90+ Shape Names for Kids (With Pictures, Examples, Activities & Free Printable Lists)
Our comprehensive guide to shape names for kids includes a list of basic shapes and 3D shapes, as well shape illustrations and explanations, examples of shapes in real life, and so much more!
Learning shapes is an important part of early childhood education because it helps children build foundational math, problem-solving, and spatial reasoning skills they’ll use for years to come. As kids learn shapes names and begin recognizing geometric shapes (mathematical shapes made with lines, curves, angles, and sides) in the world around them, they also strengthen observation, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills.
Using a variety of activities and learning tools, like a shapes chart for kids, hands-on shape games, shapes with examples, and free shape worksheets, can help make learning more engaging while reinforcing important concepts. This comprehensive guide includes beginner shape names for preschoolers and kindergarteners all the way to advanced shape names and unique and wacky shape names that some adults may not even know!
What’s Included in Our Shape Names for Kids
✔ Free printable lists of shape names
✔ Basic shapes, 2D shapes, 3D shapes, unusual shapes
✔ Examples of shapes in real life
✔ Free printable shapes worksheets
✔ Pictures of shapes for kids
✔ Simple definitions of shapes
✔ Shapes for preschoolers, kindergartners, and up
✔ Shapes chart for kids
Basic Shape Names for Toddlers & Preschoolers
These simple shapes are typically the first shapes children learn to recognize and name.
| Circle | Square | Triangle | Rectangle | Star |
| Heart | Oval | Diamond |
Shape Vocabulary & Definitions for Kids
Circle — A circle is a round shape with no corners or straight sides, like a ball or a cookie.
Square — A square has 4 equal sides and 4 corners, like a window or a cracker.
Star — A star is a shape with 5–6 points that stick out, like a starfish or a star on a wand.
Heart — A heart is a shape with 2 round bumps on top and 1 point at the bottom. It’s often used to show love.
Shape Vocabulary & Definitions for Kids
Triangle — A triangle has 3 sides and 3 corners, like a slice of pizza.
Rectangle — A rectangle has 4 sides and 4 corners, with 2 long sides and 2 short sides, like a door or a book.
Oval — An oval is a stretched-out circle, like an egg.
Diamond — A diamond is a shape with 4 corners and 4 sides that slant, like a kite shape.
Shape Names for Kindergarten & Early Elementary
Once children master the basics from above, they often move on to learning the following shapes in kindergarten through second grade.
| Pentagon | Hexagon | Octagon | Rhombus | Trapezoid |
| Parallelogram | Crescent | Semicircle | Cross / Plus | Arrow / Chevron |
Shape Vocabulary & Definitions for Kids
Pentagon — A pentagon is a shape with 5 sides and 5 corners.
Hexagon — A hexagon is a shape with 6 sides and 6 corners.
Octagon — An octagon is a shape with 8 sides and 8 corners.
Shape Vocabulary & Definitions for Kids
Parallelogram — A parallelogram is a shape with 4 sides where the opposite sides are parallel (they run side by side like train tracks) and the same length and the opposite corners are always the same size. Squares and rectangles are parallelograms.
Crescent — A crescent is a curved shape that is thicker in the middle and gets thinner at both ends. It looks similar to a banana or a crescent moon.
Semicircle — A semicircle is half of a circle, like half of a pizza.
Shape Vocabulary & Definitions for Kids
Rhombus — A rhombus is a shape with 4 equal sides that slant like a diamond.
Trapezoid — A trapezoid is a shape with 4 sides and 1 pair of straight sides that are parallel.
Cross/Plus — A cross/plus shape has 2 lines with a center where the lines cross evenly.
Arrow — An arrow is a shape with a point like a triangle or the letter V. It’s often used to show directions.
2D Shape Names for Kids
The shapes listed above are all 2D shapes, which means they’re two-dimensional. Some 2D shapes have straight sides and are called polygons, like triangles, squares, and hexagons. Others have curved sides, like circles and ovals. Whether kids are drawing, coloring, or spotting shapes in their environment, most of the shapes they first learn to recognize are 2D shapes.
| Circle | Square | Triangle | Rectangle | Star |
| Heart | Oval | Diamond | Pentagon | Hexagon |
| Octagon | Rhombus | Trapezoid | Parallelogram | Crescent |
| Semicircle | Cross / Plus | Arrow / Chevron |
What Are 2D Shapes?
A 2D shape is a flat shape that has only two dimensions: length and width. These shapes have no depth or thickness (think of them as shapes you can draw on a piece of paper). 2D shapes are defined by their sides (straight or curved) and their angles.
