Published May 27, 2026 Written by Rebecca Smith

Early years activity: We’re Going on a Shape Hunt

Support children to develop positive attitudes and interests in mathematics through engaging activities to explore shape.

Our activity takes children into their local community to identify shapes in a familiar environment.

We’re Going on a Shape Hunt learning aims

Use mathematical language
Identify 2D and 3D shapes
Compare a range of shapes
Use a camera to photograph identified shapes (optional).

Resources you will need for this activity

Planned safe route for the observational walk
Camera (optional)
2D shapes for comparison.

We’re Going on a Shape Hunt activity outline

Gather children and talk to them about the shapes they know. Ask if they can see any shapes in the environment you are in. Encourage children to explore and point out any shapes they can see, for example, rectangular windows, a circle shaped clock
Explain to children that they are mathematicians who are going to hunt for shapes in their local environment. Their task is to see how many different shapes they can find
Create your own rhyme to sing with the children, for example:
“We’re going on a shape hunt, we’re mathematicians,
Got to look up, got to look down, got to look all around”
Carry out your shape hunt. Point out key features of shapes, for example, “It’s a square, I can see it has four corners” or “It might be a triangle, let’s see if it has 3 sides”
Use positional language, for example, “The circle is just above the square shape” or “The circle is inside the square”
Use your 2D shapes for comparison, so children can match shapes in the environment with familiar shapes from the setting
Introduce mathematical language where possible, talking about size, symmetry and pattern.

How to extend this activity

Encourage parents to look for shapes during their journey to and from the setting
If you took photos on your walk, invite the children to create a display of shapes they found during your shape hunt.

NDNA products to support you with this activity

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Disclaimer: Activities with children must always be risk assessed, including for allergies or choking. Children must always have adequate supervision. Resources and materials must always be appropriate for children’s age and stage of development.

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