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Year 1 Maths

2D Shapes

Let's learn about flat shapes! We will find out their names, count their sides and corners, and spot them all around us.

Meet the Shapes!

2D shapes are flat shapes. They have sides (straight lines) and corners (where sides meet). A circle is special because it has no straight sides!

Circle

0 sides • 0 corners

Perfectly round!

Square

4 sides (all the same) • 4 corners

All sides are equal length!

Triangle

3 sides • 3 corners

"Tri" means three!

Rectangle

4 sides (2 long, 2 short) • 4 corners

Like a stretched square!

Pentagon

5 sides • 5 corners

"Penta" means five!

Hexagon

6 sides • 6 corners

"Hexa" means six!

Sides and Corners

A side is a straight line on a shape. A corner is where two sides meet. Let's count them!

Shape Sides Corners
Circle 0 0
Triangle 3 3
Square 4 4
Rectangle 4 4
Pentagon 5 5
Hexagon 6 6

Spot the Shape!

Shapes are everywhere! Can you think of things that look like these shapes?

Circle

Clock, wheel, plate, coin

Square

Window, tile, dice, cracker

Triangle

Road sign, sandwich half, roof

Rectangle

Door, book, phone, table

Key Vocabulary

Side

A straight line that makes up part of a shape.

Corner (Vertex)

The point where two sides meet. It looks like a pointy bit!

2D

Means flat. A 2D shape has length and width but is not thick like a box.

Curved

A line that bends, not straight. A circle has one curved side.

Worked Examples

1

What shape is this?

Step 1: Count the sides. It has 3 straight sides.

Step 2: Count the corners. It has 3 corners.

Answer: It is a triangle!

2

How is a square different from a rectangle?

Step 1: Both have 4 sides and 4 corners.

Step 2: A square has all sides the same length. A rectangle has 2 long sides and 2 short sides.

Answer: A square is a special rectangle where all sides are equal!

3

Which shape has NO corners?

Step 1: Think about each shape. Triangles have 3 corners. Squares have 4.

Step 2: A circle is round with no straight sides and no corners.

Answer: A circle has no corners!

Knowledge Check

Pick the right answer and click "Check Answer"!

Question 1

What shape is this?

Question 2

How many sides does a triangle have?

Question 3

Which shape is round with NO sides or corners?

Question 4

How many corners does a hexagon have?

Question 5

Which everyday object is shaped like a rectangle?

Key Concepts Summary