Every preschool teacher needs to have a “bag of tricks” to use at a moment’s notice. These tricks are ideally something that can be used right on the spot, without any preparation or setup. They’re usually versatile and don’t take a lot of “teaching” to use. You might have chip clip poems, some favorite stories, or a handful of easy songs in your bag of tricks. Add these grid games for preschool students to the rotation!

How to Play Grid Games:
- Copy the template page onto 5 different colors of paper.
- Create a grid where each column has the same item, and each row is the same color. Do this on a pocket chart, or simply place the cards on the floor in the middle of the circle.
- Discuss the pattern and relationship of the cards. Use words like “horizontal,” “vertical,” “rows,” “columns,” and “identical.”
- Students close their eyes while the teacher removes 1 card.
- Students use their knowledge of patterns to determine which card (color and picture) is missing.





After discussing the similarities between the pictures in each row (same color) and each column (same picture), the students close their eyes while the teacher removes one card. Then the students must figure out, “Which one is missing?” The students use the terms such as “row” and “column.” Students use their eyes to scan left and right and up and down the cards. In addition, they describe the missing card using both the color and the object. As a bonus, this math lesson is also rich in oral language!

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Grow Skills with the Grid Games for Preschool Students
These grid games for preschool students might seem very simple, but they create the foundation for so many things!
- Reading a 100 chart – Preschoolers who play these grid games when they are young will begin to notice the similarities and patterns on a 100’s chart more quickly!
- Pre-Alegbra – Understanding the intersection where the missing card belongs will set students up to be more successful with finding points on a coordinate plane! 4-year-olds doing pre-algebra is pretty impressive, right?
- Table of Contents – This is an important skill as children delve into the world of non-fiction books. Scan down to find the relevant topic; then, scan across to find the page number.
Fun and learning are taking place at the same time! Download all of the Grid Games here. Enjoy playing and learning with your students today.

FREE Carpet Game!
Children love games. They learn best when they are having fun. Turning learning into a game is precisely what a Carpet Game does!
After you subscribe, you will be redirected to the FREE “Letter A” Carpet Game. We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.