Circle, Square and Triangle

When a line goes all the way around and meets itself, it makes a shape. Three shapes help us draw almost anything: the circle, the square and the triangle.

A circle has no corners. A square has 4 equal sides and 4 corners. A triangle has 3 sides and 3 corners.

Key idea

Count the corners: a circle has 0, a triangle has 3, and a square has 4.

Why it works

Big drawings are made of simple shapes. A house is a square with a triangle on top. A snowman is three circles.

A house, one shape at a time. Tap Next.

Common mistake

When a square is turned on its corner, some children think it is a new shape. Turning a shape does not change it: it still has 4 equal sides and 4 corners.

Both of these are squares. The second one is just turned.

Worked example: Let's look

How many corners does a triangle have?

Touch each corner and count: one, two, three.

Answer: 3 corners.

Trace the triangle. Then try a circle and a square of your own.

The Math Ladder's Kindergarten course has more about naming and building flat shapes.

Circle, Square and Triangle

Practice

Builds on

Leads to

Sources and further reading