Pets Shadow Matching
Draw a line from each animal to its shadow.
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Free worksheet from maggiegames.com
Pets Shadow Matching Worksheet
Four pets and four shadows. Draw a line from each animal to its shadow. Free to print, at home or in class.
About this sheet
Only four pairs and plenty of white space, so it suits the youngest children and anyone who tires quickly. These are also the animals a child is most likely to have met in person, which makes naming them out loud easier.
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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