2D Shapes Teaching Resources
Bring dimension to 2D shapes for primary students with printable worksheets, digital activities, maths games and more — created by teachers for teachers!
This comprehensive collection of teaching resources includes editable lessons on two-dimensional shapes, aligned to the Australian curriculum and ready to be printed and used in the classroom. Explore the entire collection to find educational games, geometric activities, posters and vocabulary word wall cards to assist your students when they are learning to identify 2D figures by their names and their attributes.
Teaching this part of the maths curriculum for the first time in a while? Read on for a primer from the teachers on the Teach Starter team.
What Are 2D Shapes?
Two-dimensional shapes, or 2D shapes, are shapes that have only length and width, but no depth. Each of these geometric shapes has its own unique characteristics and properties, such as the number of sides, the types of angles and the relationship between the sides and angles.
For example, a square has four equal sides and four right angles, while a circle has no sides and no angles.
Teaching about 2D geometric shapes is crucial in those early years classrooms as these are the building blocks of more complex geometric concepts. Understanding them is an important foundation for developing spatial reasoning skills. It will also lay the groundwork for learning about symmetry, angles and perimeter and area, among other geometry and measurement concepts.
2D Shapes — A Kid-Friendly Definition
Looking to provide a simple definition for your primary students? Here's a kid-friendly definition you can use:
A 2D shape is a flat shape that has only two dimensions — length and width. When something is two-dimensional, it's flat like a drawing or a picture on a piece of paper.
Understanding 2D shapes is important because it helps us recognise and describe the shapes we see around us, and it can also help us with math and other subjects.
2D Shape Examples
A definition is a good start, but providing concrete examples will help students begin to wrap their heads around these two dimensional-objects!
Let's look at some of the common examples of 2D shapes that we teach in the early years:
Square
A square is a 2D shape with four straight sides that are all equal in length and four right angles. It is a type of rectangle and a type of parallelogram.
Rectangle
A rectangle is a 2-dimensional shape that has four straight sides. Unlike a square, a rectangle has two sides that are longer than the other two. It has four right angles and opposite sides that are parallel and equal in length.
Parallelogram
Like a rectangle and square, the parallelogram has four sides and is considered a 2D shape. The four straight sides of a parallelogram are parallel to each other. Opposite sides of a parallelogram are equal in length, and opposite angles are equal in measure. Squares, rectangles and rhombuses are all examples of parallelograms.
Trapezium
A trapezium (or trapezoid) is a quadrilateral shape with two parallel sides and two non-parallel sides. The parallel sides are called the bases of the trapezium, and the non-parallel sides are called the legs. Even though a trapezium has four sides, it is not a parallelogram!
Triangle
A triangle is a two-dimensional shape that has three straight sides and three angles. The angles of a triangle always add up to 180 degrees.
Circle
A circle is a 2D geometric shape that is round and has no straight sides. It is defined as the set of all points in a plane that are at a fixed distance (called the radius) from a single point (called the center).
Ellipse
An ellipse is a 2D shape that is similar to a circle, but its shape is stretched out or elongated. It is defined as the set of all points in a plane whose distances from two fixed points (called the foci) add up to a constant value.
Pentagon
A pentagon is a 2D shape that has five straight sides and five angles. The word 'pentagon' comes from the Greek words 'penta' (meaning 'five') and 'gonia' (meaning 'angle'). Each angle of a regular pentagon measures 108 degrees, and the sum of the angles in a pentagon is 540 degrees.
Hexagon
A hexagon is a 2D shape that has six straight sides and six angles. Each angle of a hexagon measures 120 degrees, and the sum of the angles in a hexagon is 720 degrees. Snowflakes are a common example of hexagons found in nature, and so is the honeycomb!
Rhombus
A rhombus is a 2D shape with four straight sides that are all equal in length. It is a type of parallelogram, and it has opposite angles that are equal in measure.
Octagon
An octagon is an eight-sided 2D shape. A stop sign is an octagon that students might recognise from seeing it along the road on the way to school.
Quadrilateral
A quadrilateral is a 2D shape with four sides and four angles. The sum of the interior angles of a quadrilateral is always 360 degrees. The following are all examples of quadrilaterals:
- Square
- Rectangle
- Parallelogram
- Trapezium
- Rhombus
What Are Polygons?
Many of the 2D shapes that students learn about are polygons.
A polygon is a 2D shape that has three or more straight sides and angles. Polygons can have any number of sides, but they must be straight, and they must not cross each other.
The word 'polygon' comes from the Greek words 'poly' (which means 'many') and 'gonia' (which means 'angle').
Here are some common examples of polygons:
- Triangles
- Squares
- Rectangles
- Pentagons
- Hexagons
- Octagons
A circle and an ellipse are both 2D shapes, but they are not polygons. They have a curved shape, while polygons consist of a closed structure with sides.
