Before and After Shapes Worksheet: Coloring and Identifying Shapes
This worksheet combines shape identification with sequencing for children ages 3-5, asking them to color shapes accurately and then determine which shape comes before or after a given one in a sequence. Applying 'before' and 'after' to shapes rather than pictures of events pushes children to think about order in a more abstract way. Coloring within defined shape outlines also builds hand control and attention to boundaries.
Part of the pack
Month 10: Learning & Development | Ages 6-7Curriculum
How to use this worksheet
Look at the shapes on the page together and name each one — circle, square, triangle, and so on — before coloring begins. Follow the color instructions for each shape, having your child color it in with the matching or specified color. For the before-and-after section, point to the reference shape and ask your child to tick the shape that comes before it and the shape that comes after it in the row. Review the whole page together, naming each shape and its position in the sequence.
Materials needed
- Pencil
- Crayons
Extension activities
- •Create a shape matching game.
- •Draw your own 'before and after' shape scenarios.
- •Line up cut-out paper shapes in a row and ask what comes before or after a chosen shape.
- •Play a shape-naming race, calling out a shape and timing how fast your child finds it on the page.
- •Build a simple shape pattern with blocks and ask what shape belongs before or after a gap.
Tips for parents and teachers
Encourage children to verbalize the instructions and the shapes they are coloring, since naming each shape while coloring reinforces both vocabulary and recognition. If the before/after concept feels confusing when applied to shapes rather than events, return to a simpler line-up of three objects as a refresher. Keep colored pencils or crayons within easy reach so coloring doesn't interrupt the sequencing thinking.
Written by
Hemsweta Jain · Teacher Cheena
MBA and Early Childhood Educator, teaching since 2014 · Founder of RaisoActive, Mumbai
Every RaisoActive worksheet is designed and checked by the founder before publishing.
Published · Last reviewed
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