Shape sorters are among the toys every parent knows they need but they really aren’t sure why or what to do with them. There are so many to choose from that it can be overwhelming.
You can start using shape sorters from the moment you bring your child home from the hospital and they continue to be useful through kindergarten. If that seems like a long time, it definitely is. So buckle up, let’s cover how to use shape sorters from infancy on.
Newborn
Your bundle of joy has just come home from the hospital and spends most of their time sleeping. When they are awake they mostly want to be held and maybe play a little.
At this stage, most play focuses on building sensory skills. Give them the opportunity to explore every shape, smell, or texture safely available. Introduce toys for them to hold that are different shapes and colors. Let them smell new smells.
The shapes that come with your shape sorter are new shapes. It is one thing to call something a circle, and another to feel that a circle is round. Put the shapes in front of the newborn during tummy time, or let them hold on to the shapes when they are awake and looking for something to explore.
The bright colors, ridges, and different shapes in the shape sorter provide a fascinating sensory experience for newborns.
One quick safety note: Make sure the shapes in your shape sorter are large enough they won’t be swallowed and they are safe to chew on before giving them to an infant/ baby.
Baby
The child is now reaching for toys and trying to figure out puzzles.
Continue to use the shapes on their own to increase grip strength and dexterity, but introduce small games and decisions.
For example, hand the baby two shapes (one for each hand) and then offer a third. Do they drop one shape to grab the new one? Which hand do they use? Can you encourage them to reach across their body to get the new shape? Can they grab two shapes in one hand?
When they can sit up on their own it is time to introduce the first full shape sorter they will play with: a single shape puzzle. Often this puzzle is just a circle with a knob on it they can use to pull the piece out of the puzzle (click here for instructions to build your own!).
Why a circle? Because there is no wrong way to put it back in.
After the circle puzzle, it is time to progress to a square and then more shapes.
Toddler
When the child has mastered the individual shapes puzzles, it is time to introduce the toy most parents think of when someone says “shape sorter.” This is typically some kind of bucket or stand with shape blocks that can only be fit in one way.
Toddlers can get very frustrated with this toy when it is first introduced, so try reducing the number of shapes. Start by only offering the circle and square. As they get more comfortable, introduce more shape types.
Be sure to say the name of the shape as they are handling it so they learn what the shape is called. Once they know their shapes, you can model two-word phrases by adding in the color. It isn’t just a square, it is a “red square.”
Toddlers should also be introduced to shape puzzles and shape sorter ring stackers.
Try to only have one shape sorter out at a time. That will encourage the child to play with the shape sorters without them feeling old.
As they master each shape sorter, get one that has a lot of shapes and let them figure the puzzle out. The shape sorter pictured above is fantastic for showing mastery, but don’t introduce it too early or the child will get frustrated and give up.
“Big” Kid
Your little one has mastered all the shape sorters and finishes the puzzles in seconds. Time to get rid of them, right?
Wrong!
It is time to get imaginative!
Many plastic shape sorters have a lip on them and they are fantastic for using as stamps in playdough or kinetic sand. The cut-out sand/ playdough can be used to teach composite shapes and introduce patterns.
You can also use them for scavenger hunts. Take a shape with you on a walk and try to find things in your community that are that shape. Hide shapes around the house and build a treasure map to look for them.
Shapes from shape sorters also make great pretend food. They can be imagined as cakes for stuffed animals at a tea party, or be thrown in as extra ingredients in a “soup.”
The shapes could be used as a crown, stacked in a pretend monolith, fashioned as chairs for small stuffed animals, used to designate rooms in a block-house, and a million other things.
As your child progresses to pre-writing and scissor skills, they can be used as tracing templates. Once traced the kids can cut the shape out of the paper.
It is only time to pass your shape sorter on when your child can no longer imagine a use for it. That could be a long time coming, especially if you use your imagination on the shapes as well.
Shape sorters are incredibly versatile.
They help improve dexterity and fine motor skills, provide a sensory experience, teach what each shape is, can be used for learning colors, improve problem-solving skills, and increase imaginative play. They should be included in every young child’s toy box.
Can you think of more uses for a shape sorter? Let me know in the comments below!
Jane
Jane Reid, the primary author of Unprepared Mom and STEM 911, is an educator, tutor, women’s rights advocate, and mom. Here to make your life easier one article at a time.