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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Colour by 2D Shape (Easter Egg)
An Easter-themed colour by 2D shape activity.
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Sorting 2D Shapes and 3D Objects (Pot of Gold Theme)
Sort coins that feature 2D shapes and 3D objects into their corresponding pots with a St. Patricks Day theme!
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All About Triangles Mini Booklet
A mini booklet to assist younger students in recognising and drawing triangles.
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Advanced Angles Teaching Slides
Teach your students about advanced angle types with this teaching presentation perfect for upper primary school maths lessons.
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2D Shape Puppet Templates
Use these cute shape puppets when discussing 2D shape names and their properties to your students.
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Geometric Reasoning Worksheets - Year 4
2 geometric reasoning worksheets linked to the Australian Curriculum.
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What's My Card? Shape Board Game
Consolidate knowledge of 2d shapes and 3D objects with a game of shape Guess Who!
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Parallel and Perpendicular Lines in Shapes Sorting Activity
Identify parallel and perpendicular lines in shapes in this engaging sorting activity!
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2D Shapes Flashcards
Use these 2D shapes flashcards to help familiarise your students with the most common two-dimensional shapes.
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Christmas Angles Worksheets
Identify acute, obtuse, and right angles with a Christmas Angle Worksheet for Year 4.
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Christmas Colouring By Number - 2D and 3D Shapes Worksheet
Practise classifying 2D and 3D shapes with a printable Christmas colouring-by-number worksheet.
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Christmas Maths - Properties of Shapes Task Cards
Combine Christmas and maths with these 2D and 3D Shape Christmas Maths Activity Task Cards for Year 4.
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Year 4 Geometry Christmas Game- Classifying Shapes
Identify 2D and 3D shapes and their attributes with an exciting Christmas Geometry Game!
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Angle Word Problems Teaching Slides
Help your students tackle angle word problems with ease using this step-by-step problem-solving guide.
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Angles in Our Environment Interactive Game
Bring an extra dimension of fun into your Year 3 maths classroom with an interactive game exploring angles in the environment.
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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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Understanding Angles – Word Wall Vocabulary Cards
Promote maths vocabulary development with this set of 15 vocabulary cards focusing on angles.
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Dr. Mae Jemison - Cut and Paste Activity
Help your early years students learn about Dr Mae Jemison with a fun craft activity.
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2D Shapes Similarities and Differences Presentation
Support teacher instruction to help enable students to identify similarities and differences between 2-D shapes with this 18-slide deck.
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Missing Angle Small Group Bingo
Practise how to find the measurement of a missing angle with this small group bingo game.
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Printable Angle Maker Template
Create and classify some angles with this hands-on printable that is super fun to use.
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Shape Seekers PowerPoint
An interactive 162-slide PowerPoint that follows the story of a professor and their new invention that turns 2D shapes into 3D objects.
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2D Shape Match-up Puzzles
A set of puzzles that match up 2D shapes and their properties.
- Free Plan
2D Shapes Dominoes
A set of dominoes to help students consolidate their understanding of 2D shapes.
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Let's Spin - Shapes Spinner Activity
Use this colourful 2D shape spinner resource to in whole-class or small-group active learning games.
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All About Squares Mini Booklet
A mini booklet to assist younger students in recognising and drawing squares.
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All About Rectangles Mini Booklet
A mini booklet to assist younger students in recognising and drawing rectangles.
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Advanced Angles Factsheet
Teach your students about angles and their properties with with this easy reference fact sheet.
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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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Individual 2D Shapes Posters - BW
2D Shapes and their names, diagrams and properties on individual posters.
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2D Shapes Blue Print Poster
2D Shapes and their names on one poster.
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Parallel and Perpendicular Lines Quiz
Administer this parallel and perpendicular lines quiz to assess your students’ ability to identify types of line pairs in a variety of settings.
- 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