Free printable tracing worksheets as PDF

Preschool Tracing Worksheets

A ready pack of preschool tracing pages — lines, curves, shapes and first words. Choose the pages and print them all at once.

The preschool tracing worksheets on this page are a free, printable pack of 10 pages plus an optional cover. You build the pack in your web browser, with no sign-up, and nothing you choose is uploaded or sent to a server.

The pack moves from simple strokes to harder work: straight lines, curves, shapes, first sight words, and finally drawing without dots to follow. It suits pre-K tracing at home, a preschool classroom, or anyone who wants all the preschool tracing sheets in one PDF file. You pick the paper size (US Letter or A4), choose which pages to include, and then print or download a PDF. Every page is portrait, so the same paper feeds every sheet.

How to print the preschool tracing pack

  1. Choose your paper size, US Letter or A4, before you print.
  2. Check the list of pages. All pages start selected. Click Clear and then tick only the pages you want, or click Select all to reset.
  3. Look at the preview of the selected pages to confirm the order and content before you print.
  4. Set your options. Turn the Cover page on or off (the cover says “My Tracing Book” and has a big dotted star and a Name line, so the pages can be stapled into a little book), and choose a Tracing style. Keep Green start dots and Direction arrows on for a first run; they are on by default. Add a Name and Date line if the sheets will be kept or marked.
  5. Click Print all to open your browser’s print dialog with the selected pages.
  6. Or click Download PDF (n pages) to get one PDF with every selected page. The PDF prints at true size, so arrows and dots keep their sizes.

Use Copy link to copy a link that reopens the same settings. Sending that link to another adult lets them print the same pack without setting anything again.

What should preschoolers trace?

Preschoolers should trace simple strokes first, then curves, then shapes, then short words. The pack follows that order, so each page asks for a little more control than the one before.

The first pages are pre-writing strokes: vertical, horizontal, circle, cross, square and triangle. Next come straight lines, then zigzags, waves and loops. Those curves train the wrist to keep a smooth, steady path. Shapes come after that, from big to small, followed by a page where each shape is named and a page of shape rows with circles, squares, triangles and stars.

Green start dots show where to begin, and direction arrows show which way the pencil should move. Both help a child learn the starting point and direction of each stroke, which matters for later letter formation.

What comes after tracing lines and shapes?

After lines and shapes, the pack moves to words. The Trace the words page uses cat, dog, sun and bus in extra large letters, so the child can follow each letter at a big size. The First sight words page then introduces the, and, can, see, you and we.

Near the end, the child stops tracing and starts drawing. On the page Draw a line from the dot to the star, only the start dot and the star are printed. The child draws the path alone. The last page, Trace and draw, has a big circle to trace and a box for the child to draw a face in.

A simple plan for one week

Ten pages fit neatly into a school week at two pages a day. Day 1: pre-writing strokes and straight lines. Day 2: zigzags, waves and loops, then shapes from big to small. Day 3: shapes and their names, then shape rows. Day 4: the two word pages. Day 5: draw a line from the dot to the star, then trace and draw. Print the pack twice if you like: once with Dots for the first week, and once with Grey lines or with the start dots switched off for the second, so the same pages feel new and ask for a bit more control.

Frequently asked questions

How many tracing pages a day should a preschooler do?

The pack does not set a number, so use your own judgement. Most young children do best with a few pages in one short sitting. Stop when the child loses interest or gets tired, and return to the pages later.

How do I teach a preschooler to hold a pencil for tracing?

Young preschoolers often hold a crayon in a fist, which is normal at this age. A thick crayon or a short pencil makes it easier for the child to move to a finger grip over time. Hold the paper steady with the other hand so the child can focus on the line.

Can I print only some pages?

Yes. Untick the pages you do not need. The Download PDF button shows the number of selected pages, so you can check the count before you download.

Is the pack free?

Yes. The generator is free to use, and there is no sign-up. Nothing you select is uploaded or sent to a server.

Does the pack include letters, names or numbers?

Not as separate pages. There is no alphabet A–Z page, no name practice page and no number page. Letters appear only inside the words on the Trace the words and First sight words pages.