Children are born with the ability to recognize differences between objects. Texture, shape, smell, and taste all play a part in allowing your little one to make sense of their world, and the items that comprise it. Applying labels to these items proves a difficult feat, as your little ones grasp to apply meaning to a seemingly endless supply of words that may leave them frustrated and stuck.

Fortunately, our world provides many opportunities to learn about what things look like, and the shapes they take! With this in mind, we decided to approach the complex world of two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects.  Using pineapples, magna-tiles, and our thinking minds, we created a variety of different sized pyramids, conferring with one another on their length, and striving to build the tallest structures that gravity would allow us!

We began our activity with a discussion of items that resemble a pyramid. Some of the times we came up with included the tops of houses and Christmas trees. Using a “grab bag”, each student pulled out a pyramid-shaped object that we talked about. Following this, everyone was given a few magna-tiles that they were encouraged to fit into the shape of a pyramid. Lastly, we created our very own pyramids out of pineapples! When teaching young children about these items, it is imperative that they use their sense of touch to associate the difference between two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects. As they do this, they can apply their understanding of new vocabulary and utilize it as a means to differentiate the many items they encounter within their environments!