Free printable worksheets for 4 year olds
Four year olds are ready for real pencil control and proper cutting. These books give them a clear, step-by-step path.
Four is the age when tracing turns into drawing with intent and snipping turns into cutting along a line. The best worksheets for 4 year olds give a clear start point, a clear direction and a little story to follow. Our Pre-Writing series does exactly that (every line starts at a green dot) and the Scissor Skills series keeps the paper attached so there is nothing to lose.
Work through the series in order, one sheet a day, and add lacing cards, pegboards and movement cards to keep hands and bodies busy. Every book is a free PDF to print at home or in class.
Best books for 4 year olds
Eight books to print first. Every one is a free PDF with a notes page for the adult.
Themed Cutting: Lion, Monster and Octopus
Give the lion a haircut. Don't snip his face!
Upper and Lower Case Matching
Big A meets little a. Match them, cut them, stick them.
Lacing and Threading Cards
Lace an animal, a shape and a strawberry, in and out, all the way round.
Movement Dice and Obstacle-Course Cards
Roll the dice, do the move, then build a course!
Frequently asked questions
What skills should worksheets for 4 year olds practise?
Pencil control (tracing paths and shapes), cutting along lines, pattern copying and hand-eye coordination. All of these appear in the books above.
My 4 year old finds tracing hard. What should I do?
Go back a book. Trace in the air, in sand or with a wet paintbrush first, then with a finger on the page, then with a crayon. The Pencil Control Paths book has five width levels so you can start wide.
Are these the same as Reception worksheets?
Largely, yes. Four year olds in England are usually in Nursery or starting Reception, so the Reception worksheets page lists the same core books with a few more advanced ones.