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Monster Right Angle Finder Template
Help your students identify right angles in the environment with this monster-inspired right angle finder.
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Angles in the Environment Worksheet
Help your students identify acute, right and obtuse angles in the environment with this differentiated worksheet.
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Guess the Angle Board Game - The Case of the Missing Degrees
Engage your students with our 'Guess the Angle' board game that will have them estimating and measuring angles as they make their way to the finish.
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Lines of Symmetry Teaching Slides
Introduce your students to the concept of lines of symmetry using this comprehensive and easy-to-understand 12-slide teaching presentation!
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We're Going On a Shape Hunt! Graphing Game
Consolidate students' knowledge of 2D shapes while teaching about data collection, recording and graphing!
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2D Shape Match
A fun match-up activity to consolidate your students’ knowledge of 2D shapes and their properties.
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2D Shapes and 3D Objects - Cut and Paste Worksheet
Learn the difference between 2D shapes and 3D objects with this cut-and-paste worksheet.
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Build a City Activity
Engage your learners with this cross-curricular build a city activity that invites them to create a digital city all their own.
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Colour by 2D Shape (Basic and Complex Shapes)
A detailed set of colour by shape activities.
- Free Plan
Angles at a Point – Year 6 Maths Worksheet
Identify and calculate angles at a point with this one-page maths worksheet.
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Geometric Reasoning Worksheets - Year 3
2 geometric reasoning worksheets linked to the Australian Curriculum.
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Busy Binder - Morning Work Pages for Kindergarten
Review daily calendar, maths, literacy, and fine motor skills with a printable morning work pages for kindergarten!
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Tessellation Poster
Making tessellating patterns is fun!
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Tangram Treats – Task Cards and Templates
Explore the properties of geometric shapes with this set of scaffolded tangram shapes task cards and cut-out tangram templates.
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Pattern Block Design Cards
Build shape recognition and have fun building composite figures with Pattern Block Design Cards.
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Classifying Shapes Activity — Number Talk Cards
Spark discussion with this classifying shapes activity that will have students identifying the attributes of 2D shapes.
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Line and Rotational Symmetry Sorting Activity
Have your students determine whether each object has line symmetry, rotational symmetry, or no symmetry, with this fun cut and paste worksheet.
- Free Plan
Colouring 2D Shapes Worksheet
A worksheet to consolidate students' understanding of rectangles, squares, circles and triangles.
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Measuring and Classifying Angles Activity
Introduce this measuring and classifying angles matching activity to your students to give them engaging, hands-on practice with key geometry concepts.
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Parallel and Perpendicular Lines PPT — Teaching Slides
Download this parallel and perpendicular lines PPT to engage your students as you teach them about different line types!
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Colour by Missing Angles Worksheets
Get students to find the size of missing angles on right angles, straight angles and angles at a point with this maths worksheet with a difference!
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Measuring Angles in Images Worksheets
Get your students using their protractors to measure acute, obtuse, right, straight and reflex angles with this set of differentiated angles worksheets.
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Right Angle Turn Patterns Worksheet
Teach your students to make shape patterns using right angle turns with this differentiated maths worksheet for Year 3 students.
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2D Shape Maths Investigation - My Crazy Cubby House!
A mathematics investigation involving 2D shape, embedded in a real-world context.
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Supplementary Angles – Year 6 Maths Worksheet
Teach your students to identify and calculate supplementary angles with this one-page maths worksheet.
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Geometric Reasoning Worksheets - Year 4
2 geometric reasoning worksheets linked to the Australian Curriculum.
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Parallel and Perpendicular Lines Activity — Escape Room
Engage your students with this parallel and perpendicular lines activity that encourages cooperation and problem solving to escape!
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Is It a Line of Symmetry? Worksheets
Assign this lines of symmetry worksheet to your students to check their understanding of the existence of a line of symmetry on various 2D shapes.
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Angles Bingo
Generate excitement about angles in your classroom by playing this whole-class types of angles bingo game.
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Identifying and Naming Angles – Cut-and-Paste Worksheet
Identify acute, right, obtuse, straight, reflex and revolution angles with this cut-and-paste sorting worksheet.
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Right Angle Turns: Spin and Win! – Interactive Game
Get your Year 3 students spinning to win with this engaging digital maths game about right angles as measures of a turn.
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Angles in Our Environment Teaching Slides
Explore angles in the environment using this comprehensive teaching presentation for Year 3 students.
- 2D Shapes Worksheets
- 2D Shapes Games
- 2D Shapes Posters
- 2D Shapes Teaching Presentations
- 2D Shapes Templates
- 2D Shapes for Preschool/Kindergarten
- 2D Shapes for Foundation Year
- 2D Shapes for Year 1
- 2D Shapes for Year 2
- 2D Shapes for Year 3
- 2D Shapes for Year 4
- 2D Shapes for Year 5
- 2D Shapes for Year 6
- 2D Shapes for Year 7