Positional Words Worksheet: Over, Under, Up, and Down!
This worksheet helps children ages 3-5 build spatial reasoning by identifying and applying the positional words over, under, up, and down to describe where objects are in relation to one another. Understanding these words is foundational not just for following directions, but also for later concepts like map reading and following multi-step instructions.
Part of the pack
Month 2: Learning & Development | Ages 4-5
This is page 29 of the pack. Ages 4-5 · Pre-KAges 4-5 · ReceptionAges 4-5 · LKGAges 4-5
Made for your child
Spelling practice, made for your child
Their own spelling words turned into a pack: trace or look-cover-write-check, roll and write, a secret picture code, a word search, a crossword and a test, with their name in it.
Make a spelling packFree preview · free for members
Or start free: a word search with sight wordsCurriculum
- Spatial Sense > Spatial Concepts
How to use this worksheet
Read the instruction for the first picture aloud, such as 'circle the object that is over the table,' and have your child study the picture before answering. Have them circle the object that matches the described position. Then have them find and cross out the object that shows the opposite position, like the one that is under instead of over. Continue through the remaining pictures, having your child explain out loud why they chose each answer before moving to the next one.
Materials needed
- Pencil
- Crayons
Extension activities
- 1Play a game of 'Simon Says' using positional words, like 'put your hands up' or 'crawl under the table.'
- 2Go on a scavenger hunt around the house and find objects that are over, under, up, and down from something else.
- 3Hide a small toy either over or under a piece of furniture and have your child guess its position before looking.
- 4Read a picture book and pause to point out and name positional relationships between characters and objects.
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
Inside and Outside Worksheet for Kids
Ages 3-5 · Preschool–Pre-KAges 3-5 · Nursery–ReceptionAges 3-5 · Nursery–LKGAges 3-5
Understanding 'inside' and 'outside' as opposite positional concepts helps children ages 3-5 build early spatial reasoning and vocabulary they'll rely on constantly in both everyday language and later math instruction involving position and location. This worksheet asks children to identify objects in different settings and then physically place animals into their homes, giving them practice applying the concept rather than just naming it. Matching each animal to its correct home also reinforces basic categorization — recognizing that different creatures belong in different types of spaces.
Navratri Symmetry Rangoli and Acrostic Poem
Ages 7-11 · Grade 2–Grade 3Ages 7-11 · Year 3–Year 4Ages 7-11 · Class 2–Class 3Ages 7-11
Children reflect a pattern in two mirror lines to complete a four-way symmetrical rangoli on a dot grid, add their own symmetrical details, and write an acrostic poem with one line for each letter of NAVRATRI.
Colour Code Lab: Navratri Fractions, Percentages and Probability
Ages 7-11 · Grade 2–Grade 3Ages 7-11 · Year 3–Year 4Ages 7-11 · Class 2–Class 3Ages 7-11
Children read a survey of 50 children's favourite Navratri colours and write fractions and percentages, write the chance of picking each kind of bangle as a fraction, and solve three riddles using the colour calendar on page 9.
Mela Data Detective: Navratri Bar Chart, Patterns and Moon Maths
Ages 7-11 · Grade 2–Grade 3Ages 7-11 · Year 3–Year 4Ages 7-11 · Class 2–Class 3Ages 7-11
Children complete a bar chart of nine nights of visitors, find the total, the mean and the biggest increase, find and explain the rule for a growing pattern of dancers, compare a lunar year with a solar year, and add the dolls on nine Golu steps to discover a square number.
Navratri Rangoli Colour by Number and Symmetry Diya
Ages 4-6 · Pre-K–KindergartenAges 4-6 · Reception–Year 1Ages 4-6 · LKG–UKGAges 4-6
Children match numbers to colours using a key, colour a rangoli pattern carefully and draw the other half of a shape so both sides match.
Navratri Picture Sudoku and Story Sequencing: Think It Through
Ages 4-6 · Pre-K–KindergartenAges 4-6 · Reception–Year 1Ages 4-6 · LKG–UKGAges 4-6
Children use logic to complete a 4x4 picture sudoku where each row and column has each picture once, and put four story pictures in order.
Clothing Pattern Match Worksheet for Preschoolers
Ages 3-5 · Preschool–Pre-KAges 3-5 · Nursery–ReceptionAges 3-5 · Nursery–LKGAges 3-5
This worksheet has children ages 3-5 study repeating patterns on clothing items — stripes, polka dots, or checks — and match each item to its identical twin, building visual discrimination and early pattern-sequencing skills. Distinguishing between similar-looking patterns also sharpens attention to detail, a skill that later supports letter and word recognition.
Elephant Shapes: Fun Sorting Worksheet for Preschoolers!
Ages 3-5 · Preschool–Pre-KAges 3-5 · Nursery–ReceptionAges 3-5 · Nursery–LKGAges 3-5
This playful sorting worksheet has children ages 3-5 use an elephant's 'trunk' (their own hand reaching through a cut circle) to pick and sort shapes, building both shape recognition and simple classification skills. Physically selecting and grouping shapes by type, rather than just naming them on sight, helps solidify the concept that shapes can share a category even when their size or color differs.
Guides for this topic
Documenting Learning Without Drowning in Data: A Practical Guide for Parents and Teachers
Learn practical ways to document your child's learning without overwhelm. Simple portfolios, observation tips, and printable trackers for ages 1-8.
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 ₹999 in India or $20 elsewhere.
See membership plansOr download any worksheet free with a watermark (5 a day).