Build your shape architect skills! Discover circles, squares, triangles, rectangles, and hexagons. Learn what makes each shape special and find them all around you!
Build your shape knowledge with hands-on exploration!
Can you identify this shape?
How many sides does it have?
Drag shapes to their correct names!
🖱️ Drag options below to the correct boxes (computer) or click to move (mobile)
What makes a shape that shape?
Click all correct options
Build your geometry foundation! Learn to identify, describe, and find shapes everywhere!
A circle is a perfectly ROUND shape with no corners or straight sides! Every point on the edge is the same distance from the center. Circles roll smoothly because they have no edges. Like wheels, coins, and the sun!
💡 Think of a circle like a pizza before you cut it - perfectly round with no corners!
Wheels & Tires
Car wheels, bicycle wheels, skateboard wheels - all circles! Circles roll smoothly!
Coins & Buttons
Pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters - all circles! Buttons on shirts too!
Plates & Clocks
Round dinner plates, clock faces, pizza pans - circle shapes everywhere!
Sports Balls
Basketball, soccer ball, baseball (from above) - circular shapes!
Thinking ovals are circles. Circles are perfectly round - ovals are stretched!
A square has 4 EQUAL straight sides and 4 corners (we call them vertices)! All sides are exactly the same length. All 4 corners are perfect right angles (square corners). Like tiles, crackers, and sticky notes!
💡 Think of a square like a perfect window - 4 equal sides, 4 corners, all sides the same!
Crackers & Cheese
Square crackers, cheese slices cut in squares - perfect 4 equal sides!
Tiles & Boards
Floor tiles, checkerboard squares, game boards - square shapes!
Sticky Notes
Post-it notes are usually squares - 4 equal sides for writing!
Windows
Many window panes are squares - equal sides, square corners!
Confusing squares with rectangles. Squares have ALL sides equal - rectangles don't!
A triangle has 3 straight sides and 3 corners! Triangles can be different shapes (tall, flat, leaning) but always have 3 sides and 3 vertices. Triangles are super strong - builders use them in bridges!
💡 Think of a triangle like a slice of pizza or a mountain peak - 3 sides, 3 pointy corners!
Pizza Slices
Cut a round pizza and each slice is a triangle - 3 sides, 3 corners!
Mountains & Roofs
Mountain shapes, roof tops - triangular! Strong and stable shape!
Road Signs
Yield signs are triangles! Easy to spot because of the 3-sided shape!
Sail Boats
Boat sails are often triangles - the wind pushes them well!
Thinking all triangles look the same. Triangles can be tall, flat, or tilted!
A rectangle has 4 straight sides and 4 corners, BUT the sides come in 2 pairs! Two long sides (same length) and two short sides (same length). Like doors, books, and phone screens!
💡 Think of a rectangle like a stretched square - 4 corners, but 2 long sides and 2 short sides!
Doors & Books
Most doors and books are rectangles - taller than they are wide!
Phones & Tablets
Phone screens, tablet screens - rectangular! 2 long sides, 2 short sides!
Dollar Bills
Money is rectangular - wider than it is tall! Perfect rectangle!
Swimming Pools
Many pools are rectangular - great for swimming laps!
Forgetting that squares ARE rectangles! All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares!
A hexagon has 6 straight sides and 6 corners! 'Hex' means 6. Regular hexagons have all sides equal. Bees use hexagons for honeycombs because they fit together perfectly with no gaps!
💡 Think of a hexagon like a beehive cell - 6 sides that fit together like a puzzle!
Honeycomb
Bees make hexagon cells - perfect shape for storing honey! Nature's engineering!
Stop Signs
Red stop signs are octagonal (8 sides), but we also see hexagon shapes on signs!
Nuts & Bolts
The top of many nuts and bolt heads are hexagons - perfect for wrenches!
Tile Patterns
Hexagon tiles fit together beautifully - no wasted space!
Confusing hexagons with other shapes. Count the sides - 6 sides = hexagon!
Defining attributes are the IMPORTANT features that make a shape what it is! For circles: roundness. For squares: 4 equal sides. For triangles: 3 sides. These attributes define the shape - without them, it's a different shape!
💡 Think of defining attributes like a shape's fingerprint - unique features that identify it!
Circle's Defining Attribute
Must be round with no corners. If it has corners, it's NOT a circle!
Square's Defining Attributes
Must have 4 equal sides and 4 square corners. Both are necessary!
Triangle's Defining Attribute
Must have exactly 3 sides and 3 corners. More or less? Different shape!
Rectangle's Defining Attributes
Must have 4 sides with opposite sides equal, and 4 square corners!
Focusing on non-defining attributes like color or size. A red circle and blue circle are both circles!
Non-Defining attributes are things that CAN change without changing the shape! Color, size, position, and orientation (which way it's turned) don't matter. A big red square and a tiny blue square are both SQUARES!
💡 Think of non-defining attributes like different outfits - you're still you whether you wear red or blue!
Color Doesn't Define
Red circle, blue circle, green circle - all circles! Color doesn't change the shape!
Size Doesn't Define
Huge triangle, tiny triangle - both triangles! Size doesn't change what shape it is!
Position Doesn't Define
Square on table, square on wall - still a square! Location doesn't matter!
Orientation Doesn't Define
Triangle pointing up, sideways, or upside down - still a triangle!
Thinking a rotated square is a different shape. Turn a square any way - it's still a square!
Shapes are EVERYWHERE around us! Once you learn shapes, you'll see them in buildings, nature, art, and everyday objects. Being a shape detective makes the world more interesting and helps you understand how things are built!
💡 Think of yourself as a shape spy - on a mission to spot shapes all around you!
In Buildings
Windows (rectangles), doors (rectangles), roofs (triangles), columns (circles from top)!
In Nature
Sun (circle), mountain peaks (triangles), tree trunks (cylinders - circles on ends)!
In Art & Design
Paintings use shapes, patterns use shapes, logos are made of shapes!
In Everyday Objects
Plates, tables, signs, screens, wheels, boxes - shapes everywhere you look!
Not looking carefully! Shapes hide in plain sight - train your eye to spot them!