Fun with Symmetry by Karen Whiting

We all use mirrors and know we have right and left hands, feet, and more. That’s part of symmetry and mirror images. It’s a math concept that means two sides of a whole are alike. Spring flowers and butterflies make pointing out symmetry in nature easy. Take a nature walk and notice symmetry in leaves, flowers, birds, and even seeds. Pine cones are more than symmetrical as looking from the bottom up you can see there’s a spiral and that actually is in a sequence called Fibonacci sequence where the numbers in the spiral is a mathematical pattern.
Do some fun exercises with children that involves symmetry.
- Make symmetrical art. Cut a folded paper to make a butterfly. Then drop paint onto one side and close the butterfly. Press it gently and open it to see how the paint spread in symmetry also. Fold paper and cut a snowflake and examine the symmetry of each section.
- Shapes. Cut various shapes and see if children can pick out which ones are symmetrical. Turn the paper or cutouts of shapes to see that they are still symmetrical. Use the cutouts or symmetrical shapes to make figures that are also symmetrical. So, two triangles and two squares can be used to make two symmetrical houses.
- #D Symmetry. Blocks are 3D shapes that are often symmetrical. You can use rubber bands to divide a block in half to show the symmetry. You can also cut real objects into symmetrical parts like a tray of brownies or a pie.
- Mirror Fun. Draw half a square and hold the edge to a mirror to see the other half appear. Hold an object up to a mirror at various angles to find symmetry.
- Look at a quilt or pictures of quilts and notice the symmetry of the pattern used. Can they find symmetry in patterns on their clothes?
- Faces are symmetrical, so let children explore making faces with pompom eyes, clothespin noses, and other objects. Do one side of the face and have them do the other side? Or place a stick on the ground and see if you can place objects on either side to create something symmetrical.
Explore a little a-symmetry too where something like a skirt may be longer on one side than another side and the object cannot be divided evenly. Look at clouds and notice they are seldom symmetrical. Cut a heart on folded paper and see that it is symmetrical. Then draw a heart that is asymmetrical. Discuss the differences.
Have fun exploring!
Thanks for tuning in to #ChristianchildrensAuthors
Check my website www.karenwhiting.com
What a fun little article. You are mirroring joy! 🙂
Thanks so much! I love playing and exploring children.
I like how you turn learning symmetry into play. Great ideas.
Thanks. I have always thought math was fun and try to have others realize it too.
Such fun ideas! Thanks Karen!
Such fun activities! Especially as butterflies are returning to our yard right now.
How fun to have butterflies in your yard. I do not have parsley planted at the moments and that’s what brings butterflies to my yard.
Great ideas! I’m always on the lookout for projects to do with three years old grandson Rowan. 🙂
Hope he enjoys these. It’s great to introduce math concepts at young ages.
Shared.
Awesome article and fun ideas! One of my favorite things to do in my second-grade classroom was to teach symmetry. I would have the students find a magazine photo of a person’s face {looking forward). The kids would fold the photo in half vertically and paste it onto a piece of drawing paper, leaving only 1/2 of the face showing. Then they had to draw the other half to match. I’m sure you can imagine some of those ‘portraits’–but the students never forgot symmetry! 🙂