On or Under Worksheet: Where is the Object?
Reading a short sentence describing an object's location and then ticking the picture that matches teaches children ages 3-5 to connect spoken or written prepositions, 'on' and 'under,' to a visual representation, strengthening both listening comprehension and spatial vocabulary. This worksheet requires children to hold a sentence in mind and compare it against a picture, which is a slightly more advanced skill than simply naming a position they can already see. Understanding prepositions like these supports later reading comprehension, since so many simple stories depend on describing where things are.
Part of the pack
Month 1: Learning & Development | Ages 6-7Curriculum
How to use this worksheet
Read the sentence for the first picture aloud together, emphasizing the word 'on' or 'under.' Look at the picture and ask your child whether it matches what the sentence describes. Have your child tick the circle next to the picture that correctly shows the object's location as described in the sentence. Continue through each sentence and picture pair on the page, encouraging your child to reread the sentence if they're unsure before answering.
Materials needed
- Pencil
- Eraser
Extension activities
- •Place a toy on and under different pieces of furniture and describe its location using a full sentence each time.
- •Play a listening game where you say 'the ball is under the chair' and your child has to act it out.
- •Read a picture book and pause to describe where an object is using the words on or under.
- •Draw a picture of a table with an object either on or under it, then write a matching sentence.
- •Hide a small toy on or under something in the room and give your child a sentence clue to find it.
Tips for parents and teachers
If your child ticks the wrong picture, reread the sentence slowly together and ask them to physically act out the position with a toy, since movement often clarifies the concept faster than rereading alone. It's common for prepositions like on and under to be confused with similar words like in or beside, so keep the vocabulary focused on just these two for now. Everyday narration, like describing where you're placing objects during daily routines, reinforces this concept far beyond the worksheet itself.
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
Positional Words Worksheet: Before, You, and After!
This cut-and-paste worksheet teaches children ages 3-5 to apply the positional words 'before' and 'after' to a sequence of objects or people, connecting an abstract language concept to a visual, hands-on task. Understanding order words like these is an important building block for later skills such as retelling stories in sequence and understanding time concepts like yesterday and tomorrow. Choosing and placing the correct picture also reinforces careful listening and following two-step directions.
Positional Words Worksheet: Near and Far
This worksheet introduces children ages 3-5 to the positional concepts of 'near' and 'far,' asking them to look at a picture and tick the word that correctly describes an object's distance from a reference point. Positional vocabulary like this is an important building block for spatial reasoning and later geometry and direction-following skills. Because near and far are relative concepts rather than fixed labels, this practice also builds flexible thinking about how position depends on comparison.
Near and Far Worksheet: Identifying and Connecting Objects
This worksheet introduces children ages 3-5 to the comparative spatial concepts of 'near' and 'far' by having them draw connecting lines based on relative distance in a picture. Understanding proximity words builds an early vocabulary foundation for describing the physical world, which later supports map reading and measurement concepts. The connect-the-line format also reinforces visual tracking and following printed instructions accurately.
On and Under Worksheet: Table Placement Fun!
Cutting out pictures and gluing them either on or under a table teaches children ages 3-5 the spatial prepositions 'on' and 'under' by requiring them to physically place an object according to a specific instruction rather than just hearing the words. This hands-on placement task builds spatial reasoning and reinforces receptive language, since children must correctly interpret which word means which position before acting on it. Prepositions like these are often tricky to grasp through listening alone, so the visual, hands-on nature of this worksheet makes the concept concrete.
Top and Bottom Fun: Observe and Tick the Correct Position!
Children ages 3-5 build spatial reasoning and positional vocabulary as they observe pictures and decide whether an object is positioned at the top or the bottom. Understanding positional words like 'top' and 'bottom' supports children's ability to follow multi-step directions and later helps with concepts like graphing and map reading.
Above and Below Worksheet: Counting and Spatial Reasoning for Kids
This worksheet combines spatial reasoning and counting for children ages 4-6, asking them to identify whether objects are positioned above or below a reference point and then use that understanding to answer counting questions. Understanding relative position words like 'above' and 'below' supports later skills in reading diagrams, maps, and graphs. Pairing the concept with counting also reinforces that spatial language can describe quantities, not just single objects.
Match the Concepts! A Fun Worksheet for Kids
Children ages 3-5 practice matching pairs of opposite or related concepts, like thick and thin or clean and dirty, building early vocabulary and critical thinking around comparison words. Understanding these paired concepts helps children describe the world around them with more precise, descriptive language.
Front and Behind Worksheet: Where is the Cat?
Judging whether the cat sits 'in front of' or 'behind' an object in each picture develops relative-position reasoning for children ages 3-5, an early spatial skill that also builds the vocabulary needed for giving and following directions.
Guides for this topic
Best Worksheets for 3-Year-Olds: What Works and What to Avoid
What works on worksheets for 3-year-olds: short sessions, crayons, tracing lines, matching, cutting, a free weekly plan, and signs one is too advanced.
Age-Appropriate Problem-Solving Activities: Building Critical Thinkers from the Ground Up
Discover fun, age-appropriate problem-solving activities for children ages 1-8. Build critical thinking, logic, and reasoning skills through play-based learning.
Critical Thinking Activities That Actually Work for Young Children: Building Tomorrow's Thinkers Today
Discover proven critical thinking activities for young children. Age-wise logic games, questioning techniques, and hands-on ideas to build thinking skills at home.
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).