Math Games that Teach Elementary Geometry

How to Help Your Child Succeed in Geometry

As your child progresses through elementary school, he or she will learn about angles, coordinate planes and types of lines. Because math knowledge is cumulative, it is important that your child masters the geometric concepts for each grade level. Use the geometry games below to help your child master concepts in lower and upper elementary school.

Lower Elementary (K-2)

Show Me What You Know

Use household items to help your child identify characteristics of geometric solids. Find items that are cubes, spheres, cones and cylinders and have your child point out identifying features. For example, ask your child to count the number of faces for a tissue box. Challenge your child to locate other household items that would be classified as the same shape.

Match that Shape!

Label index cards with names and drawings of shapes. Spread the cards out on the table face down. Each player will take turns flipping over two cards. If the shape and the name match, the player keeps both cards. If the two cards do not match, they are returned to play. The player with the most cards at the end of the game wins.

Shape Making

Use straws and marshmallows to have your child construct 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional shapes. For starters, you may have your child create shapes that lay flat on the table. As they become more comfortable working with the materials, suggest more difficult shapes for them to create.

This activity could easily be altered to for upper elementary students. For example, have your child plot points using marshmallows and then join the points using straws.

Upper Elementary (3-5)

Make It Symmetrical

Draw or cut out pictures and have your child fold the pictures along the line of symmetry. After folding several pictures, draw half of an object and have your child draw the mirror image. To adjust this activity, challenge your child to draw the first half and you complete the mirror image. Have your child check your work.

Geometry Drawing

Before beginning this activity, review geometric shapes with your child. Have your child draw his or her favorite place using only geometric shapes. Encourage him or her to use as many different shapes as possible. Afterward, ask your child to identify the shapes he or she used to check for understanding.