A shape is symmetrical when an imaginary line can divide it into two identical halves — if you fold it along that line, the two halves match exactly. We call that line a “line of symmetry.”
Symmetrical shapes include: the square (4 lines of symmetry), the circle (infinite lines of symmetry), the equilateral triangle (3 lines of symmetry), and a heart shape (1 vertical line of symmetry). Some shapes have no line of symmetry at all, like the letter “F.”
We see symmetry often in nature: a butterfly's wings are symmetrical, a human face is nearly symmetrical, and many leaves are symmetrical too. Try folding a heart cut from paper down the middle with your child to see the two halves match.