Everyday Examples of 2D Shapes:
A kite (diamond)
A clock face (circle)
A slice of pizza (triangle)
A yield sign (triangle)
A window (square or rectangle)
3D Shape Names for Kids
Simple 3D shapes are typically introduced in kindergarten. 3D stands for three-dimensional. 3D shapes are sometimes called solid shapes because they aren’t flat. Many 3D shapes are based on 2D shapes. For example, a cube is made up of squares, and a cylinder has circles on its top and bottom.
What Are 3D Shapes?
A 3D shape has three dimensions: length, width, and height (or depth). Unlike flat 2D shapes, 3D shapes take up space and have volume, meaning you can hold them in your hand. 3D shapes have faces (the flat or curved surfaces), edges (where two faces meet), and vertices (the corners or points).
Everyday Examples of 3D Shapes:
A basketball (sphere)
A cereal box (rectangular prism)
An ice cream cone (cone)
A soup can (cylinder)
A set of dice
How Are 2D Shapes Different From 3D Shapes?
2D and 3D shapes are both geometric shapes, which means they are mathematical shapes made with lines, curves, angles, and sides. Both types of shapes have specific names, sides, corners, and/or special features that help us identify them.
The main difference is that 2D shapes are flat and only have length and width, while 3D shapes are solid and have length, width, and height. For example, a square is a flat 2D shape, while a cube is a solid 3D shape. We can find both 2D and 3D shapes everywhere in everyday life, from books and signs to balls, boxes, and buildings.
| 2D Shapes | 3D Shapes | |
| Definition | Flat shapes that have only two dimensions: length and width | Solid objects that have three dimensions: length, width, and height |
| Attributes | Known for having sides, vertices (corners), and area | Known for having faces, edges, and vertices (corners) |
| Dimensions | Length and width | Length, width, and height |
| Appearance | Flat | Solid |
| Has faces? | No (has sides) | Yes |
| Has edges? | No | Yes |
| Has vertices? | Yes (corners) | Yes (corners) |
| Examples | Circle, square, triangle | Sphere, cube, cone |
Basic 3D Shapes for Kindergarten & Early Elementary School
These simple 3D shapes are typically introduced in kindergarten and first grade. Some preschoolers may be ready to start observing the differences between 2D and 3D shapes and learning some of these beginner 3D shapes.
| Sphere | Cube | Cone | Cylinder | Rectangular Prism |
| Triangular Prism | Pyramid |
3D Shape Vocabulary & Definitions for Kids
- Sphere — A sphere is a round 3D shape that looks similar to a ball.
- Cube — A cube is a box-shaped 3D shape with 6 equal square sides.
- Cone — A cone is a 3D shape with a round bottom and a pointed top.
- Cylinder — A cylinder is a 3D shape with two round ends and one curved side.
- Rectangular Prism / Cuboid — A rectangular prism is a 3D shape with rectangular sides.
- Triangular Prism — A triangular prism is a 3D shape with triangle ends and rectangular sides.
- Square Pyramid — A square pyramid is a 3D shape with a square base and triangle sides that meet at a point on top.
3D Shapes for Kids: Intermediate & Advanced
Once children master the basics from above, they can move on to learning the following shapes.
| Triangular Pyramid / Tetrahedron | Square Pyramid | Pentagonal Pyramid | Hexagonal Pyramid | Pentagonal Prism |
| Hexagonal Prism | Octagonal Prism | Hemisphere | Torus | Ellipsoid |
| Ovoid | Frustum | Oblique Cylinder | Oblique Cone |
3D Shape Vocabulary & Definitions for Kids
- Triangular Pyramid (Tetrahedron) — A triangular pyramid is a 3D shape with triangle sides and a triangle bottom.
- Square Pyramid — A square pyramid is a 3D shape with a square bottom and triangle sides that meet at a point.
- Pentagonal Pyramid — A pentagonal pyramid is a 3D shape with a 5-sided bottom and triangle sides that meet at a point.
- Hexagonal Pyramid — A hexagonal pyramid is a 3D shape with a 6-sided bottom and triangle sides that meet at a point.
- Pentagonal Prism — A pentagonal prism is a 3D shape with two 5-sided ends connected by flat sides.
- Hexagonal Prism — A hexagonal prism is a 3D shape with two 6-sided ends connected by flat sides.
- Octagonal Prism — An octagonal prism is a 3D shape with two 8-sided ends connected by flat sides.
3D Shape Vocabulary & Definitions for Kids
- Hemisphere (Half Sphere) — A hemisphere is half of a round sphere, like half of a ball.
- Torus (Donut) — A torus is a round 3D shape with a hole in the middle, like a donut.
- Ellipsoid (Stretched Sphere) — An ellipsoid is a round shape stretched longer in one direction.
- Ovoid (Egg Shape) — An ovoid is a rounded 3D shape shaped like an egg.
