3D shapes
Cube, cuboid, sphere, cone, cylinder, pyramid. Year 2 counts faces, edges and vertices.
KS1 introduces the most common 3D shapes by name and asks children to count faces (flat surfaces), edges (where two faces meet) and vertices (corners).
Worked examples
Cube: 6 faces (all squares), 12 edges, 8 vertices.
Cuboid: 6 faces (rectangles), 12 edges, 8 vertices. Like a cereal box.
Sphere: 1 curved surface, 0 edges, 0 vertices. Like a football.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a cube and a cuboid?
A cube has 6 identical square faces. A cuboid has 6 rectangular faces — a cube is a special cuboid where every face is a square.
Why does a sphere have 0 edges?
An edge is where two faces meet at an angle. A sphere is one continuous curved surface, so there's nothing to meet. Same for the curved part of a cylinder or cone.
Do pyramids have a square base?
Square-based pyramids (like the Egyptian ones) and triangular-based pyramids (called tetrahedra) both appear in KS1. Year 2 distinguishes by base shape.