TANGRAMS
A tangram is a traditional Chinese puzzle made up of a square cut into 7 different pieces (one parallelogram, one square, and five triangles).
Introducing tangrams in preschool and kindergarten can help young kids develop spatial, geometric, and problem solving skills. The 7 pieces, when fit together, can make a square (as pictured above), but they can also form many other shapes and designs. Inviting children to play, experiment, and create with all seven pieces will allow the children opportunities to develop important critical thinking skills!
TANGRAM TEMPLATE – Bunny Tangram Template
Print the tangram template (linked above) for each of the children and laminate for durability (if laminating supplies are not available, clear contact paper works well too). If desired, transfer the template to heavy paper or cardstock before laminating. Cut out each of the seven shapes. Save the photo of the square above and print it out for the children. Invite the children to arrange the seven shapes into a square by looking at the picture. Note – for younger children, number each of the shapes in the photo/template with the same number. As the children match the numbers, the shapes will form the square. It is fun to observe the children as their confidence grows in re-creating the square.
Make several copies of the tangram template and invite the children to create! It is amazing to see what ideas the children envision and construct.
BUNNY TANGRAMS
Save and print the pictures of the various bunny tangrams in this post. Invite the children to re-create the bunnies using their own tangrams.
Can your children think of other ways to arrange their shapes to make a different animal? We’d love to see photos of the bunnies or other creations your children make! Email them to us at: [email protected] We’ll publish any we receive before Easter!
For MORE Easter activities for learning and play, see the Easter Theme here on the blog!