Maths Library

Naming 3D Shapes: Year 1 maths

This topic covers naming common three-dimensional solid shapes and recognising their properties. The worksheet practises identifying cubes, spheres, cylinders, cones, and prisms, as well as counting faces, edges, and vertices.

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What this covers

Naming 3D Shapes is taught in Year 1 (age 5 to 6, KS1) as a topic to introduce. It sits in the Geometry strand.

Worked example

How many flat faces does a triangular prism have

  1. Identify the 2 triangular bases at either end
  2. Identify the 3 rectangular faces joining them
  3. Add together: 2 + 3 = 5

Answer: 5

Difficulty scale

The sheet generator offers five difficulty settings for this topic.

  1. Identifying familiar solids: cube, sphere, cylinder, cone
  2. Identifying square-based pyramids and triangular prisms
  3. Counting faces and vertices on simple prisms and pyramids
  4. Counting edges and identifying curved versus flat surfaces
  5. Differentiating complex prisms and matching solids to nets

Common mistakes

  • Confusing 2D shape names with 3D solid names (e.g. calling a sphere a circle)
  • Confusing edges with vertices

Curriculum links

Indicative matches to National Curriculum for England. Check wording and codes against the official document.

  • Recognise and name common 3D shapes including cuboids, cubes, pyramids, and spheres.

Sample sheet and answers

Six questions at the level's usual difficulty. Open the editor to change, add or regenerate any of them.

Naming 3D Shapes

Year 1 maths

Qs
6
Marks
6
NameDateScore / 6
1.
How many edges does a cube have?
[1]
2.
How many vertices does a triangular prism have?
[1]
3.
How many edges does a triangular prism have?
[1]
4.
How many faces does a cube have?
[1]
5.
How many edges does a cube have?
[1]
6.
How many vertices does a cuboid have?
[1]

Answer key

  1. 12A cube has 6 faces, 12 edges and 8 vertices
  2. 6A triangular prism has 5 faces, 9 edges and 6 vertices
  3. 9A triangular prism has 5 faces, 9 edges and 6 vertices
  4. 6A cube has 6 faces, 12 edges and 8 vertices
  5. 12A cube has 6 faces, 12 edges and 8 vertices
  6. 8A cuboid has 6 faces, 12 edges and 8 vertices