I'm not sure what makes geoboards so fun, but I've never seen a kid who doesn't like to 'play' with them.
(A geoboard is a flat board with protrusions sticking up on which you can hook rubber bands to make different shapes.)
Since we've been studying Amish culture for a while now, we just had to study quilting along with it, and you can't study quilts without studying plane shapes, so we decided to break out the goaboards and do some shape comparisons.
This is the first time that my kids have officially played with geoboards, so we began with 5 minutes of free play time. This gave them each a chance to explore freely with the materials without having to worry about rules or expectations. It also reduces the wiggles and helps them focus when it's time for the lesson to begin!
Next, I asked them to make each of the plane shapes. Of course, they are each familiar with the basic shapes, but this is a great way for them to focus in on the number of sides and corners that each shape has. It's also a great way to teach symmetry and congruency.
When we had finished with our lesson, My Big Helper went to town. She utilized a variety of sizes and colors of rubber bands to make her very own "quilt square."
Want to make your own geoboards? It's easy!
- Start with a square board.
- Paint it a dark color - this helps the rubber bands show up well.
- Pound in small nails at regular intervals in a grid, being sure to keep the nails in straight lines.
- Voila! Grab some rubber bands and go to town.
What's your favorite way to work with shapes?
Last week Chris from Campfires and Cleats linked up a post about the wide variety of arts her children are participating in. This was encouraging to me because while some were big and official and involved stages and costumes, others used nothing more than empty milk jugs or bits of colored sugar - and big, shiny kid smiles. If you would like to get ideas for ways to incorporate the arts into your homeschool, be sure to check out her post - and Chris, please visit our Inspired Wednesday page and take the "I was featured on
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Our kids are the reasons we do what we do - and one of the most important things that we can do for them is pray. I've been on a quest to learn more about Biblical blessings recently, and I've been blessed by Mark Batterson's newest book Praying Circles Around Your Children. Two entrants below will each win a copy, so enter to win, link up, and hop around. :-)
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I love this idea!! We have geo boards but we have never used them before. I have always been a bit lost as what to do with them. Thank you for this.
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