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Prepositions of Place: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 3

  • ForYear 3
  • StageKey Stage 2
  • CostFree
  • FormatPrintable PDF
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Prepositions of Place is a free printable English worksheet for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8). Children read short sentences with a gap and choose the word that says where something is. 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 read short sentences about animals, people and objects. Each sentence has a gap where a word that says where should go. They think about the picture the sentence makes, choose the preposition that fits and write it in. The numbered questions have space for answers. Reading each sentence aloud helps children hear whether their choice makes sense.

  • The cat sleeps ___ the table.
  • The bird flew ___ the fence.
  • The ball is ___ the box.
  • Sam sat ___ Ben and Lily.
  • The book is ___ the shelf.
  • The girl stood ___ the tree, hiding.
  • Dad parked ___ the house.
  • The dog sat ___ me.

What is a preposition of place?

A preposition is a small word that links one thing to another. A preposition of place tells us where something is in relation to something else. Without it, a sentence can leave the reader guessing. Prepositions are short, but they carry a lot of meaning, so changing just one can change the whole picture in the reader's mind.

In Year 3, children are widening the vocabulary they use to describe the world. Position words help them write clearer sentences, give directions and explain where things are. Children often say these words in everyday talk long before they can name them. This sheet links that spoken knowledge to reading and writing.

Skills and curriculum link

  • Prepositions
  • Sentences
  • Reading aloud
  • Position vocabulary
  • Checking meaning

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) English Writing: vocabulary, grammar and punctuation Year 3

What children will be able to do

  • I can use words like under, beside and between.
  • I can pick the right word to say where something is.
  • I can write a sentence that tells where.

Ideas that help with position words

  • Say it aloudRead the whole sentence with your chosen word in the gap. If it sounds odd or means something strange, try another word.
  • Picture itAsk your child to imagine the scene or draw a quick sketch. Seeing where the objects are makes the right word easier to find.
  • Use real objectsPlace a toy and a box in different positions. Say a sentence about each one and let your child name the position word.
  • Collect wordsStart a list of position words on a piece of paper. Add to it whenever your child uses a new one in talk or writing.

Key words

  • PrepositionA word that shows how one thing is linked to another, such as where it is.
  • PositionWhere something is.
  • SentenceA group of words that makes sense on its own. It starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark.
  • NounA word for a person, place, animal or thing.
  • GapThe empty space in a sentence where a missing word goes.
  • Make senseWhen the words fit together so the sentence says something that could be true.

How to use it

  1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
  2. Read the first sentence aloud together. Ask your child to picture the scene before choosing a word.
  3. Let your child fill in the gap, then read the whole sentence aloud to check it makes sense.
  4. Work through the rest, talking about each choice. Check against the answers on page 2 afterwards.
  5. Come back to the sheet another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.

Help, stretch and game ideas

If it feels too hard

Act out each word with a toy and a box. Put the toy in different places and say where it is. Do one sentence at a time, and read each aloud with the word in the gap. Praise the thinking as well as the answer.

To stretch confident children

Write three more sentences of your own that use a preposition of place. Then swap with a friend or grown up. Cover the position word in each sentence and ask them to work out which word fits.

Make it a game

An adult hides a small toy in a safe place in the room. Give clues using position words only, and let your child find it. Then swap roles, so your child hides the toy and gives the clues.

Mistakes to watch for

Watch forA child picks a word that sounds fine but changes where the thing is.

Try thisAsk them to picture the scene or act it out with a toy. Compare what the sentence says with what they imagined.

Watch forA child fills the gap without reading the whole sentence.

Try thisAsk them to read the full sentence aloud with their word in place, and listen for whether it makes sense.

Watch forA child uses the same position word every time.

Try thisShow the toy and box in several positions. Talk about how each place needs a different word.

Talk about it

  • Where is your favourite toy right now? Can you tell me without pointing?
  • How would you explain where the front door is to a visitor?
  • Can you describe where your coat is, using a position word?
  • Why do we need position words when we write a story?
  • Can you think of a word that says where, which we have not used yet?

Take it off the page

Toy hide and seek

Hide a few toys around a room. Your child finds each one and says a sentence about where it was, using a position word.

Obstacle course

Use cushions and chairs to make a safe course. Your child follows spoken instructions and then describes where they went.

Picture description

Draw a simple scene with a few objects. Swap with a friend and describe where each thing is, without showing the picture.

Who it is for

Parents

Sit beside your child for the first few sentences, then let them lead. Ask them to read each sentence aloud with their chosen word. Praise careful thinking, not only right answers.

Teachers

Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.

Home educators

Print it as part of a wider English plan. It pairs well with reading aloud, outdoor play and everyday talk. You can print it again for brothers and sisters, or for revision a few weeks later.

Where this fits in the learning journey

Before this, children build sentences with nouns and verbs and add detail with describing words. They get used to saying where things are in everyday talk. This sheet helps them name that idea and use it carefully in writing.

After this, children use position words as part of longer sentences. Fronted adverbials, such as phrases that open a sentence with where or when, build on the same idea. The sheet Fronted Adverbial Cards is one step up, in the same subject.

Check it worked

Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.

  1. Where is the ball in this picture?
  2. Which word tells us where it is?
  3. Can you hide a toy and tell me where it is using a position word?

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Prepositions of Place for?

It is written for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8), in Key Stage 2. It matches the grammar strand of the National Curriculum for England. Some younger children may enjoy it with help, and older children can use it for revision.

What will children practise?

Children practise choosing the right preposition to say where something is. They read each sentence, picture the scene and fill the gap. This builds reading, sentence sense and position vocabulary together.

How do I use it?

Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2. Read each sentence aloud and check it makes sense. Work through it together the first time, then check against the answers.

What if it feels too hard?

Act out each word with a toy and a box. Put the toy in different places and say where it is. Do one sentence at a time and read each one aloud with the word in the gap.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. Print it as many times as you need, for brothers and sisters or for revision later on.

Can teachers use it 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 and stretch ideas.

Is it a screen free activity?

Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Children read, think and write by hand, away from screens.

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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.

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