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2D and 3D Shapes: A Shape Town Adventure with Polly

2D and 3D Shapes: A Shape Town Adventure with Polly

Learn the properties of 2D and 3D shapes: count sides, faces, edges and vertices, fold shapes to find symmetry and sort everyday objects.

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What you'll learn

  • Count sides and vertices to name pentagons, hexagons and octagons
  • Why a turned square is still a square
  • Test for a vertical line of symmetry by folding a shape
  • Count the faces, edges and vertices of a cube, cuboid and pyramid
  • Which 2D shapes are on the faces of 3D shapes
  • Sort everyday objects as 2D or 3D, and rolls or doesn't roll

Chapter by chapter

  1. 2D shapes: counting sides and vertices Free to try

    Year 2 maths · 1

  2. Vertical lines of symmetry in 2D shapes

    Year 2 maths · 1

  3. 3D shapes: faces, edges and vertices

    Year 2 maths · 2

  4. Faces, edges and vertices of cylinders, cones and spheres

    Year 2 maths · 2

  5. Finding 2D shapes on the surface of 3D shapes

    Year 2 maths · 3

  6. Comparing and sorting shapes and everyday objects

    Year 2 maths · 4

  7. Shape Master quiz (10 questions)

What the chapters cover in the national curriculum in England:

  1. Year 2 maths: Identify and describe the properties of 2-D shapes, including the number of sides, and line symmetry in a vertical line
  2. Year 2 maths: Identify and describe the properties of 3-D shapes, including the number of edges, vertices and faces
  3. Year 2 maths: Identify 2-D shapes on the surface of 3-D shapes,
  4. Year 2 maths: Compare and sort common 2-D and 3-D shapes and everyday objects

About this adventure

2D and 3D Shapes is an interactive maths game that teaches children aged 5–8 the Year 2 properties of shapes: sides, vertices, vertical lines of symmetry, and the faces, edges and vertices of solid shapes.

Guided by Polly, a talking hexagon, children tap each side of a pentagon to count it, fold a heart to test its line of symmetry and spin a cube to find the faces hidden at the back. They roll a sphere and slide a cube down a ramp to see why curved surfaces roll, and dip 3D shapes in paint to print the 2D shape on each face.

The game uses the correct words: a vertex is a corner where sides or edges meet, a face is a flat surface and an edge is where two faces meet. It also tackles mix-ups like calling a turned square a diamond or a ball a circle.

Questions and answers

What is the difference between 2D and 3D shapes?

2D shapes are flat, like a square drawn on paper, and have sides and vertices. 3D shapes are solid, like a dice or a ball, and have faces, edges and vertices. A dice is a cube, not a square, because it is solid.

How many faces, edges and vertices does a cube have?

A cube has 6 faces, 12 edges and 8 vertices. Every face is a square. A cuboid, such as a cereal box, has the same numbers, but its faces are rectangles, or a mix of rectangles and squares.

What is a vertical line of symmetry?

A vertical line of symmetry is a straight up-and-down line that splits a shape into two halves that match exactly. If you fold the shape along that line, one half lies perfectly on top of the other, like the wings of a butterfly.

What age is this 2D and 3D shapes game for?

The game is made for children aged 5 to 8 and follows the Year 2 properties of shapes objectives in the national curriculum for England. Younger children can use the voice-over, and a Year 1 shape warm-up is included.

How long does the shapes game take and what does it include?

Playing everything takes about an hour. There are six chapters, each with an animated introduction, hands-on activities and a short check, followed by a ten-question Shape Master quiz. Children can start any chapter from the map.

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