Abstract: An educational toy is disclosed which includes a sensor having an array of sensing points and a sensor sheet having a flexible face against which an object whose shape is to be recognized is placed, the object providing a change in electrical characteristics at points of the array which are contacted by the object, an output for detecting points whose electrical characteristics have been altered, a memory for comparing the relative positions of the points in such an array with information stored in memory to determine to which of the memorized set of objects the changed characteristics correspond and providing an output in a child recognizable manner associated with the shape placed on the sensor sheet.