Summer is here! The sun is shining, the skies are blue, and it’s the perfect time to step outside and discover how geometry is all around us — not just in your math books, but in the real world too.
From trees to swimming pools, from flowers to sidewalks, the shapes you study in school are hiding in plain sight. Let’s take a math adventure through your neighborhood and explore how nature and everyday life are full of angles, symmetry, and cool shapes!
Trees, Leaves, and Lines
Have you ever looked closely at a tree branch or a leaf? The branches often grow out in angles, and some leaves have symmetrical shapes — which means if you fold them in half, both sides match.
Try this: Find a leaf and fold it down the middle. If both sides look the same, you just found line symmetry in nature! 
Look Around Your House
Take a walk around your home or backyard. Do you notice:
Rectangles and squares in windows and doors?
Circles in garden hoses or the tops of patio tables?
Triangles in rooftops or support beams?
These are all 2D shapes — flat shapes with length and width. Buildings are full of them!
Dive into 3D Shapes
What about 3D shapes — the ones with depth, like boxes or balls?
Your soccer ball is a sphere
A juice box is a rectangular prism
Ice cream cones (yum!) are cones
A tent could be a triangular prism
Go ahead and list all the 3D shapes you spot in your garage, kitchen, or park. You might be surprised how many are around you!
Flowers & Symmetry
Nature loves balance. Many flowers, like daisies or sunflowers, show rotational symmetry — they look the same even if you turn them a little. Count the petals and see if there's a pattern.
You can also find circles in the center of the flower or spirals in their petals. Nature is basically a math artist!
Sidewalks, Fences, and Patterns
Sidewalk tiles, garden fences, and even bricks are great examples of tessellation — a pattern made of repeating shapes without any gaps. Squares, rectangles, and even hexagons are used in patterns that are not only useful but also beautiful.
Try This Summer Challenge:
Go on a Geometry Scavenger Hunt – find at least:
3 types of 2D shapes
3 types of 3D shapes
1 example of symmetry
1 tessellation pattern
Take pictures or draw what you find.
Create your own “Geometry in Nature” photo collage or mini scrapbook!
Finding math in your surroundings makes it real and fun. Geometry helps architects design buildings, engineers build bridges, and even artists plan beautiful designs. And it all starts with noticing the shapes around you.
So, grab your notebook, step outside, and let nature become your math classroom this summer!
(301) 468-6284
(301) 468-6284
