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Shapes around us

Meet circles, squares, rectangles and triangles, count their sides and corners, and spot solid shapes at home.

Get the whole book: Maths for classes 1 and 2 (4 lessons, free to print)

Let us begin

The big idea

Look around you. A roti, a window and a samosa all have shapes. Let us learn the names of the shapes and how to tell them apart.

A circle is round. It has no corners and no straight sides. A roti, a coin and a bangle look like circles.

A square has 4 sides that are all the same length and 4 corners. A chessboard square is a good example.

A rectangle has 4 sides and 4 corners too. Two sides are long and two sides are short. A door, a book and a blackboard are rectangles.

A triangle has 3 sides and 3 corners. Some bread slices and the top of a roof look like triangles.

Some shapes are solid. A ball is a sphere. A dice is a cube. A matchbox is a cuboid. A tin can is a cylinder. An ice-cream cone is a cone.

Four flat shapesFour shapes in a row: a circle, a square, a rectangle and a triangle. Under each one are its name, the number of sides and the number of corners. Circle round no corners Square 4 equal sides 4 corners Rectangle 4 sides 4 corners Triangle 3 sides 3 corners A roti is a circle. A book is a rectangle.
Circle, square, rectangle and triangle, with their sides and corners.

Worked examples

See how it works

  1. Which shape is it?

    A cricket ball seen from the front looks like a circle. A window looks like a rectangle. A tile on the floor often looks like a square. A samosa seen from the side looks like a triangle.

  2. Counting sides and corners

    Triangle: 3 sides and 3 corners. Square: 4 sides and 4 corners. Rectangle: 4 sides and 4 corners. Circle: no straight sides and no corners.

  3. Solid shapes at home

    A cricket ball is a sphere. A dice is a cube. A tin of ghee is a cylinder. A birthday cap is a cone. A matchbox is a cuboid.

Try it at home

Shape hunt

You will need

  • Paper
  • A pencil
  • Things around your home such as a plate, a book, a tile and a ball

What to do

  1. Draw four boxes on your paper and write circle, square, rectangle and triangle above them.
  2. Walk around your home and look for things with each shape.
  3. Draw or write the name of each thing you find in the right box.
  4. Count how many things you found for each shape.
  5. Find three solid shapes as well, such as a ball, a dice and a tin.

Ask a grown-up: An adult can read out the shape names and help with spelling. No need to touch anything sharp or high up.

Fun fact

The little cells of a honeycomb are hexagons, shapes with six sides.

Practice sheet

Check what you learned

Write your answers in a notebook, or print this sheet and write on it. When you finish, mark your work with the answer key.

Practice sheet: Shapes around us (Classes 1-2, Maths)

  1. How many sides does a triangle have?
  2. How many corners does a square have?
  3. Which shape has no corners?
  4. A cricket ball looks like which solid shape?
  5. A dice has the shape of which solid?
  6. What is the shape of a roti?
  7. Which has 4 equal sides: a rectangle or a square?
  8. A tin can looks like which solid shape?
  9. How many sides does a rectangle have?
  10. Name two things in your home that look like a rectangle.

Answer key

Answers: Shapes around us

Do the practice sheet first, then check here. If an answer is different from yours, read the lesson again and try once more.

  1. 3
  2. 4
  3. A circle.
  4. A sphere.
  5. A cube.
  6. A circle.
  7. A square. In a rectangle only the opposite sides are equal.
  8. A cylinder.
  9. 4 (two long sides and two short sides).
  10. Many answers are right, for example a door, a book, a window or a notebook.

What next

Keep learning

Get the whole book

All 4 maths lessons for classes 1 and 2 on one page, with every practice sheet and answer key, ready to print.

Maths for classes 1 and 2

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