This is seriously cool. It’s a simple DIY shape puzzle for babies and toddlers. It is so easy to make and little ones will play with it over and over again! It focuses their attention on matching basic shapes and the properties or characteristics of that shape. As they experiment, they are also build their skills to make comparisons and developing one to one correspondence. Oh and lets not forget the rich language you’ll use about shapes and colours when your baby or toddler plays with it. 

Boo (1.5 years) could seriously not get enough of this puzzle game I made from her. Yes, we even had a tantrum when it was time for dinner and it had to be put away for the night. She loved it so much, which was wonderful because it was ridiculously simple to make and she was learning so much from using it. I really do hope you get a space 5 minutes to whip up one for yourself! 

Recommended age: 18 months + 
(Strict and active supervision is required on all my crafts and activities)

Simple DIY shape puzzle for babies and toddlers

To make your simple matching puzzle game you will need – 

• Cardboard
• Coloured paper
• Pen
• Scissors
• Items to trace around (cookie cutter etc)

Simply trace some basic shapes onto the cardboard and again on a separate coloured piece of paper. Cut out the shapes on the coloured paper and they become the shape puzzle pieces. Seriously, who needs to spend money on store bought puzzles when you can make these!

How to teach children about shapes

Children can learn about shapes through engaging in activities and listening to the language used to describe them. It’s always a good idea to start slowly and introduce the basic shapes (circle, square, triangle etc) before introducing any of the more complex shapes (oval, oblong, hexagon etc) when they are ready. 

Other activities that explore shapes might include –

• Finding shapes in our environment
• Guessing games based on clues
• Drawing
• Yoga and more! 

This simple shape puzzle activity was wonderful because it encouraged Boo to really focus on the shape of the shape and how it was presented on the cardboard. She did go to some effort to ensure they were well positioned over the traced shape.

Mixing it Up!

Boo absolutely loved when I asked her to turn around or close her eyes and I would mix up all the shapes already positioned on the cardboard. The circle would be on the square shape, the rectangle was over the triangle. It was her job to fix all my mistakes and make it right. 

T his is a really great (and super simple) puzzle to make for your baby or toddler. It gets them to learn how to complete a task, understand more about shapes and colours and build on their skills to make comparisons and problem solve. 

Would your child enjoy this puzzle? 

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