Reception Maths: Solid shapes: 3-D shapes
Part of the Reception Maths shapes and position chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Solid shapes: 3-D shapes
Noah has a box, a ball, a party hat and a tin of beans. These are 3-D shapes. They are solid, and you can pick them up.
A cube has square faces. A cuboid is a box shape. A sphere is a ball. A cone is a party hat. A cylinder is a tin. A pyramid has a square base and triangles that meet at a point.
Key ideas
- A sphere is round, like a ball.
- A cube has square faces.
- A cuboid is a box shape, with long and short sides.
- A cone has a point and a round base.
- A cylinder has two round ends.
- A pyramid has a square base and a point at the top.
Key words. A cube is a shape with its own name.
Method. Look at the shape. Think about its sides and corners, or whether it is round.
- Look at the shape. Notice whether it is round or has straight sides.It is a solid shape with square faces.
- Find its name. Each shape has its own name.The name is cube.
- Write the answer. cube
Check. Point to the cube in the picture and say its name. ✓
Watch out. Round means no straight sides. Straight sides and corners mean a shape with a name like square.
Key words. A sphere is a shape with its own name.
Method. Look at the shape. Think about its sides and corners, or whether it is round.
- Look at the shape. Notice whether it is round or has straight sides.It is round all over, like a ball.
- Find its name. Each shape has its own name.The name is sphere.
- Write the answer. sphere
Check. Point to the sphere in the picture and say its name. ✓
Watch out. Round means no straight sides. Straight sides and corners mean a shape with a name like square.
Key words. A cone is a shape with its own name.
Method. Look at the shape. Think about its sides and corners, or whether it is round.
- Look at the shape. Notice whether it is round or has straight sides.It has a point at the top and a round base.
- Find its name. Each shape has its own name.The name is cone.
- Write the answer. cone
Check. Point to the cone in the picture and say its name. ✓
Watch out. Round means no straight sides. Straight sides and corners mean a shape with a name like square.
Watch out
Watch out: a cube and a cuboid look alike. A cube has all its sides the same. A cuboid can be long and thin.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Collect a ball, a box, a tin and a dice from the kitchen. Ask: “Which one rolls? Which one stacks?” Ask your child to name each one. Check the names only use simple words.
Exercise 7C Solid shapes
Non-calculatorKey words. A cuboid is a shape with its own name.
Method. Look at the shape. Think about its sides and corners, or whether it is round.
- Look at the shape. Notice whether it is round or has straight sides.It is a box shape with long and short sides.
- Find its name. Each shape has its own name.The name is cuboid.
- Write the answer. cuboid
Check. Point to the cuboid in the picture and say its name. ✓
Watch out. Round means no straight sides. Straight sides and corners mean a shape with a name like square.
Key words. A cube is a shape with its own name.
Method. Look at the shape. Think about its sides and corners, or whether it is round.
- Look at the shape. Notice whether it is round or has straight sides.It has square faces, all the same.
- Find its name. Each shape has its own name.The name is cube.
- Write the answer. cube
Check. Point to the cube in the picture and say its name. ✓
Watch out. Round means no straight sides. Straight sides and corners mean a shape with a name like square.
Key words. A sphere is a shape with its own name.
Method. Look at the shape. Think about its sides and corners, or whether it is round.
- Look at the shape. Notice whether it is round or has straight sides.It is round, like a ball.
- Find its name. Each shape has its own name.The name is sphere.
- Write the answer. sphere
Check. Point to the sphere in the picture and say its name. ✓
Watch out. Round means no straight sides. Straight sides and corners mean a shape with a name like square.
Key words. A cylinder is a shape with its own name.
Method. Look at the shape. Think about its sides and corners, or whether it is round.
- Look at the shape. Notice whether it is round or has straight sides.It has two round ends and straight sides.
- Find its name. Each shape has its own name.The name is cylinder.
- Write the answer. cylinder
Check. Point to the cylinder in the picture and say its name. ✓
Watch out. Round means no straight sides. Straight sides and corners mean a shape with a name like square.
Key words. A pyramid is a shape with its own name.
Method. Look at the shape. Think about its sides and corners, or whether it is round.
- Look at the shape. Notice whether it is round or has straight sides.It has a square base and triangles that meet at a point.
- Find its name. Each shape has its own name.The name is pyramid.
- Write the answer. pyramid
Check. Point to the pyramid in the picture and say its name. ✓
Watch out. Round means no straight sides. Straight sides and corners mean a shape with a name like square.
Key words. A cone is a shape with its own name.
Method. Look at the shape. Think about its sides and corners, or whether it is round.
- Look at the shape. Notice whether it is round or has straight sides.It has a point at the top and a round base.
- Find its name. Each shape has its own name.The name is cone.
- Write the answer. cone
Check. Point to the cone in the picture and say its name. ✓
Watch out. Round means no straight sides. Straight sides and corners mean a shape with a name like square.
Method. Think about which shape is round like a ball.
- Look at the choices. A cube and a cuboid have flat faces.flat faces
- Find the round one. A sphere is round, like a ball.sphere
- Write the answer. sphere
Check. A ball is a sphere. ✓
Watch out. A ball is round all over, so it is a sphere.
Method. Think about the shape of a tin.
- Look at the tin. It has two round ends and straight sides.two round ends
- Find the name. That shape is a cylinder.cylinder
- Write the answer. cylinder
Check. A tin has two round ends, so it is a cylinder. ✓
Watch out. A cube has no round ends.
Method. A shape that rolls is round all over.
- Think about rolling. A ball rolls because it is round all over.round all over
- Choose the shape. A cube does not roll well, but a sphere does.sphere
- Write the answer. sphere
Check. Roll a ball across the table: it rolls. ✓
Watch out. Flat faces stop a shape from rolling.
Method. Think about the shape with one point.
- Look at the point. The cone has a point at the top.a point
- Look at the bottom. The cone has a round base.round base
- Write the answer. cone
Check. A party hat is a cone. ✓
Watch out. A sphere has no point.
Method. Think about the faces of the shape.
- Look at the faces. A cube has square faces, all the same size.square faces
- Compare the choices. A cylinder has round ends, not square faces.round ends
- Write the answer. cube
Check. A dice is a cube. ✓
Watch out. A dice is a good example of a cube.
Method. Compare a ball with a box.
- Look at the sphere. It is round all over.round
- Look at the cube. It has flat square faces.flat faces
- Write the answer. No. A sphere is round like a ball, and a cube has flat square faces.
Check. A ball and a dice look different. ✓
Watch out. Solid shapes can look very different.
Method. Think about things in a kitchen and their shapes.
- Think of a tin. A tin is a cylinder, with two round ends.cylinder
- Think of a box. A box is a cuboid.cuboid
- Write the answer. Accept any answer, such as a tin (cylinder) or a box (cuboid), with a reason.
Check. Name a shape and say why it fits. ✓
Watch out. Say what the shape is like.