Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Firework Pattern Spot Game: Free Printable Game for Year 2
- ForYear 2
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Firework Pattern Spot Game is a free printable pattern game for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7). Children look at rows of colours, shapes, sizes and numbers, work out what repeats, and write what comes next. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children meet short rows of fireworks style patterns and fill in the gap at the end. Some rows use colours, some use shapes, some use big and small, and one uses numbers. Each row has a repeating chunk. Children find the chunk, say it aloud, and decide what comes next. There is space to write each answer. Up to four players can take turns to make up patterns for each other.
- red, gold, red, gold, ___
- blue, blue, green, blue, blue, ___
- star, star, circle, star, star, ___
- big, small, big, small, ___
- 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, ___
- red, red, gold, gold, red, red, ___
A worked example
rocket, flower, wheel, rocket, flower, ___
This is a different pattern from the sheet. It shows two ways to find the missing part.
Method 1: find the chunk that repeats- Read the pattern aloud: rocket, flower, wheel, rocket, flower.
- Look for where it starts again. The word rocket appears a second time, so the chunk is rocket, flower, wheel.
- The pattern has just finished flower. Ask what comes after flower in the chunk.
- Use three different coloured counters or pencils to stand for rocket, flower and wheel.
- Lay them out in the order of the pattern.
- Carry on laying them out in the same order and see which one goes in the gap.
Ways to look at a pattern
Find the chunk
Every repeating pattern has a short chunk that comes round again and again. Children put a finger on the first item and look for where it appears next. Everything before that point is the chunk.
Say it, clap it
Turn the pattern into sounds. Say each item aloud, or clap and tap a rhythm for it. Hearing the pattern repeat often makes the missing part easier to spot.
Check by reading it back
Once the gap is filled, read the whole row from the start. If the rhythm sounds smooth and the chunk repeats cleanly, the answer fits.
Change one thing
Make a pattern, then change just one part, such as the colour or the size. Ask the group to spot what changed and how it alters the rule.
Why patterns matter in Year 2
A pattern is something that follows a rule. In Year 2, children look at repeating patterns made from objects, colours, shapes and numbers. They learn to spot what repeats, carry it on, and explain the rule in their own words. This is early work on thinking in a logical order, which supports later maths.
Fireworks are a good theme because displays are full of colour and rhythm, and many children in England see posters and talk about Bonfire Night around early November. The ideas on this sheet work at any time of year. The same skill appears in music, art, dance, and in the number sequences children meet as they move up the school.
Fireworks and sparklers are for adults to handle. This sheet is a drawing and thinking activity only, so no real fireworks are needed. At a real display, children should stand well back and never touch a sparkler, which gets extremely hot.
Firework facts for children
- Bonfire Night is celebrated in the UK on 5 November.
- Fireworks should only be set off by adults.
- Light travels faster than sound, so you see a firework burst before you hear the bang.
- Different chemicals in fireworks give them different colours.
- Sparklers get extremely hot, so they are not toys.
Skills and curriculum link
- Repeating patterns
- Predicting what comes next
- Logical reasoning
- Describing a rule
- Careful looking
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum (England) | Maths | Geometry: position and direction | Year 2 |
What children will be able to do
- I can spot a repeating pattern.
- I can carry on a pattern.
- I can describe the rule of a pattern.
Ideas to help children spot patterns
- Look for the chunkA repeating pattern is made of one short piece that comes round again. Finding that piece is the key step.
- Read it aloudSaying the items in a steady rhythm helps children hear where the pattern begins again.
- Match item to placeAsk which part of the chunk the last item belongs to. That tells you which part comes next.
- Say the ruleChildren explain the pattern in a sentence, such as which parts repeat and in what order. This shows real understanding.
Key words
- PatternSomething that follows a rule, so you can tell what comes next.
- RepeatTo happen again in the same way.
- RuleThe idea that tells you how the pattern works.
- PredictTo work out what will happen before it does.
- SequenceThings that come one after another in a set order.
- ChunkThe short part of a pattern that repeats over and over.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the rules together first. Players can take turns, from one to four of them, and you need pencils.
- Look at the first pattern and say it aloud together. Ask your child to find the part that repeats.
- Let your child write what comes next in each space. Ask, "How do you know?" Listen for the rule, not just the answer.
- Check with page 2. Then take turns to make up a pattern for someone else to solve. Come back to the sheet another day.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Say the pattern aloud so your child can hear it repeat. Use counters, coloured pencils or toy bricks to build the row, then carry it on with the same objects. Point to each item as you say it, and go back to the start of the chunk.
To stretch confident children
Make your own pattern for a friend, using colours, shapes or sizes. Then make a harder one with three different parts in the chunk. Ask your friend to carry it on and describe the rule in a full sentence.
Make it a game
Take turns to make up a firework pattern and draw it on the back of the sheet. Leave a gap at the end. The other players write what comes next, then say the rule. Everyone who gets it right scores a point.
Talk about it
- What is the rule for this pattern?
- What comes next, and how do you know?
- Where does the pattern start again?
- Can you make a pattern with only two colours? What about three?
- How is a pattern with shapes like a pattern with sounds?
- Can you spot a pattern anywhere in the room, on clothes, or on a wall?
Take it off the page
Pattern with sounds
Make a pattern using claps, taps and stomps. Say it aloud, then ask someone to carry it on. Swap places and try a new rhythm.
Bead or brick patterns
Use beads, bricks or coloured pasta to build a repeating row. Cover the last few items and ask a friend to put them back.
Pattern hunt
Walk around the home or school and look for patterns, such as tiles, fences, curtains or clothes. Draw one and say its rule.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first few patterns, then let them lead. Say each pattern aloud together. If they are unsure, build it with objects. Keep sessions short and stop while it is still fun.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. The sheet links to the Year 2 maths strand on position and direction. Page 2 offers support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it for one child or several, and use it alongside everyday talk about patterns around the home. Children can make their own patterns with household items. You can print it again for siblings or for a quick refresher a few weeks later.
Where this fits
Before this, children notice simple patterns in the world around them and copy short repeating rows made of objects or colours. They learn to sort, match and put things in order.
After this, children use patterns in number work, such as counting in steps and spotting number sequences. They also use patterns in shape, music and art, and begin to explain rules with more precise words.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- What is the rule for this pattern?
- What comes next, and how do you know?
- Can you make a pattern of your own and describe it?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is the Firework Pattern Spot Game for?
It is written for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. Younger children can try the first patterns with help, and older children can use the stretch idea on page 2 and make up their own.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters, or extra practice another day. It comes from the Mini Minds Hub by Jaques of London.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. If you like, children can colour in the fireworks or use coloured pencils when they make up their own patterns.
- How many can play?
Between one and four players can use it. One child can work through the sheet alone. In a group, players take turns to make up a pattern for the others and check each other's answers.
- What if it feels too hard?
Say the pattern aloud to hear it repeat. Build the row with counters or bricks, and find the chunk that comes round again. Starting with the first few patterns, then returning later, also helps.
- Is it suitable for teachers to use in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has support, stretch and answers for the adult.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it works for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Children read, think and write by hand, and have something to talk about with an adult.
More like this
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.