Free Printable Crayon Shape Matching Card Game

Teaching Shapes in Preschool

PRESCHOOL MATCHING SHAPES ACTIVITIES

Learning the names of shapes helps form a healthy foundation in geometry. As children learn to name the shapes, they can begin to describe them using important math vocabulary.

Preschool learners need lots of opportunities to explore shapes in order to become comfortable recognizing and naming them. They should spend time making shape crafts for kids, identifying shapes around them, playing with blocks, and making patterns with shapes.

Children should be exposed to important math vocabulary while learning shape names and discussing shape properties:

• Side
• Corner/vertice
• Curved
• Straight
• Symmetry

Even if students do not use the vocabulary themselves, hearing adults talk about shapes using the correct vocabulary will help them as they mature.

Crayon Shape Matching Cards Printable Game

Prepping the Match the Shapes Printable Activity

Print the match the shapes for preschool game on the white side of the scrapbook paper (or on card stock).

Cut the shapes apart.

I like to laminate matching games to extend their life, and to prevent them from bending and ripping. This is optional, though!

Playing The Shape Matching Game

There are different ways to play this back-to-school theme preschool game!

• Classic Memory Match: Turn over two cards at the same time. If they match, you get to keep them and turn over another set of crayons to try again. If they don’t match, you turn them back over in their original spot and play continues with the next player. Play continues until the crayon box cards have all been matched with a shape card.
• Shapes Sort: When students have mastered the names of all the shapes, you can use the cards to sort shapes by characteristics.
  • Curved lines vs. straight lines
  • Specific number of sides or corners
  • Find blocks to match each shape card
• Matching: Some students aren’t ready to match by memory. However, you can provide the shapes cards face-up for students to match with a crayon box card.

More Crayon-Themed School Activities

You don’t have to stop at shapes! Consider incorporating a first-day-of-school theme into your lesson plans for the entire fall season! Here are some crayon crafts and activities to get you started.

Extend the Activity:

Crayon Resist

Give children a specific shape(s) to color thoroughly, then explore the magic of watercolors as they resist the wax of the crayon.

Melted Crayon Art

Use old bits and pieces of crayons from yesteryear. Place them in muffin tins to melt into multicolored “crayon cookies.” Crayon shavings melt nicely between two pieces of waxed paper. You can place a cutout shape on top as a seasonal craft (leaves, Christmas stockings, candy cane, turkey, pumpkin, etc.)

Crayon Sorting and Counting

Crayon sorting and counting: Use those fresh crayons to sort by color, or to count into groups of numbers 1-10.

Try These School Theme Activities Next

• Free School Theme Missing Numbers Task Cards
• Printable School Scavenger Hunts
• Back to School Theme Printable Number Posters

More Hands-On Shape Ideas

You’ll love these shape resources as well

• 4 Free Printable 2D Shape Activities
• Printable Pattern Block Templates and Activities
• 2D Shape Slap It! Card Game
• Fidget Spinner 2D Shape Graph