Math activity
Building with Shapes
Use blocks and shapes to build structures. Identify the shapes as you build: 'I'm putting a rectangle on top of two squares!'
Materials and setup
- building blocks (various shapes)
- paper
- pencil
- crayons
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Use blocks and shapes to build structures. Identify the shapes as you build: 'I'm putting a rectangle on top of two squares!'
Steps
- Get out building blocks of different shapes.
- Build a house together: 'What shape should we use for the walls? The roof?'
- Name each shape as you place it: 'This is a triangle for the roof!'
- Count how many of each shape you used.
- Take a photo of your creation and label the shapes.
- Tell a grown-up one thing that surprised you.
Learning objectives
- Name basic 2D and 3D shapes during building activities
- Select appropriate shapes for different structural purposes
- Count shapes used within a construction
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Design and build a structure using specific shape requirements. Plan on paper first, then build. Count faces, edges, and corners of 3D blocks.
Steps
- Challenge: build a vehicle using at least 3 different shapes.
- First, draw a plan on paper showing which shapes you'll use where.
- Build your vehicle following the plan.
- For each 3D block used, count the faces (flat sides).
- Compare your finished build to your plan: 'Did you follow it? What did you change?'
- Tell a grown-up one thing that surprised you.
Learning objectives
- Plan a construction using shape knowledge and spatial reasoning
- Identify faces and edges of 3D shapes
- Compare a planned design to a finished product
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Design, plan, and build a scale model of a room or building using blocks. Draw blueprints with measurements, calculate the number of blocks needed, and explore symmetry in architecture.
Steps
- Choose a building to model: your bedroom, a castle, a bridge, or a skyscraper.
- Draw a blueprint (top-down view) on graph paper. Each square = one block unit.
- Calculate how many blocks you need: count squares on your blueprint for the base, then multiply by the number of layers for height.
- Build your model following the blueprint. Make at least one wall symmetrical.
- Measure the real room or a real object, then figure out the scale: 'If 1 block = 1 foot, my room model needs to be 12 blocks by 10 blocks.'
- Write a builder's report: how many total blocks used? What shapes? Was the blueprint accurate?
- In one sentence, tell a parent or sibling what surprised you today.
Learning objectives
- Create scale drawings using graph paper and simple ratios
- Calculate material quantities from blueprints using multiplication
- Apply symmetry concepts to architectural design
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Design and build an architectural model with precise scale, calculate volume and surface area of the structure, analyze structural strength, and create a professional presentation.
Steps
- Select a real building or design an original one. Research architectural features you want to include.
- Create detailed blueprints: floor plan (top view), front elevation (front view), and side elevation. Use a consistent scale (e.g., 1 cm = 1 meter).
- Calculate the volume of each room in your design: length x width x height. Calculate total building volume.
- Calculate exterior surface area (walls + roof) to estimate how much paint or material you would need.
- Build the scale model. Test structural strength: can it hold a book on top? What design features make buildings stronger?
- Create a presentation: describe your design choices, show calculations for volume and surface area, compare your model to the blueprints, and explain what you would change in a second iteration.
- In one sentence, tell a parent or sibling what surprised you today.
Learning objectives
- Calculate volume and surface area of rectangular prisms and composite shapes
- Create multi-view architectural blueprints at a consistent scale
- Apply engineering thinking: test structural strength and iterate on designs
Safety and evidence note
Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.
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