Shape Detectives: Finding Circles, Squares, and Triangles All Around Us
Look around your room right now. Do you see a window? It might be a square! Do you see a clock? That could be a circle! Shapes are hiding everywhere — today, you get to be a Shape Detective and find them.
What You'll Learn
- How to tell circles, squares, and triangles apart - How to count the sides and corners of a shape - How to find real shapes hiding around your home or classroom
Circles Have No Corners
A circle is round all the way around. It has no corners and no straight sides at all — just one smooth curve. A clock, a plate, and the sun are all shaped like circles. Trace your finger around a circle and notice: it never stops to turn a corner!
Squares Have 4 Sides
A square has 4 sides that are all the same length, and 4 corners. A window, a napkin, and a cracker can all be squares. Count the sides with your finger: one, two, three, four! A rectangle is a square's cousin — it also has 4 sides and 4 corners, but two sides are longer than the other two, like a door or a book.
Triangles Have 3 Sides
A triangle has 3 straight sides and 3 corners — it's the shape with the fewest sides of all! A slice of pizza and the roof of a house are shaped like triangles.
To find out what shape something is, count its corners! No corners means circle. Three corners means triangle. Four corners means square (or rectangle).
Match each shape to something that looks like it.
Terms
Definitions
Drag terms onto their definitions, or click a term then click a definition to match.
How many corners does a circle have?
Which shape has exactly 3 sides and 3 corners?
Go on a Shape Hunt
Walk around your home or classroom with a grown-up or on your own. Find one circle, one square (or rectangle), and one triangle. Draw a picture of each object you found, and write its shape name next to it. Deliverable: your shape hunt drawing with 3 labeled objects.
A stop sign has 8 sides — that special shape is called an octagon! Can you spot one on your next car ride?
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