Step into the world of solid shapes! Discover cubes, cylinders, spheres, cones, and pyramids. Learn about faces, edges, and vertices. Find out which shapes roll and which ones stack. 3D shapes are all around you! 📦🎾🏐
Discover solid shapes through fun, hands-on challenges!
Match 3D shapes to real-world objects!
🖱️ Drag options below to the correct boxes (computer) or click to move (mobile)
Practice counting the flat surfaces on 3D shapes!
Identify shapes that can roll smoothly!
Click all correct options
Learn the difference between flat and solid shapes!
Order shapes by how many faces they have!
Drag to sort or use ↑↓ buttons to adjust · Smallest to Biggest
Explore 10 essential knowledge cards about 3D shapes!
3D shapes are three-dimensional - they're solid! They have length, width, AND height (also called depth). Unlike 2D shapes that are flat, 3D shapes take up space. You can hold them, stack them, and look at them from different angles. Every real object you touch is 3D! Understanding 3D shapes helps you understand the physical world around you!
3D = three-dimensional (solid shapes you can hold)
Have length, width, AND height (depth)
Take up space in the real world
Examples: cubes, spheres, cylinders, cones, pyramids
Also called 'solid shapes' or 'space shapes'
Remember: 3D shapes are SOLID! If you can pick it up and hold it in your hand, it's 3D. If it's just drawn flat on paper, it's 2D!
Confusing pictures of 3D shapes with actual 3D shapes! A drawing of a cube on paper is 2D (flat), but a real cube you can hold is 3D (solid)!
Every object you see and touch! Boxes, balls, cans, books, buildings, furniture - all are 3D shapes. Understanding 3D shapes helps you pack, build, and organize!
3D treasure hunt! Find 10 solid objects at home. Hold each one. Feel that it takes up space. Name its shape: cube, sphere, cylinder, cone, or pyramid!
A cube is a 3D shape with 6 square faces, 8 vertices (corners), and 12 edges! All faces are the same size squares. Think of a dice - no matter which side you look at, it's always a square. Cubes are one of the most common shapes because they stack perfectly with no wasted space. They're stable and practical for building and packing!
6 faces (all squares of equal size)
8 vertices (corners where edges meet)
12 edges (lines where faces meet)
Examples: dice, Rubik's cube, sugar cubes, building blocks
All faces are identical squares!
To remember a cube: think of a dice! Count the faces you can see (3), then imagine the hidden faces on the back (3 more). That's 6 square faces total!
Confusing cubes with rectangular boxes! A cube has ALL square faces (same size). A rectangular box has rectangular faces (different sizes). All cubes are boxes, but not all boxes are cubes!
Dice, Rubik's cubes, ice cubes, sugar cubes, building blocks, gift boxes (if square), storage cubes, some furniture!
Dice exploration! Get a dice. Count its faces (6), corners/vertices (8), and edges (12). Notice all faces are identical squares. Try drawing a cube!
A cylinder is a 3D shape with 2 circular faces (top and bottom) connected by a curved surface! It has NO vertices (corners) because circles don't have corners. Cylinders can roll on their curved side, making them perfect for wheels and rolling objects. The two circular faces are always the same size and parallel to each other!
2 circular faces (top and bottom - same size)
1 curved surface connecting the circles
0 vertices (no corners - circles have no corners!)
2 edges (the circles where curved surface meets flat faces)
Examples: cans, toilet paper rolls, water bottles, drums
Cylinders roll one way! They can roll sideways (on the curved surface) but not end-over-end (the flat circular faces stop rolling). Try rolling a can - it only goes one direction!
Thinking cylinders have corners or vertices! Cylinders are smooth - no corners at all. The curved surface is smooth, and circles (the faces) have no corners either!
Soup cans, soda cans, toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, water bottles, drums, batteries, some cups!
Can investigation! Get a soup can. Feel the 2 circular faces (top and bottom). Run your hand around the smooth curved surface. Try rolling it sideways. Count: 2 faces, 0 vertices!
A sphere is a perfectly round 3D shape - like a ball! It has NO faces (no flat surfaces), NO edges, and NO vertices (corners). Every point on the surface is the same distance from the center. Spheres are unique because they're the ONLY shape that can roll in ANY direction. They're perfectly smooth and perfectly round!
