I bet you have a lot of burning questions about life. Questions like how do you find the area of a hexagon shape, and how many sides does a hexagon have? Okay, okay, hexagon related questions probably don’t keep you up at night … but that doesn’t mean the answers, along with a free printable hexagon shape, won’t come in handy, so keep reading! 🙂
Whether you’re educating or entertaining your kids or yourself, a picture of a hexagon may come in handy. (Yes, I’m being serious; I never joke about printables and freebies!) You can use the printable hexagon template from this post for everything from math lessons to arts and crafts projects.
For young children (think preschool through first grade), this hexagon printable could be a:
- Coloring sheet. Coloring can help improve motor coordination and promote relaxation. It can also provide the opportunity to learn colors. (Psst! If you want coloring pages specifically, get free printable coloring pages here.)
- Piece in a matching game. Design your own matching games using shapes, letters, numbers, etc. to help your child get familiar with different concepts and to develop focus and memory! (Psst! If you want to make a matching game with letters, such as upper and lowercase, or numbers, get free printable bubble letters and bubble numbers here.
Bonus: Knock, knock. Who’s there? A 132-page shapes bundle! Nope, there’s no punchline; like I said I never joke about printables. Head to the Freebie Finding Mom shop to get the 132-page shapes bundle now!
In this 132-page printable shapes worksheets bundle in the Freebie Finding Mom shop you’ll get printable shape tracing worksheets, matching shapes worksheets, shapes coloring pages, counting shapes worksheets, shape pattern worksheets, printable shapes, 2D shapes charts, and shapes flashcards. If you need preschool shapes worksheets or shapes worksheets for kindergarten, you’ll find that and more here! Snag this incredible shapes bundle now!
For older kids, this printable can be used in math and geometry lessons. For example, use this printable hexagon shape to help demonstrate how to find the area of a hexagon or the perimeter of hexagon.
If your kid is artistic, this printable hexagon template can be an easy way for him or her to learn how to draw a hexagon.
So now that you’re super stoked on hexagons (or have about 1,000,000 questions), let’s get to it!
What Is A Hexagon?
Before we can get into the area of hexagon formula or how to figure out the surface area of a hexagonal prism (oh yeah, we’re going there), we must first make sure we’re all clear on what is a hexagon. In other words, we need a hexagon definition. Crawl before you walk, and all that jazz! 😉
So, what is a hexagon? Let’s break it down: “Hexa” means six and “gon” means sides. Hexagon definition: A closed shape that is made up of six straight lines and six angles. Hexagon sides must be straight; no curves!
If, after reading the hexagon definition, you still can’t quite picture what does a hexagon look like, just scroll down a little bit and check out the hexagon printable. Now, just a few more hexagon shape basics before we move on.
How many sides does a hexagon have?
If you haven’t already figured out how many sides does a hexagon have, the answer is six; no exceptions! However, that does not mean that all of the hexagon sides are equal in length. That brings us to irregular vs. regular hexagon shapes!
What is a regular hexagon?
In a “regular” hexagon, sides are all the same length and all interior angles have the same measure. Confused? To see what does a hexagon look like, specifically a regular hexagon, just scroll down and check out the printable below!
How many angles does a hexagon have?
Again, if you haven’t already figured out how many angles does a hexagon have, the answer is six. It doesn’t matter if it’s an irregular or a regular hexagon, the answer to how many angles does a hexagon have is always six.
Download the Printable Hexagon Shape
Congrats! You just mastered the basics of hexagons! To celebrate, take a second to snag this printable hexagon shape.
Once you download this hexagon printable we can move on to some more advanced concepts, like area of hexagon, hexagon angles, and hexagonal prisms. Don’t be nervous; I’m right here with you, and there will not be a pop quiz afterward! 😉
Okay, if you were only in this thing for the printable hexagon template, to find out what does a hexagon look like, or you have very young children who don’t need to know how to find the volume of a hexagonal prism, you can bail now. but … I hope you’re interested enough to stick around. I’ll tempt you by saying there are more free printables ahead!
Have a younger kid? These printable hexagon tracing worksheets will be more their speed.
Bonus: Want a pre-colored hexagon shape to (hopefully) make that math lesson a little brighter? Get a free printable hexagon shape with color here.
Find the Perimeter of Hexagons
Again, let’s start with the basics. Solving an area of hexagon formula can be tricky, but assuming you’re dealing with regular hexagons, you’ll be able to find the perimeter of hexagons like that! (Imagine me snapping my fingers right there.)
Think about a picture of a hexagon. You picturing it? Now, a hexagon has how many sides? To find the perimeter, all you have to do is add those sides together!
This is super simple in regular hexagons where all six sides are the same length! A formula for finding the perimeter of hexagons would just be 6 * L, where “L” stands for the length of one side.
Find the Area of Hexagons
Let’s take this whole hexagon math thing a little further. As mentioned above, figuring out how to find the area of a hexagon isn’t as clear cut as finding the perimeter. That doesn’t mean you can’t do it though!
Now, for the purposes of this post, we’re going to focus on finding the area of regular hexagons. There are two area of hexagon formulas you can use for this. You will decide which to use based on what information you are given. In other words, no one is going to give you a completely blank picture of a hexagon and expect you to know how to find the area of a hexagon!
