Shapes and angles
Year 1 · Maths
Explore numbers, spot patterns and explain how you worked it out.
Choose a game
Take your time, try a game and collect stars.
2-D and 3-D shapes
Match each 2-D and 3-D shape to its name, from triangles and hexagons to cones and cylinders.
Play 2-D and 3-D shapesShape hunt: 3-D shapes in everyday objects
Is a tin of beans a cylinder or a cuboid? Sort everyday objects by their 3-D shape in this
Play Shape hunt: 3-D shapes in everyday objects
Learning about shapes and angles
These Year 1 Maths games practise 2-D and 3-D shapes, Shape hunt: 3-D shapes in everyday objects. Choose a game above for a short activity, or explore the examples below before you play. The full guide for each game explains its controls, gives more examples and includes a free printable for practice away from the screen.
Talk it through
Use counters, a drawing or a number line before moving to a mental method. Ask your child to explain a choice, then change one number and try the method again.
Ask: “How could you show the same answer another way?” Give your child time to explain. Return to an example after playing and ask whether they would approach it differently.
2-D and 3-D shapes
Year 1 pupils learn to recognise and name common 2-D and 3-D shapes. 2-D shapes are flat, such as triangles, squares, rectangles and circles. 3-D shapes are solid, such as cubes, cuboids, spheres, cylinders, cones and pyramids.
Try an example: Which shape is flat with 3 straight sides and 3 corners?
Flat, 3 sides.
Show the answer
triangle
What to look out for
Calling a cube a square. A square is flat. A cube is solid and has 6 square faces.
Shape hunt: 3-D shapes in everyday objects
Spotting shapes in everyday objects is one of the best ways for Year 1 pupils to learn the names of 3-D shapes. A football is a sphere, a dice is a cube, a cereal box is a cuboid, a tin of beans is a cylinder and a traffic cone is a cone.
Try an example: What shape is a glue stick most like?
It has a circle at each end and a curved side.
Show the answer
cylinder
What to look out for
Calling every box a cube. Check the faces. If they are all squares it is a cube; if some are rectangles it is a cuboid.
Read the full Shape hunt: 3-D shapes in everyday objects guide
Practise away from the screen
- Go on a shape hunt at home or in the park and name the shapes you find.
- Hunt for spheres, cubes, cuboids and cylinders in the kitchen cupboard.
Curriculum connections
These games support selected practice connected to Properties of shapes in the National Curriculum in England. Use your school’s sequence to decide when to introduce and revisit each skill. A game covers selected examples, rather than assessing every requirement.
Questions families ask
Where should we start with shapes and angles?
Start with 2-D and 3-D shapes. Look at the worked example together, then try a round. If the task feels unfamiliar, use the full game guide or its free printable before trying again.
Does this cover everything taught at this level?
No. This page brings together the games currently available for this topic. It supports selected skills and does not replace the full programme of study or practical teaching.