Year 2 maths · Key Stage 1 · Geometry – properties of shapes

Year 2 shapes: sides, faces, edges, vertices and symmetry

In Year 2 children move from naming shapes to describing them precisely. They count the sides of flat (2-D) shapes, the edges, faces and vertices of solid (3-D) shapes, find 2-D shapes on the surface of 3-D shapes, spot lines of symmetry and sort shapes and everyday objects by their properties.

Properties of 2-D and 3-D shapes, explained

A 2-D shape is flat, like a drawing. Children count its sides and its corners, which are called vertices (one corner is a vertex). A triangle has 3 sides and 3 vertices, a quadrilateral has 4 sides, a pentagon 5, a hexagon 6 and an octagon 8. Squares and rectangles are both quadrilaterals. A circle has one curved side and no vertices. Closed flat shapes with straight sides, such as the triangle and the hexagon, are called polygons. Children handle and name a wide range of shapes, and use a ruler or other straight edge to draw them carefully.

A 3-D shape is solid, and it has faces, edges and vertices. A face is a flat surface, an edge is where two faces meet, and a vertex is where edges meet at a point. A cube has 6 faces, 12 edges and 8 vertices, and a cuboid has the same numbers. A square-based pyramid has 5 faces, 8 edges and 5 vertices. Children also work with cylinders, cones, spheres and prisms (shapes with the same cross-section all the way along, like a tent), and they learn that some shapes have curved surfaces as well as, or instead of, flat faces. Schools choose which shapes to include, and many go well beyond cubes and pyramids.

A key idea is that solid shapes are made of flat shapes. Looking at the faces of a cube shows squares, the flat ends of a cylinder are circles, the faces of a pyramid include triangles, and a triangular prism has 2 triangle faces and 3 rectangle faces. Children identify these 2-D shapes on the surface of 3-D shapes, for example by printing with the faces of building blocks, and name them correctly: the face of a cube is a square, but the cube is not a square.

Line symmetry is introduced through folding. If a shape is folded along a line and the two halves match exactly, the fold is a line of symmetry. Year 2 children look at lines of symmetry that run straight up and down, called vertical lines of symmetry, on shapes and patterns, and they check by folding, using a mirror or drawing the missing half. Throughout the year they compare and sort shapes and real objects by their properties, such as “has a curved surface”, “has exactly 6 faces” or “has a vertical line of symmetry”.

Words your child will hear

Side: A straight or curved line that forms the edge of a 2-D shape.
Vertex: A corner where sides or edges meet. More than one are called vertices.
Edge: On a 3-D shape, the line where two faces meet.
Face: A flat surface of a 3-D shape. A cube has 6 faces. A curved surface, like the side of a cylinder, is usually called a curved surface instead.
Line of symmetry: A line that splits a shape into two halves which match exactly when folded.
Quadrilateral: A flat shape with 4 straight sides, such as a square, rectangle or kite.
Prism: A 3-D shape with the same flat shape running all the way through, such as a triangular prism.

What the National Curriculum says

In Year 2, pupils should be taught to:

Identify and describe the properties of 2-D shapes, including the number of sides, and line symmetry in a vertical line
Identify and describe the properties of 3-D shapes, including the number of edges, vertices and faces
Identify 2-D shapes on the surface of 3-D shapes [for example, a circle on a cylinder and a triangle on a pyramid]
Compare and sort common 2-D and 3-D shapes and everyday objects

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

A worked example

Describe a square-based pyramid, and name the 2-D shapes you can find on its surface.

Look at the faces. The base is a square. The four sloping sides are all triangles. That is 1 + 4 = 5 faces.
Count the edges, the lines where two faces meet. There are 4 around the base and 4 that run up to the top. Mark each with a finger as you count so none is missed.
```
base: 4 edges
sloping: 4 edges
total: 8 edges
```
Count the vertices, the corners. There are 4 at the corners of the base and 1 at the top.
```
base: 4 vertices
top: 1 vertex
total: 5 vertices
```
Say what you found: the 2-D shapes on its surface are 1 square and 4 triangles.

A square-based pyramid has 5 faces, 8 edges and 5 vertices. Its surface shows 1 square and 4 triangles.

Common mistakes and how to help

Thinking a shape changes when it is turned

A square sitting on one corner can look like a “diamond”, and a triangle that points down feels like a different shape. Early pictures nearly always show shapes in one position.

What helps: Turn real shapes in every direction. Count the sides and check that the lengths do not change. A square is a square however it is turned.

Calling a 3-D shape by its 2-D name

Everyday talk says “a square box” or “a circle ball”. The flat names are easier to say and the children see circles and squares first.

What helps: Ask “Can you hold it or draw it flat?” and use both names: a ball is a sphere, and its surface is curved. A cube has square faces.

Believing any line through the middle is a line of symmetry

A child draws the diagonal of a rectangle and says it makes two matching halves. They look the same size, but if the rectangle is folded along the diagonal the corners will not match.

What helps: Test by folding or with a small mirror. A rectangle which is not a square has two lines of symmetry: one running up and down and one across, but the diagonals are not lines of symmetry.

Missing the edges and vertices that cannot be seen

On a picture or a solid shape a child can only see the front. Counting only what they can see gives a cube 7 vertices.

What helps: Pick the shape up and turn it. Put a small sticker on each vertex as you count so that none are missed or counted twice. Counting the faces first, then the edges, then the vertices keeps the order tidy.

How to help at home

Hunt for shapes around the house. Find a cube, a cuboid, a cylinder and a sphere among boxes, tins and balls. Sort them into groups, such as “all faces flat” and “some curved surfaces”, and ask your child to say how they decided.
Print the faces. Dip the faces of a small box, a tin or a building block into washable paint and print them on paper. Your child can name the 2-D shape each one makes and count how many different shapes they printed.
Build skeleton shapes. Use straws or lolly sticks and small balls of modelling clay to make a cube or a pyramid. The sticks are the edges and the clay joins are the vertices, so counting is easy.
Fold to test symmetry. Fold paper shapes in half and see if the edges match. Try a heart, a rectangle, a letter A and a letter F, and talk about which have a vertical line of symmetry.
Describe it, guess it. Put a shape in a bag or behind your back and describe it by its faces, edges and vertices. The other person guesses. Swap roles so your child has to describe too.

Builds on

Year 1: 2-D and 3-D shapes

Leads on to

Year 3: Right angles and parallel lines

Everything in Year 2 maths

Updated 20 October 2026.