The big top

Create picture collages with shapes of assorted sizes and colors. Use foam shapes, or use colored construction paper to cut out different sized circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, diamonds and pentagons. Work with your child to create a picture book of collages on a theme, such as The Circus. Challenge your child to make the big top tent from the shapes, then a clown’s face, a lion, an elephant or even a trapeze artist. As you create each collage, talk together about the attributes of different shapes and why certain shapes are appropriate to create certain images. Choose any theme that interests your child—Dinosaur Land, The Zoo, Princess Castle or others.