What are Shapes? [Definition, Facts & Example]

What are Shapes?

In geometry, a shape can be defined as the form of an object or its outline, outer boundary or outer surface.

Everything we see in the world around us has a shape. We can find different basic shapes such as the two-dimensional square, rectangle, and oval or the three-dimensional rectangular prism, cylinder, and sphere in the objects we see around us. These geometric shapes appear in objects we see as credit cards, bills and coins, finger rings, photo frames, dart boards, huts, windows, magician’s wands, tall buildings, flower pots, toy trains, and balloons.

Shapes around us in the real world

Different Types of Shapes

Shapes can be classified into open and closed shapes.

Types of shapes-open shapes closed shapes

Closed geometric shapes can further be put into two broad categories, namely two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes.

Types of shapes – 2D two-dimensional and 3D three-dimensional shape

Here’s a list of 2-D or two-dimensional shapes with their names and pictures:

Two-Dimensional Geometric Shapes

Name of the shape :	Picture of the shape :
Circle
Semi - circle
Oval
Triangle
Square
Rectangle
Parallelogram
Rhombus
Trapezium
Kite
Pentagon
Hexagon
Heptagon
Octagon
Nonagon
Decagon

Here’s a list of 3-D or three-dimensional shapes with their names and pictures:

Three-Dimensional Geometric Shapes

Name of the shape :	Picture of the shape :
Sphere
Cube
Cuboid or Rectangular Prism
Cone
Cylinder

The color, overall size, and orientation, called the non-defining attributes of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional shape, do not define or affect the shape in any way. These attributes can change without any effect on the shape.

On the other hand, defining attributes such as the number of sides (parallel or non-parallel, straight or curved), vertices, edges and faces of a shape, whether the shape is open or closed, and the angle measures determine the shape of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional object. Any change in these defining attributes will change the shape.

Fun Facts

All three-dimensional shapes are made up of two-dimensional shapes.

Let's sing!

A wizard’s cape.

A curtain’s drape.

A sour little grape.

An electrician’s tape.

And, a naughty baby ape.

What’s common in ‘em?

They all have a shape.

Let's do it!

Instead of handing out math shape-coloring worksheets to your preschoolers and kids, play the game “show me” with them. You can ask them to show you everyday objects that have the two-dimensional or three-dimensional shape you name. Or, you can also show them different objects and ask them to identify the two-dimensional or three-dimensional shape they see in them.

You can also give your kids playdough and matchsticks to create two-dimensional or three-dimensional shapes. Model it for them.