So, what do you do with a puzzle after a child has mastered it? Do you stash it away until another child needs it? What if you only have one child to use it? With some high-quality puzzles, that could get very expensive. Some kids get bored with a puzzle after the first time they have solved it. I love re-using puzzles for other purposes. Today we used this puzzle & shape matching cards to explore our puzzle in a new way.

Learn about shapes with our favorite puzzle and these free printable shape matching puzzle cards. Match them to the shape puzzle pieces or play a fun memory game!
Learn about shapes with our favorite puzzle and these free printable shape matching puzzle cards. Match them to the shape puzzle pieces or play a fun memory game!

To prep: Print the shape cards on scrapbook paper, laminate and cut apart.

Printing on scrapbook paper makes it so the kids can’t see through the cards which is important for a memory game. Regular printer paper becomes see-through after color is printed on it.

Plus, the cute backgrounds are so much more fun to play with than plain white paper!

There are lots of fun ways to use the shape matching cards with the Melissa and Doug shape puzzle.

More Shape Learning Fun: Exploring Shapes with Play Dough

Use one set of cards to match to each of the puzzle pieces.

Because the colors do not match between the puzzle and the cards, it offers a challenge to children who have already mastered matching the colors with the shape pieces in the puzzle.

Learn about shapes with our favorite puzzle and these free printable shape matching puzzle cards. Match them to the shape puzzle pieces or play a fun memory game!

More Shape Learning Fun: Doghouse Shape Activity for Preschoolers

Match the shapes around the puzzle

My daughter created this idea on her own. She enjoyed placing the matching cards above and below the completed puzzle.

Learn about shapes with our favorite puzzle and these free printable shape matching puzzle cards. Match them to the shape puzzle pieces or play a fun memory game!

Sort the cards with the matching puzzle pieces

We used both sets of cards to pair up with the coordinating puzzle pieces.

Learn about shapes with our favorite puzzle and these free printable shape matching puzzle cards. Match them to the shape puzzle pieces or play a fun memory game!

More Shape Learning Fun: Shape I Spy for Preschoolers

Play a Memory Game

Use both sets of shape cards to play a memory game or do independent matching.

Learn about shapes with our favorite puzzle and these free printable shape matching puzzle cards. Match them to the shape puzzle pieces or play a fun memory game!

Some of our Favorite Shape Books for Kids:

We can’t live without these!

Once your child’s creativity is sparked with this fun activity, take it a step further with these engaging resources:

 My First SHAPES Padded Board BookMy First SHAPES Padded Board Book Round Is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes (A Latino Book of Concepts)Round Is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes (A Latino Book of Concepts) Tangled: A Story About ShapesTangled: A Story About Shapes Mouse ShapesMouse Shapes ShapesShapes Shape by ShapeShape by Shape Captain Invincible and the Space Shapes (MathStart 2)Captain Invincible and the Space Shapes (MathStart 2) Circle, Square, MooseCircle, Square, Moose This Is a Book of ShapesThis Is a Book of Shapes Perfect SquarePerfect Square

 

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2d shape puzzle shape matching game
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More learning fun with puzzles!

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