Geometry Activities for Educators

These hands-on activities will help spark students’ interest in geometry. They're designed for classroom use but can also be done by families or other groups. ESPAÑOL indicates activities that are available in Spanish.

Grade level	Title	Description
K–2	The Four-Square Quilt ESPAÑOL La colcha de cuatro cuadrados	Put triangles together to make patterns. Pon triángulos juntos para hacer patrones.
K–2	String Shapes	Make many-sided shapes with string.
K–2	Exploring Pattern Blocks	See how polygons fit together.
K–2	Exploring Tessellations	Repeating patterns in two and three dimensions.
K–2	Reflections	The symmetry of mirror images.
3–5	Making a Translation Tessellation	Slide a shape to create an unusual tiled pattern.
3–5	Cut-Fold-Staple	Rotate a flat shape into the third dimension.
3–5	Experimenting with Symmetry	See how mirrors reflect the features of a shape.
3–5	Exploring Pattern Blocks ESPAÑOL Explorando patrones de bloques	Combine polygons to make larger shapes. Combina polígonos para hacer formas más grandes.
3–5	Exploring Tessellations ESPAÑOL Explorando teselados	Build repeating patterns, both 2D and 3D. Construye patrones que se repiten, tanto en dos dimensiones como en tres dimensiones.
3–5	Rotating String Shapes	Make multi-sided shapes with string.
6–8	Building Three-Dimensional (3D) Structures	Draw a 3D structure in two dimensions.
6–8	Exploring a Complex Space-Filling Shape	Build your own stellated rhombic dodecahedron.
6–8	Exploring Tessellations	Design unique tiles and make repeating patterns.
6–8	Scaling Cubes	What happens when a cube gets bigger and bigger?
6–8	Soda Can Mirrors	Changing pictures in a curved mirror.
6–8	Beyond Dominoes: Polyominoes	The more squares you add, the more interesting the shapes get.

Outdoor Activities for Educators

This set of activities is written for a class, after school, or other group to do on a playground. They can easily be adapted to be done by families, however, and they can be done at other outdoor locations. Physical exercise and the gamelike nature of the activities make learning geometry fun.

ESPAÑOL indicates activities that are available in Spanish.

Geometry Scavenger Hunt ESPAÑOL Búsqueda del tesoro geométrico	What geometric shapes can you find on the playground? ¿Qué formas geométricas puedes encontrar en el parque de juegos?
Stride Ruler	Use your own two feet to estimate distances.
Measuring and Mapping the Playground	Use a scale factor to create an accurate map.
Handy Measuring Ratio	Use your hand as a tool for indirect measurement.
Pocket Protractor ESPAÑOL Transportador de bolsillo	Measure angles with a tool you can make yourself. Mide ángulos con una herramienta que puedes hacer tú mismo.
Playground Patterns of Cracks ESPAÑOL Patrones de grietas en el parque de juegos	Are some angles more common than others? ¿Algunos ángulos son más comunes que otros?
Angle Hunting	What angles can you find in playground equipment?
Walking Polygons	Investigate the interior angles of polygons with your feet.
Traveling Networks	What’s the rule that tells you whether or not a network can be “traveled’?
Solving Playground Network Problems	Use cooperation and logical thinking to find solutions.