0 faces (completely curved - no flat surfaces!)
0 edges (no lines where faces meet - it's all smooth)
0 vertices (no corners - perfectly round!)
Perfectly round in all directions
Examples: balls, oranges, globes, marbles, bubbles
Spheres are SUPER smooth! No faces, no edges, no corners - just one continuous curved surface. If it rolls freely in all directions, it's probably a sphere!
Thinking spheres have 1 face! Actually, they have ZERO faces. A face is a FLAT surface, and spheres have no flat surfaces at all - they're completely curved!
Balls (basketball, soccer ball, tennis ball), oranges, apples, planets (Earth is nearly a sphere!), marbles, ball bearings, bubbles!
Ball exploration! Hold a ball. Roll it in different directions - notice it rolls ANY way! Feel how it's perfectly smooth with no flat spots. This is a sphere!
A cone is a 3D shape with 1 circular base and a curved surface that comes to a point (called the apex or vertex)! It has 1 face (the circular bottom), 1 edge (where the circle meets the curved surface), and 1 vertex (the pointed top). Cones can roll in circles around their point! They're great for directing or funneling things!
1 circular face (the bottom/base)
1 curved surface going to a point (apex)
1 vertex (the pointed top)
1 edge (where circular base meets curved surface)
Examples: ice cream cones, party hats, traffic cones, volcano shape
Remember a cone: ice cream cone! Circular bottom (where ice cream sits), curved sides going up, and a pointed tip at the bottom. The point is the vertex!
Confusing cones with pyramids! Cones have a CIRCULAR base and a smooth curved surface. Pyramids have a square or triangular base and flat triangular faces - no curved surfaces!
Ice cream cones, party hats, traffic cones, megaphones, funnels, some tents, volcano shapes, pointy roofs!
Cone creation! Roll a piece of paper into a cone shape (like a party hat). Feel the circular opening, the curved side, and the pointed tip. These are cone features!
A pyramid is a 3D shape with a polygon base (usually square or triangle) and triangular faces that meet at a single point (apex)! The most famous pyramids (like Egyptian pyramids) have a square base. A square pyramid has 5 faces total: 1 square base + 4 triangular sides. Pyramids have flat faces (unlike cones which have curved surfaces). They're very strong and stable structures!
1 base (can be square, triangle, or other polygon)
Triangular faces meeting at a point (apex)
Square pyramid: 5 faces (1 square base + 4 triangular sides)
Number of vertices depends on base shape
Examples: Egyptian pyramids, Pyramid of Giza, some roofs, tents
Egyptian pyramids are SQUARE pyramids! They have a square base and 4 triangular sides meeting at the top. The shape is super strong - that's why ancient pyramids still stand!
Confusing pyramids with cones! Pyramids have FLAT triangular faces and a polygon base (square or triangle). Cones have a CIRCULAR base and a CURVED surface. Pyramids are pointy but flat-sided!
Egyptian pyramids (Giza!), Mayan pyramids, some roofs, some tents, chocolate Toblerone boxes, some buildings!
Pyramid building! Use 4 triangles and 1 square (paper or blocks). Put the square as the base. Arrange triangles so they meet at a point on top. You've built a pyramid!
Understanding faces, edges, and vertices helps you describe 3D shapes precisely! A FACE is a flat surface (like the square side of a cube). An EDGE is the line where two faces meet (like the line where two sides of a cube connect). A VERTEX is a corner where edges come together (like the corner of a cube). Not all shapes have all three - a sphere has none of them because it's completely curved!
Face: a flat surface on a 3D shape
Edge: a line where two faces meet
Vertex (plural: vertices): a corner where edges meet
Cube: 6 faces, 12 edges, 8 vertices
Cylinder: 2 faces, 2 edges, 0 vertices
Easy memory: Faces are flat surfaces (face like your face - a surface). Edges are the borders (edge like the edge of a table). Vertices are corners (vertices = very sharp points!)!
Confusing edges with faces! Faces are flat SURFACES (areas). Edges are LINES where surfaces meet. You can count faces by touching flat areas, edges by tracing lines with your finger!
Understanding 3D shape properties, describing objects precisely, building things, understanding architecture and construction!
