Shape Sorting Tubes

A fun, hands-on way to explore shapes, practice sorting and matching and build early math skills through play,

  • Category: Shapes

You’ll Need:

  • A piece of cardboard (as the base)
  • Empty paper towel tubes
  • Paper and markers
  • Glue or tape
  • Scissors

How to Make It:

  1. Before gluing, cut a few small slits on the top of each kitchen paper roll. These little slots will hold the popsicle sticks with the shapes.
  2. Glue or tape 5–6 kitchen paper rolls onto a sturdy cardboard base, lining them up in a row. Let the glue dry fully.
  3. On the base, draw different shapes next to each tube (square, circle, rectangle, triangle, star, etc.).
  4. Cut out matching shapes from paper or cardboard, color them to stand out, and attach each one to a popsicle stick.
  5. Once everything is dry, hand the popsicle stick shapes to your little one. Invite them to match each shape to the correct tube by sliding the stick into the slot.

Why We Love It:

  • Teaches shape recognition in a hands-on way.
  • Encourages sorting and matching skills.
  • Easy to set up with recycled materials!

Creative Tips:

  • Color-code the tubes and shapes for an extra visual cue.
  • Add more shapes (hexagon, oval, diamond) for older kids.
  • Turn it into a timed game: how fast can they sort all the shapes?

Share this Activity

You might also like

This website uses cookies to make sure you get the best experience with us Learn more

Decline
Got it!