Free Printable Protractor PDF

There are many different ways you can incorporate these printable protractors into learning, whether this is in the classroom, or at home. They’re a fun and interactive tool to help kids understand angles better.

Angle recognition

One of the first and most obvious things that kids can do with these printable protractors is to practice recognising different types of angles. You can of course start with basic types of angles, for example a right angle (90-degrees), acute angles (those that are less than 90-degrees) and obtuse angles (those which are greater than 90-degrees but less than 180-degrees).

The semicircle protractor would be great to practice measuring angles with everyday shapes and objects. For example, task your kids to identify and measure angles in objects like the corner of a book, or the points of a triangular-shaped object.

By introducing these key concepts early in their learning, it means that kids have a clear understanding of what angles actually are and how they work. This will set them up well for future learning about angles and geometry.

Drawing and measuring angles

Another great way to use these two protractor resources is by practicing drawing and creating their own angles.

Kids can draw lines and measure angles using either protractor, depending on their ability and understanding of more complex angles and geometry.

This interactive and creative activity will help kids understand how angles are actually formed and how they relate to what it is that they are drawing. As an example, by drawing and then measuring a triangle they can better understand it’s properties and make-up. Or even the same for a square!

Geometry games and creative projects

Kids love to play games and to be creative. What better way for them to practice geometry than by turning this into something fun!

One idea would be to organise a geometry scavenger hunt where kids must find angles around them (your classroom, home, or learning environment) and then measure them using these printable protractors. You can ask them to identify and measure certain types of angles too, like as many acute angles as they can find in the room.

Or you could use a worksheet with pre-drawn shapes on it and get kids to measure and label the angles on it. Kids can compete and see who completes a worksheet the quickest, or if doing it themselves then they can try and beat their previous time record.

This could even be as part of a relay race or obstacle course to become even more active! Get kids to take turns measuring an angle correctly, then they must complete a run or part of an obstacle course before the next person can go. Again, time them and they must do it as quickly as possible, or they could even compete against their peers.

Of course geometry is not just about numbers and measurements but also creativity. These printable protractors can be used in artistic projects in order to help kids create symmetrical designs, to draw kaleidoscope-like patterns, or to design their own geometric artwork. This can take a little planning but is well worth the effort for a satisfying piece of art as a result!

Lastly they can even incorporate protractors into craft projects when precise angles are needed, such as building models or creating a paper sculpture. It can be a great understanding of geometry and skills that a lot of engineers have!