To find the area of regular hexagons:
Option 1
Area = (3⁄2)* L² * √3
In that formula, “L” stands for the length of one of the hexagon sides. The √ symbol stands for square root. To learn more about square roots and order of operations, go through the square shape refresher here!
Option 2
Area = (1/2) * P * A
In that formula “P” stands for the perimeter and “A” stands for the apothem.
Wait, I thought we were finding the area of regular hexagons, not learning a foreign language! What the heck is an apothem? (That’s totally what you were thinking, right?)
An apothem is the distance from the center to the midpoint of one of the hexagon sides. Not able to picture it? Do a quick Google search … I’ll wait.
What About Hexagon Angles?
Now that you’ve figured out the perimeter and area of hexagons, let’s take a closer look at hexagon angles, including interior angles of a hexagon.
What is the sum of interior angles of a hexagon?
The sum of interior angles of a hexagon is always 720º. That means in a regular hexagon, to get to the sum of interior angles of a hexagon, the interior angles must be 120º each.
More Printable Hexagon Shape FAQ
Okay, now we’re moving into the advanced, level three stuff! Are you ready?
How many lines of symmetry does a hexagon have?
Before we get to how many lines of symmetry does a hexagon have, let’s define what a “line of symmetry” is.
A line of symmetry is a line that cuts a shape perfectly in half, meaning that if you were to fold the shape along that line both halves would match exactly.
So going back to a hexagon has how many sides, think about how you could fold the shape perfectly in half. … The answer to how many lines of symmetry does a hexagon have is six!
How many diagonals does a hexagon have?
Again, before we answer how many diagonals does a hexagon have, let’s define diagonals. A diagonal is a line that connects two vertices of a polygon; however, those vertices cannot be on the same side or edge. In other words, a diagonal is a sloping line! 🙂
So how many diagonals does a hexagon have? Nine!
What Is a Hexagonal Prism?
Gee, I never thought you’d ask! A hexagonal prism is a solid geometric figure composed of two hexagonal bases and six rectangular sides. So, the top and bottom of the prism are hexagons and they’re connected by rectangular sides.
Why six rectangular sides? Ask yourself this … a hexagon has how many sides? Yep, six! 🙂
Now, if you’re ready for the really advanced stuff, the teacher’s-pet extra credit stuff, stick around!
How do you find the volume of a hexagonal prism?
Just like with the area of hexagons, some information will be given to you. In general though, here’s the formula you can use to find the volume of a hexagonal prism. Note: This formula is for regular hexagonal prisms only!
Volume = 3 * A * L * H
In that formula for finding the volume of a hexagonal prism, “A” is the apothem, “L” is the length of a side of the hexagonal base, and “H” is the height of the prism.
How do you find the surface area of a hexagonal prism?
Okay, time for the pièce de résistance—finding the surface area of a hexagonal prism!
Just to be clear, the surface area of an object, like a hexagonal prism, is the area of all of the shape’s surfaces added together. So for a hexagonal prism we must take into account both of the hexagonal bases and the six rectangular sides. Basically, you have to find the area of all of these shapes and add them together. This won’t be nearly as difficult if we’re dealing with regular hexagons.
If dealing with regular hexagons (and therefore a regular hexagonal prism), the area of each of the six rectangles would be identical. So you could find the area of just one of the six by multiplying the length times the width.
Now you just need to find the area of the hexagonal bases! We’ve already talked about finding area of hexagons. Once you have the area of one, since it’s a regular hexagon, it’ll be the same for the other base. Now, just add up the area of your rectangles and your hexagons. That’s it!
Free Printable 2D Shapes
Whew! I don’t know about you, but I worked up a sweat doing all those hexagon shape formulas! I’m all hexagon-d out, so let’s check out some other shapes. Here are more printable 2D shapes you can download right now!
Go here to get free printable 2D shapes chart in black and white or here for free printable 2D shapes chart in color. Or if a specific shape caught your eye you can download it here:
- Octagon Shape
- Square Shape
- Circle Shape
- Rectangle Shape
- Trapezoid Shape
- Pentagon Shape
- Oval Shape
- Diamond Shape
- Triangle Shape
Coloring Pages Beyond the Printable Hexagon Shape
This hexagon is free, versatile, and overall, a great addition to your growing hoard of printables. (Is that just me?) But I’ll admit, it isn’t the most imaginative coloring sheet out there. So, if you’re looking to spark creativity, download:
And don’t be afraid to get in on a little of that crayon action yourself … coloring may be just the way to unwind after all those math exercises! 🙂
Letter and Number Printables
Looking to create more educational and entertaining games for your kids? Look no further than these letter and number printables!
- Free Printable Calligraphy Alphabet Letters or if it’s more your style a modern calligraphy alphabet.
- Printable number templates including bubble numbers from 0 to 100 and a free printable number stencils set.
Even More Templates
Okay, I can’t resist, here are some more of my favorite templates! With a dash of creativity, the uses for these printables are practically infinite! 🙂
How to Draw A Hexagon
Wondering how to draw a hexagon? Like a really good one? Here are two simple options:
- Break out your ruler and carefully draw a regular hexagon by measuring out, let me hear it, six sides!
- Snag the printable hexagon shape from this post and trace it! (Check out the video in this post for an example; while the video focuses on how to draw bubble letters, the concept is the same for how to draw a hexagon.)
