then into four. Lightly butter them and enjoy!
* Make stars using two triangles. Mark out white triangles on black paper for the children to cut out, glue in place and cover in glitter. Hang from the ceiling.
* Make simple triangular hats from newspaper and sing 'My Hat it has Three Corners'.
Rectangles
Make a class book. Children love making their own and we chose to write about the children's favourite area of the classroom.
Key learning intentions
To recognise and name a rectangle and name its attributes such as side, face and corner
To develop awareness of how a book is organised
To draw from experience
Adult:child ratio 1:1
Resources
*A4 soft plastic folder with enough plastic pockets for every child to slot in a page of their own (remember that the pages will slot in back to back) *good quality A4 paper *felt tip pens *a rectangular familiar picture book with numbered pages.
Activity content
* Explain to the children that they are going to make a class book.
* Show them the picture book, explore its shape and talk about the properties of a rectangle. Look at the features of the book - the front, the back and pages.
* Explain that their book does not have any pages yet. Show them the blank pieces of A4 paper and explain that everyone is going to have their own (rectangular) page and that all the pages together will make up the book.
* Create a page with the children. Ask them to name their favourite area of the classroom.
* Scribe their answer for them on their page.
* Again, show the picture book. Look at how each page is illustrated. Ask the children to illustrate their page.
* Discuss numbering the pages, again referring to the picture book. Slot the numbered page straight into the prepared wallet with the children. The book makes so much more sense to them this way.
* Make a front cover once all the pages are completed. You could discuss the title of the book with the children. Print the title page on computer with the children listed as the authors. Take a class photo and attach it to the front page (photographs are rectangular too).
Extending learning
Key vocabulary
Rectangle, length, long, short (sides), longer, shorter, corners, four, book, page, number Follow-up activities
* Let the children make their own books in the office area. Provide plenty of equipment, including ready-made rectangular shaped books.
* Sort nursery books by shape and size.
* Make snails inspired by Matisse's The Snail (see Nursery World, 24 January 2001).
Circles
Make a pattern.
Key learning intentions
To recognise and name a circle
To explore and experiment with paint
Adult:child ratio 1:1
Resources
*Small, medium and large circles cut from black sugar paper *circular objects such as cotton reels and corks (objects the children can hold easily).
Activity content
* Talk about the appearance of a circle.
* Print circles on circles and make other circle patterns.
* Use metallic silver paint and mount on foil to make an impressive display.
Extending learning
Key vocabulary
Circle, round, big/bigger, small/smaller.
Follow-up activities
* Explore concentric circles using Kandinsky's 'Concentric Circles'.
* Attach the print to a painting easel and explain it was painted by an artist called Kandinsky.
* Using one section of the print, ask if they can see how Kandinsky started off with a small circle, and painted ever bigger circles around it in different colours. Explain that these are called concentric circles, and that that is the name of the painting.
* Compare other sections of the painting. Let the children trace the circles with their fingers.
* Suggest the children paint their own concentric circle painting in the style of Kandinsky. Use good quality A3 paper, thick paintbrushes, and poster paints.
Child-initiated learning
Support and encourage children's learning by offering shape-based activities and resources across the curriculum, both indoors and outdoors.
Outdoors
* Wheeled toys; toy cars and garage with ramps; wooden bricks, ideally a set with shapes such as cylinders as well as the usual cubes and cuboids; plastic interlocking bricks; trowels and hard hats. If you have a large outdoor sandpit put everything in the sand! Balls of various sizes, hoops, buckets and quoits; tunnels for the children to crawl through.
Possible learning experiences
* Exploring solid shape through a variety of 'hands-on' experiences and activities.
* Investigating forces through imaginative play.
* Developing ball skills such as throwing, catching and kicking.
* Developing hand-eye co-ordination through activities such as throwing a ball through a hoop or into a bucket.
The practitioner role
* Model use of vocabulary such as rolling, round and round, cube, cuboid, cylinder, tessellation, straight, curved, flat shape names and properties.
* Make a shape trail round the garden where children have to find a set of hidden shapes by following clues.
* Ask open-ended questions such as, 'What is happening to your trike/scooter/ truck? Why is it moving? Why can't you build a wall of circles/cylinders? Why is that car moving down the ramp?'
Malleable materials Additional resources
* Ingredients and utensils to make shape biscuits; natural coloured playdough, tins, saltdough to make pretend shape biscuits for a baker's shop; small construction kits; different shaped objects for printing; boxes, tubes, etc for junk modelling; beads and cotton thread.
Possible learning outcomes
* Exploring flat shapes by rolling out dough and cutting out shapes.
* Investigating tessellation and 3D shape with small construction kits.
* Exploring pattern through printing.
* Investigating 3D shape by finding out how boxes are made.
* Encouraging 1:1 correspondence through counting the number of beads threaded on a string to make a necklace.
The practitioner role
* Take apart a box and reconstruct it with the children.
* Reinforce vocabulary surrounding flat shapes, 3D shapes and concepts such as rolling.
* Model skills such as rolling and using cutters.
* Make 3D shapes with the children using the construction kits. Compare flat shapes with their 3D counterparts.
* Encourage children's imaginative play and extend their vocabulary by setting up a 'shape' baker's shop, then play alongside the children and sing songs with them such as 'Five Currant Buns in a Baker's Shop'.
* Encourage children to practise their counting skills in the baker's shop and through activities such as bead threading.
Water area
Additional resources
*Selection of items which will float or sink such as golf balls, squash balls and corks *bubble-blowing equipment *cubic shapes to fill *sieves and holed containers *plastic ice cubes/real ice cubes.
Possible learning experiences
* Investigating floating and sinking.
* Learning to blow bubbles of different sizes. (Make bubble prints as a follow-up activity.)
* Learning terms such as empty, full and half full.
* Comparing real and plastic ice cubes and investigating the properties of ice.
The practitioner role
* Support language and correct terminology.
* Model blowing bubbles and marvelling at the results.
* Encourage discussions by asking 'why' questions, for example, 'Why has that ball sunk, but that one is still floating?'
* Support the children's investigations into real and pretend ice through the use of appropriate questions and observations.
General
* Go on a shape walk and photograph shapes, such as road signs.
* Use dice in games.
* Make collage faces - a circle for a head, circles for eyes, a triangle for a nose and a crescent for lips. Leave wool out for hair. Use different tones of sugar paper to represent different skin colours.
* Cook pizza, poppadoms and popcorn. Observe the changes as they cook.
* Base the home corner on Whatever Next by Jill Murphy (see left).
Helen Shelbourne teaches at Homerton Nursery in Cambridge
