Tangrams are traditional Chinese puzzles that consist of seven pieces that fit together into a square and can be made to fit into a variety of other silhouettes.
What is a tangram….
A tangram is a geometric puzzle made up of a square cut into seven specific pieces that can be arranged to make new shapes. These puzzles originated in China and have been around for hundreds of years. Tangrams are some of the most popular and versatile puzzle games in the world.
For more info on tangram puzzles check out this post- it has a printable tangram puzzle and some great children’s book connections!
Why are tangrams beneficial….
Tangram puzzles are made up of seven polygons or “tans.” Traditionally the the objective of a tangram puzzle is to use all of the “tans” to create w new shape, with no overlapping.
Tangrams are a great exercise in spacial awareness as the individual shapes must be slid and rotated to fit. These puzzles are also an easy way to build vocabulary surrounding geometric shapes likes squares, triangles, and parallelograms. Students get used to using the correct name for shapes as well as imagining how those shapes move and rotate through space.
How do “online” tangrams work….
These tangram puzzles are part of a Google Slides activity. After you have saved a copy of the presentation of the slides to your own device (instructions below) you can let your kids work on that slide set or, if you’re teaching a large group you can make a copy of of the slide set for each student.
Each student will click on the shapes and drag them onto the silhouette, trying to solve the puzzle. Every shape will be used in every puzzle. Google slides allows the shapes to be both dragged and rotated.
I recommend warning kids not to change the size of the tans. Size is changed using the blue dots on the perimeter of each shape. The puzzle should be solved using the shapes as is. If the shape gets changed accidentally- the back arrow is your friend!
Do you want these online tangram puzzles for your classroom….
Do you want a copy of these digital tangrams for your kids to play with and learn from? These fun resource is available for FREE for Kitchen Table Classroom subscribers!
Just use the form below to become a KTC subscriber. Then check your email and confirm that you really meant to subscribe. Upon confirmation you’ll receive the PDF that will give you access to a copy of these digital tangrams immediately!
As a subscriber you’ll also begin receiving my weekly email newsletter. You’ll get y newest fun projects and free printables delivered straight to your inbox.
If you are already a subscriber- thank you! You can still go through this same process to grab these digital tangrams. It’s quick and easy! You won’t be sent duplicate emails- I promise.
After you become a KTC subscriber you’ll also receive a password to my Free Resource Library where you can find this digital tangram activity plus browse all the free printables and digital art activities! (I’m talking hundreds of free pages!)
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