Position words are the little words that tell us where something is: over, under, beside, between, in front of, behind, inside, on top of. Children aged 3–8 learn them best through movement and play rather than worksheets. Hide a toy under a cushion, ask your child to put the teddy behind the chair, or draw a bird above a tree. A few minutes of this kind of playful talk each day is enough to make these words feel natural.
At Doodlebari we see position words come up all the time when children color and draw. "Put the sun at the top." "The fish goes under the boat." This guide collects the simple games and art activities that work well at home and in the classroom, with ideas for each age.
Why Position Words Matter
Position words (sometimes called spatial words or prepositions) are part of everyday language, but they also connect to early math, reading and following instructions.
- Following directions. "Put your shoes beside the door" only works if a child knows what beside means.
- Early math and shapes. Describing where a shape sits on a page, or which block is on top, is the start of spatial thinking.
- Reading and writing readiness. Letters are made of lines that start at the top, go down, and curve around. Teachers use position words constantly when showing how to form letters.
- Storytelling. "The cat hid under the bed" paints a picture. Children who have these words can tell richer stories about their own drawings.
The Core Words to Start With
You do not need to teach everything at once. Start with pairs of opposites, because contrasts are easier to understand:
- in / out
- on / off
- up / down
- over / under
- top / bottom
- in front of / behind
- near / far
Once these feel comfortable, add beside (next to), between, above, below, inside, outside, around and through. Left and right usually come last, and it is normal for children to mix them up until age 6 or 7 or even later.
Easy Games to Play at Home
1. Where Is Teddy?
Take one favorite soft toy and place it somewhere in the room: on the sofa, under the table, behind a curtain. Ask, "Where is Teddy?" and help your child answer with a full phrase: "Teddy is under the table." Then swap roles and let your child hide Teddy while you describe the spot.
2. Simon Says, Position Edition
Give playful instructions: "Simon says put your hands on your head." "Simon says stand behind the chair." "Simon says jump over the pillow." Movement helps the words stick, and children love catching a grown-up making a mistake.
3. Obstacle Course
Use cushions, chairs and a blanket to build a short course. Narrate as your child moves: "Crawl under the blanket, walk around the chair, step over the cushion, sit between the two pillows." Older children can design a course and give you the directions.
4. Toy Car Garage
Line up a few cardboard boxes as "garages." Ask your child to park the red car inside the box, the blue car in front of the box, and the truck on top of it. This is also a nice moment to practice colors at the same time.
5. Kitchen Helper
Everyday jobs are full of position words. "Put the spoons in the drawer." "Put the cup beside the plate." "The bread goes on top of the cheese." You do not need special time for this; just name what you are both doing.
Drawing and Coloring Activities
Art is a natural way to practice position words, because every picture has a top, a bottom and things placed next to each other.
Draw a Scene by Instructions
Give your child a blank page and describe a picture step by step:
- Draw a house in the middle of the page.
- Draw the sun above the house.
- Draw a tree beside the house.
- Draw a cat under the tree.
- Draw a cloud between the sun and the tree.
When you are done, compare the picture with your instructions together. If the cat ended up on the roof, that is not a mistake to correct; it is a chance to laugh and ask, "Where is the cat now?"
Color by Position
Choose a coloring page with several parts, such as a boat on the sea or a fish among plants. Give color instructions using position words: "Color the part at the top yellow." "Color the fish that is under the boat orange." On Doodlebari's tap-to-fill coloring pages, younger children can do this just by tapping, which keeps the focus on the words rather than on staying inside the lines.
Sticker Stories
Give your child a few stickers and a simple background drawing. Ask them to place a sticker on the tree, another next to the pond and one in the sky. Then invite them to tell a short story about where everyone is.
Picture Talk
After your child finishes any drawing, ask one or two position questions: "What is behind the dog?" "Who is standing next to the car?" This builds vocabulary without turning art time into a quiz.
Age-by-Age Guide
Ages 3–4
- Focus on in, on, under, up, down, out.
- Use real objects and the child's own body: "Climb into the box," "Put the ball on your head."
- Keep it short: two or three instructions at a time.
- Expect lots of pointing instead of words. That still counts.
Ages 4–5
- Add behind, in front of, beside, next to, over, top, bottom.
- Try two-step instructions: "Put the block on the table and the car under the chair."
- Play "I spy" with position words: "I spy something beside the window."
- Begin simple drawing-by-instructions games.
Ages 5–6
- Add between, above, below, around, through, inside, outside.
- Let your child give the instructions to you or to a sibling.
- Use position words when practicing letters: "Start at the top, go down, then curve around."
- Try simple maps of a bedroom or garden with toys placed on them.
Ages 6–8
- Practice left and right with games and gentle reminders (a small sticker on the right hand can help).
- Introduce first, middle, last and words like diagonal, corner and edge.
- Draw treasure maps with directions: "Walk past the tree, turn left, the treasure is beneath the big rock."
- Write short sentences about a drawing: "The bird is above the nest."
Tips for Teaching Position Words
- Use full phrases. Say "The ball is under the bed" rather than just "Under." Children copy the patterns they hear.
- Pair the word with a gesture. Point up for above, sweep your hand low for under.
- Teach in opposites. Learning over and under together makes both clearer.
- Repeat across the day. The same word in the kitchen, the park and the bath helps it stick.
- Keep it light. If your child says "on" when they mean "in," simply repeat the right word in your reply: "Yes, the toy is in the box."
- Use both home languages. If your family speaks Bangla and English, practice position words in both. Children can hold two words for the same idea, and it helps them understand the concept more deeply.
Classroom Ideas for Teachers
- Morning movement: Start the day with a two-minute position-word Simon Says.
- Class map: Draw a simple map of the classroom and ask children to place paper cut-outs of themselves beside, behind or near landmarks.
- Coloring station: Print a scene coloring page and add a short instruction card at each table: "Color the thing on top red."
- Partner drawing: One child describes a simple picture, the other draws it without looking. Then they compare.
For very young siblings or toddlers in mixed-age groups, matching games are a gentle way into spatial thinking. Little ones aged 2–5 can practise fitting shapes into the right spot with Shapzoo's free shape sorter and shadow-match games, which play in the browser with no sign-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age do children understand position words?
Most children understand simple words like in, on and under by around age 3, and add words like behind, beside and between over the next couple of years. Every child develops at their own pace, so focus on regular, playful practice rather than a fixed timeline.
My child mixes up left and right. Should I worry?
Mixing up left and right is very common through the early school years. Gentle reminders, games like "Simon Says" and a small mark on one hand usually help over time. If you have broader concerns about your child's development, your child's teacher or doctor is the best person to talk to.
How can I practice position words without it feeling like a lesson?
Weave them into what you already do: tidying toys, setting the table, getting dressed, drawing together. A few natural moments each day work better than a long session.
Do coloring pages really help with position words?
They can, when you add a little talk. Asking "What color should the part at the top be?" or "Can you color the fish under the boat?" turns any coloring page into a quick language game.
Try It Today
Pick one game from this list, such as "Where Is Teddy?" or drawing a scene by instructions, and play it for five minutes today. For a ready-made picture to talk about, open a free page on Doodlebari's coloring section and give your child color instructions using position words. On the go, the same pictures are in the Doodlebari app for Android, so a phone or tablet can turn waiting time into a little word game.
