NCERT Joyful Mathematics, Class 2, textbook pages 16–22

How to teach Class 2 Maths Chapter 2, Shapes Around Us, at home

3D shapes: faces, edges and corners, taught with things you already have at home: a 10-minute activity, a game for the week, a 5-day plan and the mistakes to watch for.

cube, cuboid, cylinder, cone

NCERT Class 2 Maths Chapter 2 Shapes Around Us: what it teaches

Your child learns the names of solid shapes (cube, cuboid, cylinder, cone, sphere) and starts counting their faces, edges and corners. A matchbox, a ball and a party cap are all you need.

Why it matters later. Faces, edges and corners are the vocabulary of geometry. Chapter 4 traces these faces to get flat shapes, and later classes build nets and measure volume from here.

See it: this chapter in pictures

a bindi on each face: 6 faces
Mark each face as you count so nothing is counted twice.
8 corners, 12 edges
A cuboid has 8 corners and 12 edges.
1 corner0 cornersno edges
Cones have one corner; cylinders and spheres have none.

You need

  • a matchbox or tiffin box
  • a dice or small cube
  • a steel glass or tin
  • a party cap or ice-cream cone
  • a ball
  • small stickers or bindis

Tonight’s 10 minutes

  1. Put the objects in a row and name each one: cuboid, cube, cylinder, cone, sphere.
  2. Stick one bindi on every face of the matchbox. Count them: 6 faces.
  3. Run a finger along each edge and count: 12 edges. Touch each corner: 8 corners.
  4. Blindfold game: your child feels an object and guesses it from its corners and faces.

Words to use

  • face
  • edge
  • corner
  • flat
  • curved
  • cube
  • cuboid
  • cylinder
  • cone
  • sphere

Watch for

  • Counting the same face or edge twice. Mark each face with a bindi as you count it, so counted ones are visible.
  • Thinking a cylinder has corners. Let your child run a finger round the rim. It is a curved edge, with no pointed corner.

What it sounds like at home

A short example of the conversation. Your words will differ; the questions are what matter.

YouHow many faces does this matchbox have?

Your childI’ll stick bindis… 6.

YouAnd corners?

Your child8.

YouDoes the ball have any corners?

Your childNo, it’s round all over.

A game for this week: Touch and tell

  1. Put five solid objects in a cloth bag.
  2. Say a clue: “Find the one with one corner.”
  3. Your child reaches in without looking and pulls one out.
  4. Correct pick scores a point. Swap roles.

A 5-day plan, 10 minutes a day

  1. Day 1Name the five solid shapes at home.
  2. Day 2Count faces of a matchbox with bindis.
  3. Day 3Count edges and corners.
  4. Day 4Sort kitchen things into shape families.
  5. Day 5Touch and tell game.

Everyday moments to practise

  • Tiffin boxes are cuboids.
  • A laddoo is a sphere.
  • An ice-cream cone is a cone.
  • A pipe or a candle is a cylinder.

Quick check

Ask these at the end of the week. Tap to see the answer.

How many corners does a matchbox have?

8.

Which shape has one corner?

A cone.

Which shape has no corners and no edges?

A sphere (a ball).

Ready for the next chapter when your child…

  • Names cube, cuboid, cylinder, cone and sphere.
  • Counts faces, edges and corners of a box.
  • Finds a real object for each shape.

Activities, wording and illustrations are Mathify Kids’ own, following the topics of NCERT’s Joyful Mathematics (Class 2). See the full Class 2 parent guide for every chapter.

Questions parents ask

What 3D shapes are in Class 2 maths?

Cube, cuboid, cylinder, cone and sphere, with their faces, edges and corners.

How many faces, edges and corners does a cube have?

6 faces, 12 edges and 8 corners.

What is the difference between a cube and a cuboid?

A cube has all faces the same square size; a cuboid’s faces can be rectangles of different sizes.