Math and science
Shape Detective
Count the circles, triangles and rectangles hiding in a robot, then build your own character from shapes.
Thinking sheet · Math and science
Solid Shapes Around Me
Hunt for cubes, spheres, cylinders and cones in the room. Draw what you find and count the faces.
- Grades
- K–3
- Time
- about 20 minutes
- Topic
- Math and science
- Kids practice
- 3d shapes, geometry words, real-world math
What kids do
“Shapes aren’t always flat! Find solid shapes around you.”
- Draw something you found for each shape
- Shapes to find: cube, sphere, cylinder, cone, pyramid, rectangular prism
- The shape that rolls best is… because…
How to run it
- Pass around real objects: a ball, a can, a dice, an ice cream cone.
- Count faces by touching each flat side.
- Test which shapes roll, stack or slide.
Talk about it
- Which shape is hardest to find?
- Why are cans cylinders?
- Which shapes stack well?
Take it further
Build a tower with only one kind of solid shape.
Pairs well with
Free for home and classroom use. Print as many copies as you need.
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