15 Fun Ways to Teach Geometry to 2nd Grade

Geometry is a tricky subject for many students, especially in the early grades. But it doesn’t have to be! Teaching geometry to second grade students can be fun and engaging if you use the right approach. From hands-on activities to games and puzzles, there are plenty of ways to make learning geometry enjoyable and memorable. In fact, for this blog post, we’ll explore 15 fun ways to teach geometry to 2nd grade. These ideas will have your kiddos mastering the basics in no time!

Plus you can grab a FREE 2D and 3D Shapes activity that you can use in your classroom.

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How Do You Teach Geometry in a Fun Way?

One thing that I’ve shared from my teaching journey is that I spent the first four years of my career teaching 2nd grade.

And I remember that teaching geometry to 2nd grade students was so fun and rewarding!

I had just as much fun with it as they did. So, here are general tips I want to share to help you get started:

• Use hands-on activities and games. For example, you could have students create shapes with construction paper or use manipulatives such as pattern blocks to explore geometric shapes and patterns.
  
• Embrace technology with your math lessons. We may feel sick of using devices for learning since 2020, but the reality is that they can really jazz up your geometry lesson. In fact, later in the post, I have some online games and apps you’ll enjoy.
  
• Allow students to build 3-dimensional shapes using blocks with a partner or small groups. Remember, hands-on is great for teaching geometry. And kids will have fun working with their friends!
  

I cannot stress the hands-on aspect enough as you teach geometry to 2nd grade. Since learning shapes is a visual skill with lots of abstract concepts included, your kids will need concrete examples to help them master the foundation of geometry.

What is Geometry for 2nd Grade?

No matter what set of state standards you use, most 2nd grade math curriculums will cover the following geometry concepts:

• two and three dimensional shapes
• congruency, symmetry, area and perimeter
• vertices, faces, and edges
• polygons vs. non-polygons
• angles
  

Since 2nd grade geometry covers shapes and space, be prepared to help students tell the difference between flat and 3D shapes.

These are just the basics that I wanted to cover, so now we can dive into the nitty-gritty details for how to teach geometry to 2nd grade in a fun way.

#1- Engage Your Students in Math Talks

One of the game-changer activities I used to introduce students to geometry was with math talks.

I would show them pictures of real-life objects and scenes, then students had to identify different 2D and 3D shapes they noticed.

Not only did these interesting math talk sessions give my students confidence in using math vocabulary correctly, but it also helped them identify shapes in a non-intimidating way.

Now of course, I would review basic shapes such as circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles. Next, I would challenge students to locate different shapes in the pictures.

Math Talks also works an a partner activity when teaching virtually. So, if you teach online, you can have engaging math talks through Zoom breakout rooms as well!

#2- Enjoy Shapes Scavenger Hunts

If you’ve spent any time on this site, you know I love a good scavenger hunt.

They present a wonderful way to teach geometry to 2nd grade.

By creating a scavenger hunt, the students can explore their surroundings and practice their geometry skills. For example, have the students look for shapes in the classroom or school hallways. They can also look for examples of symmetry and shapes in magazines or picture books. As the students explore their environment, they can record their answers on a worksheet or chart.

Through this activity, your students can learn about different shapes, their properties, and how to measure them. In addition, it can help them develop their problem-solving and critical thinking skills.  It will also make learning geometry more enjoyable and engaging for the students.

#3–Play FREE Geometry Apps

Even before COVID forced full-time digital learning on everyone, I loved giving my students computer or iPad time playing learning games.

You’ll be surprised at how many great math apps you have to choose from when it comes to free games that review skills.

Of course, finding them will depend on what type of device you’re using. To help you get the ball-rolling, I recommend the free geometry game above. It doesn’t have an exciting or flashy title, but my students never let that stop them from enjoying it.

Here’s a review from another teacher who enjoys this game: “This is a great geometry app for beginners. This is motivating for students and they learn so much from it. It teaches basic terminology and concept.“

#4–Review Shapes with Geometric Puzzles

Here we go with our first fun hands-on activity! I can’t imagine teaching geometry without block puzzles!

When shopping for these kind of math manipulatives, I always looked for the ones that had flash cards showing different designs students could make with the shapes.

To fully connect it to your shapes lessons, you can have students write a paragraph to go with their design. The paragraph must include detailed sentences describing the different polygons used.

OR depending on how much time you have, allow students to partner up and verbally describe their creation to a classmate. The mini-presentation should include shape names and other attributes like, “My dragon has an octagon head with 8 vertices.”

#5–Play Geometry “I Spy”

Ever wondered what quick learning activity you could do during a short transition? Well, my friend this is definitely one of them!

When my students were packed up and waiting on the end-of-the-day bell to ring, we would play this as a whole group.

I pulled names that were on popsicles sticks and had one student at a time come to the front to describe a shape they saw somewhere in the classroom.

But they would begin with “I spy with my little eye…” The other kids had to raise their hand to take guesses on what their classmate was describing.

The main rule I implemented was that they HAD to use “geometry talk” to describe their item.

#6–Use FREE Digital Shapes Lessons and Activities

Although I already recommended using free math apps to teach geometry to 2nd grade, this one is slightly different.

Animated games can be great, but sometimes you need students to complete non-game activities that can be just as engaging.

This is where interesting online lessons come to the rescue. Things like:

• digital escape rooms
• mystery picture activities online
• self-checking digital review, etc.
  
