Add a warm autumn touch to your geometry lessons with a 2D shape squirrel craft that combines math, fine motor practice and creativity!

This squirrel craft gives students a hands-on way to explore how paper shapes can be moved, turned, layered and arranged to make a picture. It is a lovely fit for fall, autumn themes, woodland animals, 2D shape lessons or a seasonal math display.

As students create their squirrel, they can talk about the shapes they are using, where each piece belongs and how the pieces work together to make the finished design.

A seasonal shape craft for math:

Use this project after introducing or reviewing 2D shapes, or add it to your fall math plans as a creative follow-up activity. Students can trace, color, cut and glue as they build their squirrel, then use the included recording sheets to show their thinking.

Template options included:

• Tracing page where students trace the animal picture
• One Page Craft option with all pieces for one student on one page
• Original template version with multiple pieces on a page for more than one student
• Labelling titles for display
• Recording sheets to show student thinking

Prep choices for different classroom needs:

• Use the tracing page when students need a simpler version with less cutting.
• Choose the One Page Craft when students will color or paint their own pieces.
• Use the original template version when you want to print different pieces on different colored papers.
• Add the recording sheets when you want students to connect the craft back to shape learning.
• Display the finished squirrels with the included titles for a fall shape bulletin board.

Math language to encourage:

• 2D shapes
• Turn and rotate
• Layer and arrange
• Above, below and beside
• Corners and sides
• Same and different
• Shape position
• Shape design

Skills students can build:

• Recognizing and naming 2D shapes
• Arranging shapes to make a picture
• Rotating and positioning paper pieces
• Using positional language
• Recording shape thinking
• Following a sequence of steps
• Tracing, coloring, cutting and gluing with care
• Connecting geometry with art and seasonal learning

Classroom ideas for this squirrel craft:

• Pair it with an autumn, fall, woodland or animals theme.
• Talk about the shapes before students begin assembling.
• Invite students to move the pieces around before gluing so they can think about placement.
• Ask students to describe the shapes they used for different parts of the squirrel.
• Use the recording sheet as a simple math reflection.
• Create a seasonal display that shows both the craft and student shape thinking.

This squirrel craft gives students a playful way to practise 2D shape vocabulary while creating a warm fall project for your classroom.

Return to our store home page here

Find the Original 2D Shape Animal Crafts packet HERE

This resource is for single teacher classroom use only. Please remember that sharing, redistributing, creation of new materials for sale, or uploading to shared drives or websites is not permitted. Your respect for the one teacher, one license policy allows small teacher-creators like me to keep making resources for classrooms around the world. Thank you for your kindness and understanding!