Cube counting challenge! Get a cube (dice, block, box). Count faces by touching each flat surface (6). Count edges by tracing each line (12). Count vertices by pointing to each corner (8)!
The main difference: 2D shapes are FLAT, 3D shapes are SOLID! 2D shapes have only length and width - they lie flat on a surface. 3D shapes have length, width, AND height - they take up space and you can hold them. When you draw a shape on paper, it's 2D. When you pick up a real object, it's 3D. Understanding this difference helps you connect math drawings to real-world objects!
2D: flat (length and width only) - like drawings on paper
3D: solid (length, width, and height) - like real objects
Circle (2D) vs Sphere (3D) - flat vs ball
Square (2D) vs Cube (3D) - flat vs box
You can draw 2D shapes; you can hold 3D shapes!
Easy test: Can you pick it up and hold it? Then it's 3D! If it's just a drawing on paper (can't pick it up), it's 2D! Real objects are 3D, pictures are 2D!
Thinking a picture of a cube IS a cube! The picture is 2D (flat drawing on paper). A real cube you can hold is 3D (solid). The picture REPRESENTS the 3D shape but isn't actually 3D itself!
Understanding the difference helps you visualize: architects draw 2D plans (flat) to represent 3D buildings (solid). Artists draw 2D pictures (flat) to represent 3D objects!
Draw and build! Draw a square on paper (2D). Then build or find a cube (3D). Compare them. Notice: the drawing is flat, the cube is solid and takes up space!
Understanding which shapes roll and which stack helps you predict how objects move and organize! Shapes with CURVED surfaces (spheres, cylinders, cones) can ROLL. Shapes with all FLAT faces (cubes, pyramids) STACK well but don't roll. This is why balls roll, cans roll on their side, and boxes stack. Engineers and designers think about these properties when creating objects!
Shapes that ROLL: sphere, cylinder, cone (have curved surfaces)
Shapes that STACK: cube, rectangular prism, pyramid (have flat faces)
Spheres roll in ANY direction (perfectly round)
Cylinders roll in ONE direction (sideways on curved surface)
Cubes and pyramids stack well but don't roll (all flat faces)
Curved = rolls! Flat = stacks! If a shape has any curved surface, it can roll in some direction. If all surfaces are flat, it will stack and slide but not roll!
Thinking cubes can roll! Cubes have all flat faces with edges - edges stop rolling motion. Cubes slide on their flat faces but don't actually roll!
Why wheels are round (cylinders and spheres roll!), why storage boxes are rectangular (cubes stack efficiently!), why balls are spherical (roll in any direction for sports!)
Rolling vs stacking test! Gather objects: ball, can, dice, box. Try rolling each (ball and can roll, dice and box don't). Try stacking (dice and box stack, ball and can don't stack well)!
3D shapes are everywhere in the real world! Every object you can touch and hold is a 3D shape or combination of shapes. Recognizing 3D shapes helps you understand how objects work, how they move, and how they're built. Architects, engineers, and designers use 3D shapes to create everything around us. Understanding 3D shapes connects math to the physical world you live in!
Cubes: dice, Rubik's cubes, gift boxes, building blocks
Cylinders: cans, batteries, paper towel rolls, water bottles
Spheres: balls, oranges, planets, bubbles, marbles
Cones: ice cream cones, party hats, traffic cones
Pyramids: Egyptian pyramids, some roofs, Toblerone chocolate boxes
Play the 3D shape game everywhere! Walking around, riding in a car, at home - spot and name 3D shapes. 'That building is a rectangular prism! That wheel is a cylinder!' Active observation makes geometry fun!
Only looking for perfect shapes! Real-world objects are often combinations or approximations. A water bottle might be a cylinder with a cone-shaped top. That's okay - recognizing the basic shapes is what matters!
Everywhere! Packaging (boxes are rectangular prisms), sports equipment (balls are spheres), architecture (buildings use rectangular prisms and pyramids), nature (oranges are spheres, some mountains are cone-shaped)!
3D shape photo scavenger hunt! Take photos of 20 real objects: 5 cubes, 5 cylinders, 5 spheres, 5 cones/pyramids. Create a '3D Shapes in My World' poster!