free printable shadow matching cards

84 free shadow matching cards

Free printable shadow matching cards

Here we have some more handy resources for young learners. These free printable shadow matching cards can be used in a variety of learning activities to help preschoolers recognise shapes and develop their vocabulary.

Recognising shapes and visual discrimination enables children to see the differences between 2 similar objects. It is an important part of a growing mind’s learning process. For example, students need this ability to distinguish the differences between letters as they learn to read.

These activities will help children develop in this core learning area. Other useful activities that help develop this skill include spot the difference activities and mazes.

Each page of cards has a different theme. So far there are cards for animals, baby things, fruit, space objects, and transport. All you need to do is print the free sheets and cut the cards out.

Animal shadow matching cards

This sheet has 6 different animals – a pig, armadillo, raccoon, snake, anteater, and a fox.

How to use the shadow matching cards

Not sure what to do with these resources? Read along for some ideas!

  1. Matching/Pelmanism – The simplest of activities. Get children to simply match the objects with the correct shadows. Start with just a few cards initially, as they develop you can add more cards from different sets to make this activity more challenging.
  2. Memory – Turn the cards upside down and play a memory game where you must find two matching cards.
  3. Categories – With several sheets printed out you can get kids to sort the cards into categories. For example, apple and orange would be in a different category to car or ball. You could also sort the cards into colors.
Ocean animals shadow cards

Some aquatic animals with a crab, jellyfish, octopus, and 3 different fish.

Insects cards

The insects cards have a bee, a spider, a beetle, caterpillar and 2 ladybugs.

Baby things cards

This sheet has baby items with a bottle, ball, teddy bear, rattle, dummy, and a bow ribbon.

Fruit shadow matching cards

6 kinds of fruits with cherries, a banana, mangosteen, mango, orange, and an apple.

Space objects cards

On the space cards sheet there is a sun, UFO, star, planet, meteor, and a rocket.

Transport cards

The transport/vehicle cards include a rocket, hot-air balloon, car, UFO, helicopter, and bus.  Note that the UFO and rocket are different to the sheet above so the sets can be used together.

Related activity

If you are looking for similar resources then check out the free printable shadow matching worksheets. These sheets have a similar concept except students are to draw lines between objects and their shadows.

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