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Sides and Corners of 2D Shapes: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 2

  • ForYear 2
  • StageKey Stage 1
  • CostFree
  • FormatPrintable PDF
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Sides and Corners of 2D Shapes is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7). Children count the sides and corners of each shape and record them in a table. It takes about 10 minutes, needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers.

It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

Page 1 has a table with three headings: Shape, Sides and Corners. Children look at each shape, count its sides, count its corners and write both numbers in the table. Once the table is filled in, they look back over their numbers and notice what they find. It is a short, focused task. A finger or a pencil tip helps children keep track as they count.

  • Shape
  • Sides
  • Corners

Ideas to build understanding

Find them at home

Look for flat shapes around the house, such as a book cover, a coaster or a tile. Ask your child to point to a side and then to a corner, so they learn which word means which.

Trace and count

Let your child trace round a flat object with a finger. They say "side" each time they travel along a straight edge and "corner" each time they turn.

Draw your own

Ask your child to draw a shape using only straight lines. Then they count the sides and corners of their own drawing and tell you the numbers.

Turn the shape

Turn a paper shape round on the table. Ask whether the sides and corners change. Children often find that the shape stays the same even when it points a different way.

Sides and corners in Year 2

A 2D shape is a flat shape. It has length and width but no thickness, like a shape drawn on paper. A side is a straight edge of a shape. A corner is the point where two sides meet. In maths, the word for a corner is vertex, and the plural is vertices. Year 2 children usually say "corner", which is perfectly fine.

In the National Curriculum for England, Year 2 geometry includes identifying and describing the properties of common 2D shapes, including the number of sides. Counting carefully is the key skill. Children need to start at a clear point, move round the shape in order and stop in the right place. That habit stops sides and corners being missed or counted twice.

Skills and curriculum link

  • Counting sides
  • Counting corners
  • Naming 2D shapes
  • Using a table
  • Spotting patterns

Ideas to help children count carefully

  • Pick a start pointAsk your child to mark where they begin with a small dot. They stop when they get back to the dot, so nothing is missed or counted twice.
  • Touch and sayRunning a finger along each side while saying the numbers out loud links the counting to the shape. Slow and steady works best.
  • Use real objectsHolding a real flat object helps children feel the straight edges and the points where they meet. Then the drawing on the page makes more sense.
  • Use the wordsSay "side" and "corner" often and point as you say them. Clear language helps children avoid mixing up the two columns.

Key words

  • 2D shapeA flat shape, like one drawn on paper.
  • SideA straight edge of a shape.
  • CornerThe point where two sides meet.
  • VertexThe maths word for a corner. More than one are called vertices.
  • CountSay numbers in order, one for each thing you point to.
  • TableA grid of rows and columns for writing down what you find.

How to use it

  1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
  2. Read the table headings together. Check that your child knows what a side is and what a corner is.
  3. Work through the first shape together. Use a finger to touch each side and each corner as you count. It takes about 10 minutes in all.
  4. Let your child fill in the rest of the table. Then check against the answers on page 2 and talk about any that differ.
  5. Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar sheet builds confidence.

Help, stretch and game ideas

If it feels too hard

Put a small sticker on each corner as it is counted so nothing is counted twice. Count the corners first, then the sides. Use a real object to hold and feel the edges. Do the shapes one at a time, and take a break between them.

To stretch confident children

Ask what pattern your child notices between the sides and corners in the table. Then ask them to draw a seven sided shape and count its corners. Can they explain how they know their drawing has seven sides?

Make it a game

Shape hunt. Find one object at home for each shape on the sheet and say how many sides and corners it has. Take turns to find an object and let the other player guess its shape from the numbers alone.

Mistakes to watch for

Watch forA child counts one corner twice, or misses one.

Try thisMark a start point with a dot or a sticker. Count round in order and stop when you reach the mark again.

Watch forThe numbers go in the wrong column.

Try thisSay the heading before writing each number. Ask, "Am I counting sides or corners?" Point to the column as you answer.

Watch forA shape that looks unusual or is turned on its side gets counted wrongly.

Try thisTurn the paper so the shape looks more familiar. Then count again using the same finger method.

Talk about it

  • What is the difference between a side and a corner?
  • Where do you start counting, and how do you know when to stop?
  • Which shape was easiest to count? Why?
  • What do you notice when you look down the table?
  • Can you find a shape like this in the room?
  • How would you describe a shape to someone who cannot see it?

Take it off the page

Shape pictures

Cut out some paper shapes and stick them together to make a house, a robot or a vehicle. Count the sides and corners of each piece you used.

Sticky tape shapes

Use masking tape on the floor to make a shape with straight sides. Walk round it and say "side" for each straight stretch and "corner" at each turn.

Shape sort

Draw some shapes on scraps of paper. Sort them into groups by how many sides they have and explain your groups to a grown-up.

Who it is for

Parents

Sit beside your child for the first shape, then let them lead. Use a real object to hold if they are unsure. About 10 minutes is enough. Praise careful counting, not just correct numbers.

Teachers

Use it as a starter or plenary after teaching properties of 2D shapes. It also works as an early finisher task, supply cover or homework. Page 2 gives help, a stretch task and answers for mixed ability groups.

Home educators

Print it as part of a wider maths plan. It pairs well with a shape walk outdoors or a drawing session. You can reuse it for brothers and sisters, or for revision a few weeks later.

Where this fits

Before this, children name and sort common 2D shapes by how they look. They also count objects reliably and use the words side and corner in everyday talk. If counting feels shaky, practise counting small sets of objects first.

After this, children describe shapes using more of their properties, such as lines of symmetry, and compare 2D shapes with 3D shapes. Later on they meet the word vertex and sort shapes in more detailed ways.

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Sides and Corners of 2D Shapes for?

It is written for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. Confident Year 1 children may enjoy it with help, and older children who find shape vocabulary tricky can use it as revision.

What will children practise?

Children count the sides and corners of common 2D shapes and record them in a table. They also practise using the words side and corner correctly and notice a pattern in their results.

How long does it take?

It takes about 10 minutes. Work through the first shape together, then let your child try the rest alone. Page 2 has a stretch idea if they finish early and want more.

What if it feels too hard?

Put a small sticker on each corner as it is counted so nothing is counted twice. Using a real object to hold and trace also helps. Do one shape at a time and come back later.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. Print it on plain A4 paper. Black and white printing works well, so you do not need colour ink.

Can teachers use it in class?

Yes. It works as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has help, a stretch idea and answers.

Is this a screen free activity?

Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it suits quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Children count by hand and talk about what they find.

Preview the full PDF

Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.

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