3D Shape Flashcards - Large - First 4 Shapes
These flashcards print 2 to a page and show the first four 3D shapes we introduce to children (in Year 1) - sphere, cube, cuboid and pyramid.
Introducing 3D Shapes
Introduce children to 4 solid, or 3D, shapes: the sphere, cube, cuboid and pyramid. You'll find hands-on ideas below as well as posters and other printables and fun worksheets to get you started.
Hands On Ideas
- Wooden shapes. You may have a set of educational wooden shapes, or an old-fashioned set of wooden bricks which includes at least a cube and cuboid shape. Let the children handle the shapes and discuss their properties. How many faces, sides, vertices (corners) do the shapes have? Which shapes can you stack? Which shapes can you roll? If you build a tower, which are the best shapes to have on the bottom?
- Playdough. Ask the children to choose one of your wood shapes or bricks (above) and copy the shape with playdough. Perhaps children can work in pairs and guess what shape the other has made.
- Printables. Print out our posters and try to match the shapes illustrated with objects in your environment.
- Which ones? Put a collection of solid shapes in front of your child and ask them to point to the sphere, remove the cuboid, pick up the cube and so on.
- Odd ones out. Ask children to find and name the odd shape out from a selection.
- Hunt for shapes. Look for pictures in a magazine or objects around the home that have distinct 3D shapes.
- Play snap challenge. At any point during the day, call out "Find me a cube!" or similar. Make sure there is one to be found first!
Taking It Further
- Discuss. How do 3D shapes differ from 2D shapes? Which 3D shapes are harder to model from playdough?
- Sorting. Assemble a variety of solids in various colours and sizes (or pictures cut out from magazines, or our 3D shape sorting cards below). Ask the children to sort them - by shape, by colour, by size.
- Vocabulary. Make sure that your children can describe the solid shapes they are working with. For example, "A cube has 6 equal sides, each of which is a square", or "A sphere is like a ball."
- Get creative. Cut images of solid shapes out from magazines and build them into collages. Robots work well! All the images used should be 3D.
- Names. Learn to write the names of these four solid shapes with the help of our handwriting worksheets below.
- Extra shapes. Introduce a cylinder too.
Our 3D Shape Resources
3D Shape Flashcards - Small - First 4 Shapes
This set of flashcards prints 4 to a page and shows the sphere, cube, cuboid and pyramid.
3D Shape Handwriting Worksheets - First 4 Shapes
Learn to spell and practice writing these tricky words - four 3D shapes! This pack includes the sphere, cube, cuboid and pyramid.
3D Shape Sorting Mats - First 4 Shapes
Use these sorting mats with "real" objects such as wooden bricks or our photographic 3D object cards, or for drawing or cut-and-pasting appropriate objects, perhaps from old magazines.
3D Shape Word Cards - First 4 Shapes
Use these word cards for display or for matching activities with our 3D shape flashcards and posters.
3D Shapes Handwriting Worksheet
In both UK and US fonts, this handwriting practice worksheet offers the words sphere, cube, cuboid and pyramid.
3D Shapes Photographic Flash Cards
These photographic flash cards can be used to introduce and reinforce the first 3D shapes "in real life" for children. We cover spheres, cubes, cuboids and pyramids and have 8 photos for each.
3D Shapes Photographic Slideshow
This slideshow has many "real world" examples of spheres, cubes, cuboids and pyramids to show children. Slides progress at 10 seconds to allow discussions of the pictures, but you can advance quicker if preferred by left clicking with your mouse.
3D Shapes Photographic Sorting Cards
We have 4 sets of photos of "real life" 3d shapes here - the sphere, cube, cuboid and pyramid. Use them as they are as posters, or cut out and sort them - perhaps using our 3D shapes sorting mats to do so.
3D Shapes Playdough Mats First 4 Shapes
These fun playdough mats encourage a hands-on approach for learning about 3D shapes! Can the children make each of the shapes (a sphere, cube, cuboid and pyramid), then answer the questions about each one? You can laminate the mats so that they can be used over again.
3D Shapes Vocabulary Matching Cards - First 4 Shapes
Use these printable vocabulary matching cards as double-sided flashcards (simply fold down the centre line before cutting out and glue back-to-back) or as a matching activity for the kids.
3D Shapes Word Mat First 4 Shapes
This useful word mat shows four 3D shapes that children most commonly learn first - the sphere, cube, cuboid and pyramid.
3D Shapes Word Tracing - First 4 Shapes
You could use these 3D shapes word tracing worksheets as posters once completed. Alternatively, laminate them and use with dry wipe pens for extra practice. There are some tricky spellings to learn here!
Colour the 3D Shapes Worksheets
There are 2 worksheets in this pdf file. The first asks the children to identify and colour the 3D shapes - sphere, cube, cuboid and pyramid. The second extension worksheet includes a cylinder.
Cube Net
This cube net printable is the perfect hands-on way to learn about this 3D shape! Choose from our pre-coloured or plain white versions, then print onto card, cut out and stick together by glueing the flaps.
Cuboid Net
Our cuboid net is perfect if you're introducing the concept of 3D shapes. Choose from either our ready-coloured or plain white versions below, print onto some card, cut out then stick together by glueing the flaps. Also great for craft projects!
Drawing Nets Of 3D Shapes Worksheets Set 1
Here's a fun, hands-on worksheet to test how much the children understand 3D shapes. Can they use the squared paper to complete the nets of a cube, cuboid and pyramid, then cut out and make the 3D shapes?
Guest Post - Fun with 3D Nets
Shelly has some fantastic ideas for using the printable 3D nets available to download and print from Activity Village. Read the rest of Shelly's guest blog post to find out more...
Nets Of 3D Shapes Worksheet Set 1
Can the children match the 3D shapes on the left to the correct net on the right? There are 3 shapes to try and figure out...
Properties of 3D Shapes Posters - First 4 Shapes
These bright posters are an excellent aide-memoire for children learning about the first 3D shapes. This set comprises a sphere, cube, cuboid and pyramid.
Properties of 3D Shapes Worksheet - First 4 Shapes
Children need to fill in the blanks on this worksheet, asking for the properties of 3D shapes - the sphere, cube, cuboid and pyramid.
Pyramid Net
Learn how a pyramid is formed with the help of this pyramid net printable. Print onto some card, cut out, then glue the flaps together to make a 3D pyramid. Choose from two versions below: blank, or ready coloured in bright yellow.