Shape Sorter

What it is

Shape Sorter is the classic wooden toy, on a screen. A box with cut-out holes sits on the playroom floor and chunky painted shapes wait on the rug. Drag a shape to the hole it fits: near the right hole it is pulled in with a wooden plonk and says its name. At the wrong hole it bumps the rim, shakes its head and hops back to the rug, while the right hole glows. Fill every hole and the box rattles the shapes back out for another go, with a star for each box and a little party every fifth one. It starts with a single big circle, so even a two-year-old gets it on the first try. Then a square joins, then a triangle and a star, with the holes in new places every box. Next come five holes with new shapes like a heart, a moon and a hexagon. At the top level the colored rims go, look-alikes sit side by side (a pentagon, a hexagon and an octagon) and the shapes start turned, so your child has to match the outline, not the color.

How to play

• On a laptop or desktop: Drag a shape to its hole with the mouse. Number keys 1 to 6 post the first shape into hole 1 to 6.
• On a tablet or phone: Drag a shape to its hole, or tap the shape and then tap the hole. Tap a hole on its own to hear which shape it wants.

What children learn

• Shape names: circle, square, triangle, star, heart, oval, rectangle, diamond, pentagon, hexagon, octagon, moon and cross
• Matching an outline, even when the shape is turned
• Fine motor control: picking up, carrying and letting go
• Persistence: a wrong hole is just a bump, then try another

Tips for parents

Say the shape names together as they drop in, then hunt for the same shapes around the house: a round plate, a square window, a triangle slice of toast. If you have a real shape sorter toy, play with it next to the screen and compare.

Questions parents ask

Is there a timer or a score?

No. There is no way to lose. A shape at the wrong hole just bumps the rim and hops back, and the right hole glows to help.

My child is two. Is it too hard?

It starts with one big circle and one hole, and a shape that gets close to its own hole is pulled in, so small hands do not need to be precise. After one circle a square joins, and a few boxes later a triangle and a star, so there is time to practice each step. A few misses quietly take a hole away.

Does it get harder for older children?

Yes. After circle, square, triangle and star come five holes with new shapes like hexagons, hearts and moons, and finally six look-alike shapes without colored rims that start turned at an angle. Progress is saved on the device.

More games for ages 2 to 4

Dress-Up Party2 – 5 yearsBall Bonanza2 – 4 yearsChalk Art2 – 8 years