3D Properties Classifier

Welcome to the 3D Shape Sorter Factory!

Step into the factory and take control of the high-tech sorting machine! Your job is to examine the 3D shapes as they travel down the conveyor belt and sort them into the correct bins based on their properties.

Look at the rule on the digital display—it might be about the number of faces, edges, or vertices a shape has. Can you sort the cubes, cuboids, pyramids, and prisms before they reach the end of the line? It’s a fun, fast-paced challenge to test your geometry skills!

Why is This Game Great for Learning?

This game is a fantastic way to move beyond simply naming 3D shapes and start thinking deeply about what makes them unique. It helps children to:

• Identify and Compare 3D Shapes: Quickly recognise common 3D shapes like cubes, cuboids, pyramids, and prisms in a dynamic environment.
• Understand Properties of Shapes: Develop a solid understanding of key vocabulary such as faces (the flat surfaces), edges (where the faces meet), and vertices (the corners).
• Develop Logical Reasoning: The game requires players to quickly apply a rule to a shape, reinforcing their logical thinking and classification skills.

For Teachers and Parents: Meeting National Curriculum Objectives

Our “3D Shape Sorter” game is an excellent resource for supporting the National Curriculum for maths, particularly for children in Key Stage 1 and lower Key Stage 2.

• Year 1: Pupils are expected to “recognise and name common 2-D and 3-D shapes,” including cuboids (like boxes), cubes, pyramids, and spheres. This game provides a fun way to practice this recognition.
• Year 2: The curriculum requires pupils to “identify and describe the properties of 3-D shapes, including the number of edges, vertices and faces.” This game is a perfect activity for directly practising and assessing this crucial objective.
• Year 3: Children continue to build on their knowledge and are expected to “make 3-D shapes using modelling materials; recognise 3-D shapes in different orientations and describe them.” This game helps them recognise shapes as they rotate.
• Years 4, 5 & 6: While the focus shifts, a strong understanding of 3D shape properties is essential for later topics like volume and nets. This game serves as an excellent tool for revision and consolidation.

How to Use This Game

For Teachers:

• Lesson Starter: Use it as a fun, interactive whole-class activity on the interactive whiteboard to introduce a lesson on 3D shape properties.
• Assessment for Learning: Observe children as they play to quickly gauge their understanding of faces, edges, and vertices.
• Independent Practice: Set it as a task for children to complete on tablets or laptops to consolidate their learning.

For Parents:

• Fun Homework: This is a great way to make homework feel like playtime! Challenge your child to beat their high score.
• Talk About the Shapes: Pause the game and talk about the shapes you see. Ask questions like, “How do you know that’s a cube and not a cuboid?” or “Can you count the faces on that pyramid together?”