Geometry Games and Ideas for 1st & 2nd Graders

I was busy developing my new Geometry games pack, but I needed a break.  So I hopped online and scoped out Pinterest and Bloglovin’.  I got a little distracted by some amazing art projects online that I could easily tie in with our Geometry unit.  Some of these even lend themselves to writing and science, too!  Here are a few that caught my eye:

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Queen of the 1st Grade Jungle (Watercolor + Foil)Art Projects for Kids (Cubes in Space)Broogly (Mondrian)Rdannen Portfolio (Colorful Geometric Shapes)Babble Dabble Do (STEM Tensile Bubbles)Teach with Me (Owl Shapes)Teach with Me (Silly Shaped Penguins – not shown above)House of Baby Piranha (Shape Monsters)Glitzy in First Grade (Shape Monsters – not shown above)Step Into Second Grade (Shape Monsters – not shown above)Mrs. Brown’s Art Class (Op Art Shapes)

Once I felt that I had enough to keep things fresh and interesting, I returned to my games pack.  I think Geometry can be a lot of fun to teach to young students.  There is a lot of vocabulary, but if you give them enough hands-on experiences, they will grasp those new terms quickly.  I know from years of experience that if you can get students engaged in game play, they think they get to have fun, but you know they are really learning!  I recently spent a good chunk of time developing some games for my own students to play during our Geometry unit.  Some games review previously taught concepts and others will extend the vocabulary and concepts I am introducing.

Some are board games, some are card games, and some are spinner games.  Most of the games are played like the classics (Memory, Go Fish, Old Maid, War, etc.).  Here’s a little closer look at the contents:

Are these games you could use in your classroom?  Let me know what you think by commenting below!  

My must-have item for teaching 3-D shapes to kids are these Giant Geosolids. I was so lucky to inherit them from another teacher.  They are perfect for small hands because they can hold and count faces, edges, and vertices with ease.

For the kids who’ve already got it, I often allow them to work through some Versatile activities.  I was lucky enough to win a set of 10 cases in a FB contest AND I inherited 10-15 cases from retiring teachers.  I usually only use them in small groups, but I do have enough on hand for a class set.

Happy Teaching!