Summary
Chapter 5 of the Class 3 Maths NCERT textbook (Maths Mela), "Fun with Shapes", introduces children to 2D shapes — rectangles, squares, triangles, and circles — through hands-on activities like making rangoli patterns, tracing faces of boxes, folding paper plates, and using matchsticks and tangram pieces to explore the properties and corners of each shape.
- Rectangles and Squares — Children discover that a rectangle has 4 sides and 4 corners, with opposite sides equal in length. A square is a special shape where all 4 sides are equal in length, and both shapes share square corners.
- Square Corners — The chapter introduces the idea of a square corner (right angle) by having children use paper strips and matchsticks to compare corners that are equal to, less than, or more than a square corner. Both squares and rectangles have square corners.
- Triangles and Circles — Children count sides and corners of triangles, spot triangular objects around them, and count triangles in rangoli patterns. For circles, they trace round objects and discover the center of a circle by folding a paper plate in half twice.
- 3D Shapes and Their Faces — By opening cardboard boxes and tracing the faces of cuboidal objects like erasers and sharpeners, children see that the flat faces of a cuboid are rectangles or squares, and that a matchbox gives three different rectangles when its faces are traced.
Key points & formulas
- 01Rectangles have 4 sides and 4 corners, with only opposite sides equal in length; squares have 4 equal sides and 4 equal corners.
- 02Both squares and rectangles have square corners (right angles); children use paper strips to compare square, less-than-square, and more-than-square corners.
- 03Triangles have 3 sides and 3 corners; children count triangles in rangoli designs and make triangles by cutting a square along dotted lines.
- 04The faces of a cuboid are rectangles or squares; tracing a matchbox gives three different rectangles.
- 05The center of a circle is found by folding a paper plate in half twice and marking where the fold lines meet.
- 06Children make rangoli designs using shape cutouts, identifying shapes made with curved lines and shapes made with straight lines.
- 07The tangram puzzle at the end of the book lets children combine pieces to create new shapes using triangles and other pieces.
Frequently asked questions
01What shapes are covered in Chapter 5 Fun with Shapes?
The chapter covers four main shapes: rectangles, squares, triangles, and circles. Children also explore the flat faces of 3D objects like cuboids and boxes.
02What is the difference between a square and a rectangle?
In a rectangle, only the opposite sides need to be equal in length. In a square, all four sides must be equal in length. Both shapes have four sides, four corners, and square corners.
03What is a square corner?
A square corner is the kind of corner found in squares and rectangles. Children use two paper strips joined together to show what a square corner looks like, and also identify corners that are less than or more than a square corner.
04How do children find the center of a circle in this chapter?
Children fold a paper plate in half and then fold it in half again in a different direction. The point where the two fold lines meet is the center of the circle.
05How many sides and corners does a triangle have?
A triangle has 3 sides and 3 corners. Children describe triangles, count triangles in rangoli patterns, and make triangles using matchsticks and by cutting a square along dotted lines.
06What happens when you open a cardboard box flat?
When a cardboard box is opened and flattened, the faces that appear are rectangles or squares. Tracing the three different faces of a matchbox, for example, gives three different rectangles.
07What activity uses a rangoli to learn about shapes?
Children recreate Amma's rangoli on a dot grid, then name the shapes in it and count how many shapes are made with curved lines and how many with straight lines. They also use shape cutouts to create their own rangoli designs.
08How is an envelope made in this chapter?
Children fold a square piece of paper in steps shown in the book to make an envelope, which connects the idea of square and rectangle shapes to a real Diwali card activity.
09Can a cuboid have a triangular face?
No. The chapter explains that the faces of a cuboid are rectangles or squares in shape; a cuboid cannot have a triangular face.
10What is the tangram activity in Chapter 5?
Using tangram puzzle pieces from the back of the Maths Mela book, children try to create given shapes by combining pieces, which builds spatial reasoning and understanding of how triangles and other shapes fit together.
11Why did two children get different shapes when tracing a matchbox?
A matchbox (cuboid) has faces of different sizes, so tracing different faces gives different rectangles. The chapter encourages children to discuss why tracing different faces of the same object can give different shapes.
12What are some real objects that have rectangular faces?
The chapter mentions matchboxes, wooden boxes, sharpeners, and erasers as objects whose faces are rectangles or squares. Children are encouraged to name three more rectangular-faced objects from their surroundings.
More chapters in Maths Mela
Read Chapter 5 of Maths Mela, the Class 3 Mathematics NCERT textbook (2026-27 edition), online for free: the complete chapter as published by NCERT with every diagram, solved example and exercise, with step-by-step solutions, answers and revision notes. Open the NCERT PDF above, or browse all NCERT Class 3 textbooks.
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