Geometric Solid Shapes in Real Life

Using the exercise below, take the cube out. Encourage your child to handle and observe the cube.

Now ask your child to look around the house (or classroom) and find other objects that are the same shape as the cube. If you are in a Montessori classroom, this will be an easy task -- e.g. the Pink Tower is comprised of ten cubes. If you are at home, it will be interesting to see what your child finds.

Should some of the objects he or she finds not be cubes but rectangular prisms, for example, you can bring out the rectangular prism and let your child compare and contrast the shapes.

The cube also lends itself to being traced with a pencil. Your child can place the cube down on a piece of paper, trace one side, and then roll it to another side and trace that side again. As interesting patterns form, your child will see more properties of the cube.