Mathematics
Shapes Around Us
Shapes around us
Find circles, squares, triangles and rectangles at home, at school and all over town.
Shapes are everywhere
Look around you. Shapes are everywhere!
A plate. A window. A door. A ball.
Today we will learn four shapes.
Ask: Can you see a round thing in the room?
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This is a circle
A circle is round. It has no corners.
Run your finger round and round. It never stops!
Say it: circle.
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Draw a circle in the air
Lift your finger high.
Round and round, like a wheel. Round and round, like the sun.
You just drew a circle!
Ask: Can you draw a big circle? Now a tiny one?
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A ball is a circle
Kofi kicks his football. Roll, roll, roll!
Look at the ball. It is round like a circle.
Ask: What else rolls? Can a square roll?
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Circles at home
A plate for your kenkey. A cup for your water. A coin in Mama's hand.
All of them are circles!
Ask: Find a circle in the kitchen. What is it?
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The clock is a circle
Tick, tock. Tick, tock.
The clock on the wall is a circle. The hands go round and round.
Ask: What shape is the clock? Where is the clock in your house?
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Sing the shapes
Let us sing about shapes!
Circle, square, triangle, rectangle. Clap for each one.
Sing along with the shapes song.
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This is a square
A square has four sides. All four sides are the same.
It has four corners. Count them: one, two, three, four!
Say it: square.
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Draw a square in the air
Across. Down. Back. Up.
Four straight lines. Four sharp corners.
You drew a square!
Ask: Can you count the corners on your square?
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Squares at home
A biscuit. A floor tile. A little window.
Abena finds a square on her mat.
Ask: Can you find a square in your room? Touch its corners.
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A square has corners
A circle has no corners. A square has four.
Touch a corner. It is pointy!
Ask: Which has corners, the ball or the biscuit?
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This is a triangle
A triangle has three sides. One, two, three.
It has three corners too. It looks like a pointy hat!
Say it: triangle.
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Draw a triangle in the air
Up to the top. Down to the corner. Back home.
Three lines. Three corners.
You drew a triangle!
Ask: Point to the top of your triangle.
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Triangles in town
A roof on a house. A slice of pie. A road sign on the way to the market.
Kwame sees a triangle on the trotro road!
Ask: What triangles do you see on the way to school?
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Make a triangle with your hands
Put your two hands together. Fingers touch at the top. Thumbs touch at the bottom.
Look through the hole. It is a triangle!
Ask: Can you make a big triangle with your arms?
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This is a rectangle
A rectangle has four sides too. But two sides are long and two sides are short.
It is like a square that got stretched!
Say it: rectangle.
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Draw a rectangle in the air
A long line across. A short line down. Long line back. Short line up.
You drew a rectangle!
Ask: Which sides are long? Which sides are short?
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The door is a rectangle
Ama opens the door. Tall and straight.
The door is a rectangle. So is your book!
Ask: What shape is the door? What shape is this phone?
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Rectangles at home
Your bed. Your table. A mobile phone. A cedi note.
So many rectangles!
Ask: Find three rectangles in your house.
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Square or rectangle?
Both have four sides. Both have four corners.
A square has sides that are all the same.
A rectangle has long sides and short sides.
Ask: Is a door a square or a rectangle?
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Shapes on the trotro
Look at the trotro! Round wheels are circles.
The windows are rectangles. The big windscreen too.
Ask: How many circles can you count on a trotro?
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Shapes at the market
Mama goes to the market. Round oranges. Round tomatoes.
A square box of sugar. A long rectangle table.
Ask: What shape is an orange? What shape is a box?
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Shapes in the sky
The sun is a big circle. The moon can be a circle too.
A kite is a triangle flying high!
Ask: What shape is the sun?
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Sing it again
Shapes, shapes, everywhere.
Let us sing one more shapes song. Make the shapes with your hands.
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Shape hunt: circle
Ready? Go!
Find one circle in your house. Bring it. Show it.
Say: "This is a circle!"
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Shape hunt: square
Now find one square.
A tile? A biscuit? A small box?
Count its four corners out loud.
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Shape hunt: triangle
Now find a triangle.
Hard to find? Fold a paper corner to corner. There is your triangle!
Ask: Can you make a triangle with three sticks?
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Shape hunt: rectangle
Now find a rectangle.
A book? A door? The TV?
Say: "Two long sides, two short sides."
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Make a house with shapes
A square for the wall. A triangle for the roof.
A rectangle for the door. A circle for the sun.
Draw it. It is a house!
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Well done!
Circle, square, triangle, rectangle.
Now you know four shapes. You can find them everywhere.
Ask: Which shape is your favourite? Why?
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Learn more
- Starfall: Geometry and Shapes — free shape games to play together
- PBS KIDS: Shapes games — simple games that sort and match shapes
- CBeebies: Numberblocks — a gentle maths show for small children
- Khan Academy Kids — a free learning app with shapes and counting
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Watch more
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Think about it
- Which shape has no corners?
- How many sides does a triangle have?
- Is a door a square or a rectangle?
- What shapes can you see on a trotro?
- Can you draw a house using all four shapes?
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