Shape Smashing . 2D and 3D shape creation task . hands on & fun math !

This is such an engaging, hands-on way for kids to think about 3D & 2D shapes. You could display this on the board or give each child or group a copy of this sheet.

Here’s how I used it:
(note: before you give kids the task, it would be good to give them 5 minutes to just free play with the playdoh and make whatever they want… just so they can get that out of their system and explore it)
I modeled exactly what I wanted kids to do. They watched as I shaped and smashed. We talked about tips and tricks like how to roll the sphere on the table or in between your hands, how to roll a “snake” to start the cylinder, etc. We talked about how to keep the playdoh on the tables vs the floor/carpet.
I gave them each a small ball of playdoh (like 1/3 of a can… you could do more or less) and set them free. They created the 3D shape (I gave them each a popsicle stick to help shape edges, etc.).
Then they gently smashed the shape flat and used the stick and/or their fingers to fix up corners and edges and create the flat 2D shape. As they worked I walked around and asked what kinds of shapes they were making and made comments like, “Wow, awesome sphere!” to help them think about what they were doing.
If they finished early, they could work on the BONUS shapes at the bottom. It was a SUPER fun!