How do you build spatial reasoning, critical thinking, and problem solving skills while doing something that is fun? With tangrams! In honor of Chinese New Year, this lesson introduces your students to the Chinese puzzle of tangrams.

Use this great lesson to get your students interested in learning about basic shapes! This lesson integrates a sensory activity with learning and lets students get a little messy.

2D shapes are all around us! In this lesson students will explore the properties of four different shapes—triangles, circles, rectangles, and squares! They will learn that they can find these shapes anywhere in the world around us.

Detective time! In this lesson, your students will become shape detectives and go on a shape hunt to find the missing shapes on a grid.

Give your students some early practice with shapes using this simple lesson. Young learners will have a great time creating shapes using pieces of string.

Students will love composing shapes using tangrams in this hands-on lesson! Use this plan alone or as a support lesson plan for the Tangrams: An Ancient Chinese Puzzle lesson plan.