Squares have 4 sides, so this fall activity for some kindergarten readiness learning and fun is about squares and other shapes. The inspiration for a play-of-the-day about shapes came from a brand new book called Pick a Circle, Gather Squares: A Fall Harvest of Shapes by Felicia Sanzari Chernesky and Susan Swan. In the story, a family goes to a pumpkin patch and sees all kinds of shapes. Either at a pumpkin patch or right around home, there are lots of shapes to be found.
Pumpkins have a round shape, and so do pumpkin pies. A slice of pie is a triangle. This scarecrow has a triangle hat with a diamond on it. The basket has tiny squares and skinny rectangles. Outside, the compost is a square, like the top of the planter. One drain is a circle and the other is a rectangle. This driveway is all rectangles.
Many days, the family to-do list is longer than the time needed. But learning like this can happen while getting a meal ready or walking to the bus. Not all children will be able to correctly name the shapes, but they will hear the words and begin to sort them out. While looking for shapes, kids will be observing other objects around them. A few minutes one day, added up with a few more another day, and soon your child will find shapes where you hadn’t even noticed them. What shapes can you and your child find?
