 You can help a child understand that shapes can be put together to make new shapes by tracing objects with them. All you need is some paper, something to write with, and some objects to trace. It can be helpful to find objects that are shaped like basic shapes when traced, like circles, squares, rectangles, or triangles. First, the child can trace objects onto the paper, one at a time. Next, you can show the child how if you trace the shapes on top of or beside each other, they can create a new image. For example, you could trace a square or rectangle, and then you could trace a triangle on top of it, and now it looks like a house. Then the child can try to combine the shapes themselves, and it can be fun to keep going to see what other images you can make together. By combining and tracing objects, a child starts to understand that they can combine shapes to make new shapes.