Learning Worksheets Shapes Oval
Free printable PDF · ages 3–6
Oval Shape Worksheet
An oval is a stretched circle: round all the way, with no corners, but longer one way than the other. Eggs, grapes and many mirrors are oval. This worksheet has an oval to trace, dots to join, a drawing space and an oval hunt.
What’s on the oval worksheet
A big oval and its name to trace, a row of ovals, dots to join, a space to draw and a mix of 15 shapes where your child finds and colours every oval.
What makes a oval a oval?
An oval looks like a circle that has been gently squashed or pulled. It is still smooth and curved, with no straight sides or corners. In maths, a perfectly regular oval is called an ellipse, but “oval” is the friendly word for children.
Oval shapes in real life
- An egg, seen from the side
- A rugby ball
- A grape, a plum or an olive
- Many bathroom mirrors and picture frames
- The shape of a racetrack seen from above
How to draw a oval
Start at the top and curve down one side, round the bottom and back up the other side to the start, like a circle that is taller than it is wide. Keep the curve smooth, with no flat parts.
Activity: Egg and circle sort
Gather round things from the kitchen: plates, lids, grapes, eggs, a lemon. Your child sorts them into a circle pile and an oval pile. Roll each one along the table and see which ones wobble.
Oval or not?
Ovals are easy to mix up with circles. A quick check: if you could fold it in half one way and get a long, thin half, it is an oval. A circle looks the same whichever way you fold it.
More shapes to try
star · heart · diamond · or the whole shapes collection.
Oval questions
Is an oval the same as an ellipse?
Nearly. An ellipse is the exact mathematical shape, and many ovals are ellipses. For young children, the word oval is perfect.
Why is an egg oval?
An oval egg rolls in a small circle rather than far away, which helps keep eggs safe in a nest. It is a fun fact to share when you crack one for breakfast.
More answers in the shapes FAQ.
More Free Shape Worksheets
Also try: colour worksheets · number charts · tracing worksheets