Fun with Symmetry

Learning opportunities are everywhere, whether you’re in the house, at school or strolling outside, there are boundless possibilities for teachable moments & exciting learning adventures. Today, we will introduce the concept of SYMMETRY to the children which can help them develop their abilities to recognize patterns, to classify & to hone their observation skills. An object is symmetrical when one half is a mirror image of the other half.

I will share with you some fun & hands-on activities for the children to see & explore symmetry: 1. Symmetry in Art:

Fold a piece of paper in half, open in up & pour a few drops of paint. I suggest if you could use 3 or more colors so that the children can see the colors blend together. Then fold the paper again & gently rub the top of the paper, mixing & squishing the paint. Finally, open up the paper & be amazed of the beautiful pattern created which is the same as the other half.

2. Symmetry with Legos, Connectors, & Geometrical Shapes: Work with your children & challenge them to make a symmetry image using manipulatives.

3. Symmetry Drawing: Choose some pictures appropriate to the age level of your children & let them complete by drawing the other halves of the symmetrical shapes/images.

4. Toys & Leaves Stamping: Paint one side of the toy or a leaf & carefully press it onto a plain paper. Make sure to press down all the edges so you can see the beautiful symmetry.

5. Symmetry Nature Hunt: You can go for a walk with your children & search for some symmetrical objects in nature that you can scrutinize & find out if they are symmetric.