Tracing Pictures for Kids: Big, Middle and Small

The page has three rows, and each row shows the same vehicle three times, getting smaller from left to right. At the top three airplanes fly under a little cloud, in the middle three cars drive along a road, and at the bottom three ships sail on the waves. The biggest copy in each row is drawn in thick dashes, the middle copy in medium dashes and the smallest in fine dashes, so the line gets thinner as the picture shrinks.

Being able to make the same shape bigger or smaller is an important part of pencil control, and it is the skill children need later to write letters that fit their lines. Tracing the big airplane uses the whole arm; tracing the small one needs small, careful finger movements. Doing all three in a row lets the child feel the difference. Ask the child to start with the big one each time, and to compare the three finished pictures: they are the same airplane, only bigger and smaller.

This printable PDF suits kindergarten and is a favorite with children who love vehicles. When the small copies feel easy, the dotted town street page asks for even finer, more careful lines. Picture tracing follows the outline of whole pictures; abstract line practice, step-by-step drawing and numbered dot-to-dot have their own pages.