Faces, Edges and Vertices Worksheet (Free KS2 3D Shapes)

What this worksheet covers

This worksheet focuses on identifying common 3D shapes and describing their properties using the correct vocabulary: faces, edges and vertices. Children name the solids that make up the robot and then count the three properties for each one. The robot is made from a cube (the head), a cuboid (the body), a cone (the hat), two cylinders (the arms) and spheres (the shoulders and feet). Counting faces, edges and vertices is first taught in Year 2; in Years 5 and 6 children revisit it and are expected to identify 3D shapes from flat drawings, which means picturing the faces and edges they cannot see. Working from a single picture rather than separate diagrams encourages exactly that, and helps children recognise a solid even when it is part of a larger object.

Faces, edges and vertices explained

It helps to settle the vocabulary before starting. A face is a flat or curved surface of a solid; an edge is the line where two faces meet; and a vertex (plural: vertices) is a corner point where edges meet. A cube, for example, has 6 faces, 12 edges and 8 vertices, while a square-based pyramid has 5 faces, 8 edges and 5 vertices. Curved shapes can challenge this language: a cylinder has 2 flat faces and 1 curved surface, a cone has 1 flat face and 1 curved surface with a single apex (often counted as a vertex), and a sphere has a single curved surface with no straight edges or vertices at all. There are different conventions for counting the curved surfaces and the apex, so it is worth agreeing the rule your school uses before marking.

How to use the worksheet

Print the page and ask the child to colour the robot first, perhaps using a different colour for each type of solid so the cube, cuboid, cylinders, cone and spheres stand out. Then they work through the counting questions, finding each shape on the robot before recording its faces, edges and vertices. The short-answer section asks children to explain the difference between an edge and a vertex and to name a real-world object for a chosen solid, which encourages them to use the vocabulary in full sentences. Counting from the picture and from memory together helps move children from recognising shapes to reasoning about their properties.

Helping children at home

You do not need any maths background to support this topic. Hunt for 3D shapes around the house: a cereal box is a cuboid, a tin of beans is a cylinder, a ball is a sphere, an ice-cream cone is a cone, and dice are cubes. Let your child run a finger along an edge and tap each vertex while counting aloud, as the physical action makes the abstract definitions concrete. If counting hidden edges and vertices is tricky, encourage them to handle the real object and rotate it, rather than relying only on a flat drawing. Steady, low-pressure practice like this builds the confident shape vocabulary expected by the end of Year 6.

Frequently asked questions