  

As always, I got you covered my friend! This quick self-checking 2D and 3D shapes activity allows students to review polygons vs. non-polygons, as well as, the names of different shapes. And it’s completely FREE.

#7–Make Shapes with Play Dough

The seventh way to teach geometry to 2nd grade involves a substance that some people think is only for Kindergarteners.

But I’m here to tell you that it’s not just for Kinders…I’m talking about play dough!

Playing with play dough can be a fun way to teach geometry to 2nd grade students. It allows them to get creative and explore shapes in a tangible way. Students can use the dough to make circles, squares, triangles, and other shapes.

They can also use the dough to create 3D objects such as cubes, pyramids, and spheres. By manipulating the dough, students can learn about the properties of shapes such as their sides, angles, and faces.

This activity can also help students understand how different shapes can fit together to create larger shapes. By exploring these concepts with play dough, 2nd grade students can develop a better understanding of geometry and its application in the real world.

#8–Match 2D Shapes with their 3D Shapes Counterparts

One of the challenges my former students had to overcome was understanding that many 3D shapes had the face of certain 2D shapes.

That’s when I realized that sorting and matching these counterparts would make a great math center activity.

Just in case your students have the same challenge, incorporate any of these matching activities to help them with this skill:

• Matching 3D blocks or shapes with their flat/2D version
  
• Task cards with images of both 2D and 3D shapes for students to match
  
• Go-Fish card games where students have to find the match
  
• SCOOT games that reinforce this concept

You could even do a version of “write the room” where your kiddos walk around identifying which shape is the “face” of a certain three-dimensional figure.

#9–Introduce Geometry Read-Alouds

Combining books with math is my jam! I love using math read-alouds to jazz up the learning.

What Read-Alouds Teach Geometry to 2nd Grade?

These math books help reinforce important geometry concepts with fun story-telling:

• If You Were a Quadrilateral by Molly Cece Barlow Blaisdell and Francesca Carabelli
  
• The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns
  
• If You Were a Polygon by Marcie Aboff
  
• Perimeter, Area, and Volume: A Monster Book of Dimensions by David Adler
  
• Square (Book 1 of The Shapes Trilogy) by Mac Barnett
  
• Triangle (The Shapes Trilogy) –same author as above
  
• Circle (Book 3 of The Shapes Trilogy)–same author as above
  
• City Shapes by Diana Murphy
  

#10–Use Engaging No Prep Geometry Worksheets

Ok, full disclaimer here–I am one of those teachers who can’t stand just giving out worksheets, especially for math. To me, students learn best when they have fun hands-on activities or games.

BUT the reality is that we sometimes need great worksheets for things like:

• early finishers
• homework
• morning / bell ringer work, etc.

So, even though I prefer to teach geometry to 2nd grade using manipulatives, I also keep standards-aligned worksheets ready to use.

These print-and-go geometry worksheets cover a range of concepts related to shapes to 2nd graders.

I especially like how they are simple, but still rigorous. That way, students can complete them independently without getting frustrated at the challenge level.

#11–Play Geometry Bingo

Speaking of simple yet rigorous fun, another great way to teach geometry to 2nd grade is with bingo games!

Most bingo games are pretty straightforward, which is great because you don’t have to spend a lot of time teaching your students how to play them.

Plus, it gives everyone a break from having to complete worksheets or task cards. In addition to this, you could even break your students into groups of 4 and have them play geometry bingo as a math center activity.

#12–Review Angles with Charades

The twelfth way you could practice geometry concepts with your kiddos is to play what I call “Angles Charades.”

After you’ve taught them the different angles and their degrees, you can write these angles on index cards, then call students to the front of the class to hold up their arms to represent how it should look to the class.

The only student who will see the index card is the one at the front; the rest of the students must raise their hands to say what angle or degree is being acted out by their classmate.

Another way I’ve played it is:

• I stand at the front of the class with the index cards that have the angles.
• All the students stand up and wait for me to call out the different degress.
• Then they hold up their arms to show me what the angle should look like.

Either version you choose offers a quick way to review geometry angles while allowing students to get out of their seats.

#13–Build Shapes and Angles with LEGOS

Along with the other geometry math center ideas from this list, you can add LEGOS to the mix. Remember how I said hands-on learning is best? Well, this is one of my favorites!

I like to buy those mini LEGO sets from The Dollar Tree where the LEGOS come in a storage box for only $1.25 each.

Having a class set of them is great because you’ll use them for so many different things! One example is to call out the names of different polygons and have students build them using their LEGOS.

#14–Watch Interesting Polygon Videos on YouTube

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then videos must be worth ten thousand!

There are so many interesting geometry videos on YouTube for kids that you can access completely free. If your school doesn’t allow YouTube–like mine–you can copy the video link and show it through Safe Share.

#15–Create Shape Collages

Last, but not least, I think it’s pretty cool and fun to combine math with art. Geometry makes this super easy since you can create collages out of shapes.

Challenge your students to create images using different shapes. You can even extend the activity by having them write a story to go with their picture. These make great bulletin board displays and a fun hands-on way to practice geometry!

More Ways to Teach About Shapes

Geometry is an important subject to teach second grade students, because it helps them learn problem solving, spatial reasoning, and other skills that are critical for mathematics learning.

When you use hands-on activities, games and visual aids, you can help your kiddos feel confident and happy learning this math skill.

So, which of the 15 ideas in this post is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below. Until then, Happy Teaching 🦋