Shadow Matching for Nursery
Draw a line from each picture to its shadow.
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Free worksheet from maggiegames.com
Shadow Matching for Nursery Worksheet
Three pairs, printed large. The easiest sheet on the site. Free to print, at home or in class.
About this sheet
Three pairs and nothing else on the page. The dog, the banana and the school bus were picked because no two of them share anything: four legs, one long curve, one big box. They are also strongly coloured, which matters on paper, since a pale subject printed on white is hard for a small child to see at all. A two-year-old who cannot yet compare fine detail can still succeed here, and succeeding is the whole point of a first worksheet.
About the name. Nursery, preschool and kindergarten here describe how much the sheet asks for, not who is allowed to use it. If an older child is working on this skill, this is the right sheet for them and nothing printed on it says otherwise.
How to use it
- Name each animal first. Go down the left column together and say them out loud before a single line is drawn. Matching is easier once the words are in the room.
- Talk about the outline, not the answer. "This one has a very long neck" teaches the strategy. Pointing at the right shadow teaches nothing.
- A finger is fine. If holding a pencil is hard work, let the child trace the line with a finger, or cut the sheet into cards and place them side by side.
- Stop while it is still going well. Half a sheet finished happily beats a whole one finished in tears.
What it practises
Visual discrimination, the ability to notice how two shapes differ from one another. It is the skill underneath telling a b from a d later on. Drawing the connecting line adds a little fine-motor and left-to-right tracking practice on top.
If the pencil work is the hard part rather than the matching, the online version of this game uses the same animal photographs and needs only a tap.
Questions
Is this worksheet really free?
Yes. Print it as many times as you like, at home or in a classroom. No account and no sign-up.
How do I get the PDF?
Use the download button above for the ready-made PDF, or press Print and choose Save as PDF.
What age is it for?
Roughly three to seven. Younger children usually do better with the four-pair Pets sheet.
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