Learning through Play: CARS // Shapes

by | Mar 8, 2013 | Uncategorized

Ready?  Start your engines…here is another fun activity to learn Spanish with CARS!  Today’s post is about shapes—formas (FORE-mahs).  After we sorted our cars by color and compared their differences and similarities, we took them in the kitchen where the floor is best for racing and driving.  I snagged some tape from on top of the fridge and made some roads in the shape of a circle and square.  Below is a fun vocab chart centered around this activity.
coche
(KOH-chay)
car
carretera
(kah-rey-TEAR-ah)
highway
calle
(KAH-yay)
street
círculo
(SEAR-koo-loh)
circle
cuadro
(KWAH-droh)
square
cuadrado
(kwah-DRAH-doh)
square
triángulo
(tree-AHN-goo-loh)
triangle
rectángulo
(reck-TAHN-goo-loh)
rectangle
camioneta
(kah-me-oh-NAY-tah)
van
camión
(kah-me-OWN)
truck
El cuadro (ehl KWAH-droh)

I listed some shapes that we did not make, in case you decide to make streets with other shapes as well.  Our kitchen floor is quite small, as well as the attention span of Mr. Big Stuff, so we just made two shapes.  When you are trying out these activities, do not hesitate to use “Spanglish.”  Just think of the new Spanish words as you would think of any new word for your child.  Use it a lot in context; repeat it with them; have them say it; point it out to your child anytime you see an object that is a new word you have studied.

Try saying things like “Which coche are you going to drive?”  “Oh, what color is your coche? Azul?”  “Let’s drive our coches on the círculo.”  “What shape is this calle?  A cuadro, that’s right!”
For those wanting to speak more in Spanish phrases, try these.
“El círculo es redondo.” (ehl SEAR-koo-loh ehs ray-DOHN-doh)  It means, “The circle is round.”
“¿Cuántos lados tiene el cuadro?” (KWAHN-tohs LAH-dohs tee-EH-nay ehl KWAHD-roh) Which means, “How many sides does the square have?”
el círculo (ehl SEAR-koo-loh)
Depending on the shape you are talking about, you can use the phrase above to ask how many sides of any shape.  Just insert the shape name where you see the word cuadro.
Try watching some of these videos to practice learning your shapes.
¡Feliz shaping!

This post is linked up this week to Crafty Moms Share and I Can Teach My Child.  I follow these blogs by email…you should too!  They have great ideas for projects and learning with your kidlets.

I Can Teach My Child

Kali Carollo

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