Earlier and Later: Flower Bloom Sequencing Worksheet for Preschoolers
Sequencing events in order is an early scientific and narrative reasoning skill, and this worksheet uses the life cycle of a flower to give children ages 3-5 concrete practice with the concepts of 'earlier' and 'later.' By matching earlier-stage images to their later-stage counterparts, children start to understand cause and change over time, a concept that underlies both storytelling and basic science observation. Drawing the next stage of the flower's bloom afterward adds a predictive element, asking children to apply the pattern they've just observed.
Curriculum
How to use this worksheet
Look at the 'Earlier' images together and describe what's happening in each one, then do the same for the 'Later' images. Ask your child to match each earlier picture to the later picture that shows what happens next by drawing a connecting line. Once all pairs are matched, point to the final flower image and ask your child to draw what they think comes after it. Talk through their prediction together before moving on.
Materials needed
- Pencil
- Crayons
Extension activities
- •Discuss other life cycles, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly or a tadpole becoming a frog.
- •Plant a real seed in a cup and observe and sketch its growth over the following weeks.
- •Draw and label the stages of a plant's growth on a separate sheet of paper.
- •Read a book about plants or gardens and talk about which parts happen 'earlier' and 'later.'
Tips for parents and teachers
Encourage your child to describe what they see in each picture using full sentences, and ask guiding questions like 'What happens first?' and 'What happens after that?' If your child struggles with the sequencing itself, try acting out a simpler earlier/later scenario first, like 'first you put on socks, later you put on shoes.' There's no single right answer for the final drawing — focus on whether their prediction follows logically from the pattern, not on artistic accuracy.
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
Related worksheets
Before and After Worksheet for Kids: Sequencing Activities
This worksheet helps children ages 3-5 practice sequencing by identifying which picture logically comes before and which comes after a given event. Understanding cause-and-effect order is an early comprehension skill that supports retelling stories and understanding daily routines. Combining a tick-the-answer section with a cut-and-paste section gives repeated practice with the same concept in two different formats.
Jungle Adventure Sequence Worksheet for Kids
This cut-and-paste sequencing activity has children ages 3-5 arrange picture strips numbered 10 through 14 in the correct order to reveal a hidden jungle scene, linking number sequencing directly to a satisfying visual reward. Because the reveal only works if every strip is placed correctly, children get immediate, built-in feedback on whether their sequencing is accurate. Practicing numbers in the 10-14 range also pushes counting skills just beyond the more commonly rehearsed 1-10 range.
After School Routine Worksheet: Sequencing Activities
Children ages 3-5 practice ordering a set of pictures to match the real sequence of their own after-school routine, building early sequencing skills that also support memory, planning, and the language of time, like 'first,' 'next,' and 'last.' Reflecting on their own daily routine makes this sequencing practice personally meaningful rather than abstract.
Rainbow Sequence Cut and Paste Worksheet for Preschoolers
Children ages 4-6 practice numerical sequencing by arranging rainbow picture pieces in the correct numbered order, while also building fine motor control through cutting and gluing. Combining sequencing with a cut-and-paste format makes an abstract ordering skill into a tactile, visual task.
Sequence the Pictures: Ordering Activities Worksheet for Kids
This worksheet builds logical sequencing skills for 3-5 year olds by having them study a set of three pictures showing an event unfolding and decide which order makes sense — planting a seed before it grows, for example, rather than after. Writing the numbers 1, 2, and 3 under each picture forces your child to commit to a specific reasoning about cause and effect, which is a meaningfully different task than simply describing what's happening in each picture.
Daily Routine Sequencing Worksheet for Kids
Numbering pictures of daily activities in the order they happen teaches children ages 3-5 to reason about time and cause and effect, an early form of logical sequencing that also supports narrative skills used in storytelling. Recognizing routine events like waking up, eating breakfast, and going to bed helps children connect the worksheet to their own daily experience.
Post Sequence Worksheet: Ordering Steps for Sending a Letter!
Ordering the steps of sending a letter teaches children to recognize that everyday processes happen in a logical sequence with a clear beginning, middle, and end, a skill that underlies both reading comprehension and later writing organization. For ages 3-5, sequencing also strengthens working memory, since children must hold several images in mind at once while deciding which comes first.
Before and After: Sequencing Worksheet for Early Learners
Sequencing 'before' and 'after' events trains children to think about time and cause-and-effect in order, a reasoning skill that underlies reading comprehension, like following a story's plot, and everyday routines alike. This cut-and-paste format adds a physical, hands-on layer, requiring children to manipulate and place pictures correctly rather than just pointing, which reinforces the sequencing concept through action.
Guides for this topic
Coding Activities for Preschoolers: Building Tomorrow's Thinkers Today
Discover 15+ unplugged and screen-based coding activities for preschoolers that build sequencing, logic, and problem-solving skills through play. NEP 2020 aligned.
Growing Green Hearts: A Comprehensive Guide to Teaching Environmental Awareness to Preschoolers
Practical guide to teaching preschoolers ages 2-6 about nature, recycling, water conservation, and Earth Day with Indian context and simple home activities.
Hands-On Science Fun: Age-Appropriate Science Activities That Spark Curiosity in Preschoolers
Discover 10+ easy science experiments for preschoolers using Indian household items. Spark curiosity in children ages 2-6 with safe, play-based STEM activities.
Reviews
Every worksheet for ages 3–5, no watermark
Members download the full library of 1,000+ worksheets and every activity pack without watermarks or daily limits. One year costs ₹1,000 in India or $20 elsewhere.
See membership plansOr download any worksheet free with a watermark (5 a day).