Shapes All Around Me
Suggested Age: Toddler-Early Elementary
Submitted by Brenda Freitas-Obregon, State Librarian, Kalihi-Palama Public Library
Books: Shapes All Around Me
Let’s combine learning six colors of the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue and Violet with learning three simple shapes: Square, Triangle and Circle.
Books to read aloud or read on your own:
What Makes A Rainbow? By Betty Ann Schwartz
Little Rabbit’s friends share all the colors that make a rainbow.
Round Is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes by Roseanne Thong
A little girl discovers shapes of things all around her community.
Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Three mice make things out of shapes as they hide from a cat.
Activity: Pill Bottle Stamps
Craft foam shapes in different sizes top pill bottles to make stampers.
Toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy the stamping process of tapping into an ink pad and stamping onto paper. Older keiki can practice patterning skills and size relationships while designing pictures.
Materials:
- Paper
- Empty, clean pill bottles
- Craft foam in rainbow colors or clean Styrofoam food trays. (There are also precut craft foam shapes from crafts or educational supplies stores)
- Scissors
- Watercolor markers or ink pads
Instructions:
- Cut craft foam or Styrofoam food trays into assorted sizes of squares, triangles, and circles to fit the caps or bottoms of the pill bottles. Glue the shapes onto the caps or bottoms of the pill bottles, and make sure the glue is thoroughly dry before using the stampers.
- Color the shapes with washable markers or stamp into ink pads. Press stampers onto paper to make designs or pictures. Designate a color for each stamper, or clean off the color on damp paper towels before using another color so you don’t mix colors onto your markers or ink pads.
- Give your picture a title. Write a story about it. Enjoy your art.
