Triangle Activities for Kids

by Tania K. Cowling

Triangles are everywhere! Take your child on a shape hunt and look for three-sided triangles at home, on the playground and in town. After learning about what a triangle is and its importance in everyday life, have some fun with triangle activities. Challenge your little shape master to make triangles with paper, crayons, tubes, craft sticks and even body parts.

Construct a Triangle

Cut materials, such as drinking straws, pipe cleaners, paper and paper strips into 3-inch lengths. Invite your preschooler to choose three of the same kind of object and glue these to a sheet of construction paper in a triangle shape. Do the same with the other materials. While working, discuss what makes a triangle unique -- it has three sides and three corners.

Add a Stroke

Draw several triangles on paper, leaving off one side of each shape. Challenge your young learner to complete the shapes by drawing lines with crayons or markers.

Body Triangles

Children can create triangles with their bodies. Use both hands connecting the pointer fingers and thumbs to make a triangle. Next, connect both hands over your head with elbows extended outward to make a large triangle shape. Have your kiddo stand with his legs spread apart to show a triangular shape in the space between his legs. Challenge your child to think of other ways to make triangles with his body or work together to make more using two bodies.

Triangle Song

Change the lyrics to “Sing a Song of Sixpence” to make a new song about triangles. “Sing a song of triangles, make it tall and wide. Each one has three corners and each one has three sides. You can turn a triangle many different ways, but no matter how you look at it, a triangle it stays.”

Create a Triangle Tree

Cut cardboard paper towel or toilet tubes into 2-inch rings. Glue or staple the ring together to form a triangular tree shape (four on the bottom row, three next, two on the next row and end with one). Paint the tree green and decorate it for the seasons. Tissue paper wads work well for spring blossoms or fall leaves. Small pom-poms used as ornaments make this triangle into a Christmas tree.

Triangular Bowling

Collect six empty plastic soda bottles with their caps. For fun, add jingle bells inside each bottle. Create a triangle on the floor using masking tape. Have your preschooler set the bottles inside this shape. Take turns rolling a ball to knock down the pins and listen for the jingles. Between rounds, ask your little bowler to reset the pins in the triangle shape you have provided.

About the Author

Tania K. Cowling is a former teacher, a published book author and award-winning freelance writer. Cowling is also certified in medical records technology. She has published many articles online and in regional magazines across the country.