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.

Your students will get right to the point with this small group activity! Your students will use large push pins to punch out shapes, all while improving fine motor skills and creating class books to read when the activity is finished.

Students will love composing and decomposing two-dimensional shapes using tangram puzzle pieces. Use this plan alone or to frontload key vocabulary and concepts taught in the lesson plan Know Your Shapes.

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.