- Frustum (Cone with Top Cut Off) — A frustum is a cone shape with the pointed top cut off.
- Oblique Cylinder — An oblique cylinder is a cylinder that leans to one side instead of standing straight up.
- Oblique Cone — An oblique cone is a cone that leans to one side instead of pointing straight up.
More Shape Names for Kids
Types of Triangles
Once children have a good understanding of a basic triangle, they can move on to learning about different types of triangles.
| Triangle Type | Description |
| Equilateral Triangle | Three equal sides, all angles 60º |
| Isosceles Triangle | Two equal sides, two equal angles |
| Scalene Triangle | No equal sides or angles |
| Right Triangle | Has one 90° angle |
| Acute Triangle | All angles less than 90° |
| Obtuse Triangle | One angle greater than 90° |
Types of Polygons
A polygon is a flat, two-dimensional geometric shape formed by three or more straight lines that are connected. Triangles and squares are both examples of polygons.
Polygon Names by Number of Sides
| # of Sides | Shape Name |
| 3 | Triangle / Trigon |
| 4 | Quadrilateral / Tetragon |
| 5 | Pentagon |
| 6 | Hexagon |
| 7 | Heptagon / Septagon |
| 8 | Octagon |
| 9 | Nonagon / Enneagon |
| 10 | Decagon |
| 11 | Hendecagon / Undecagon |
| 12 | Dodecagon |
| 13 | Tridecagon |
| 14 | Tetradecagon |
| 15 | Pentadecagon |
| 16 | Hexadecagon |
| 17 | Heptadecagon |
| 18 | Octadecagon |
| 19 | Enneadecagon |
| 20 | Icosagon |
| 30 | Triacontagon |
| 40 | Tetracontagon |
| 50 | Pentacontagon |
| 100 | Hectogon |
| 1,000 | Chiliagon |
| 10,000 | Myriagon |
| 1,000,000 | Megagon |
Types of Quadrilaterals (4-Sided Shapes)
A quadrilateral is a 2D shape with four straight sides, four angles, and four vertices (points). The sum of their interior angles is always 360º.
| Square | Rectangle | Rhombus | Parallelogram | Trapezoid / Trapezium |
| Kite | Dart | Oblong | Irregular Quadrilateral |
- Square — A square is a shape with 4 equal sides and 4 corners.
- Rectangle — A rectangle is a shape with 4 sides and 4 corners, with two long sides and two short sides.
- Rhombus — A rhombus is a shape with 4 equal sides that slant like a diamond.
- Parallelogram — A parallelogram is a shape with opposite sides that are the same length and never cross.
- Trapezoid / Trapezium — A trapezoid is a shape with 4 sides and one pair of sides that stay the same distance apart.
- Kite — A kite is a shape with 4 sides where two pairs of sides are the same length.
- Dart — A dart is a kite-like shape with one side pointing inward.
- Oblong — An oblong is a long rectangle shape with stretched sides.
- Irregular Quadrilateral — An irregular quadrilateral is a 4-sided shape where the sides and angles are not all the same.
More Shape Learning Activities from ABCmouse
Free Printable Shape Activities
100+ Shape Worksheets for Preschool–2nd Grade
These printable worksheets cover it all (tracing, identifying, matching, drawing, and real-world shape activities), making it easy and fun for kids at every level to build their shape skills!
Shape Coloring Pages for Kids
Help children learn all the basic shapes with our shapes coloring pages, featuring circles, stars, squares, ovals, hearts, triangles, and rectangles.
Engaging Shape Activities for Preschoolers and Kindergarteners
Help kids build early geometry and visual recognition skills with these fun and engaging shape activities for preschoolers and kindergarteners. From shape bingo and scavenger hunts to coloring pages, crafts, games, and hands-on sensory play, these activities make learning shapes exciting while supporting fine motor development, creativity, and early math readiness.
Free-to-Play Digital Shape Games
Rainbow Traceable: Triangle
Work on identifying and creating the shape of a triangle as kids leave a colorful rainbow trail as they trace.
Making 3D Shapes with Ivan
Practice shape recognition by helping Ivan form new 3D shapes from standard 2D shapes using his shape machine.
Fun Free Shape Videos
Fun Shape Song for Kids by ABCmouse
Join ABC and the Shapies in this fun and catchy shapes song where shapes come together to make something new! From houses and trees to cars and even rockets, kids will discover how simple shapes can combine to create amazing things.
Shawna’s 3D Shapes by ABCmouse
Sing along to Shawna’s 3D Shapes as she sings about six three-dimensional shapes (the sphere, cube, rectangular prism, cone, cylinder, and pyramid) and points out common objects featuring these shapes.
