Preposition Examples for Kids


Preposition Examples for Kids

What is a Preposition?

A preposition is a "where" or "when" word! It tells us where something is or when something happens.

Simple definition: A preposition shows how a person, animal, or thing connects to another word in the sentence.

Fun Way to Remember: The Squirrel and the Tree

Think of these common prepositions with this picture:

  • The squirrel is IN the tree.
  • The squirrel is ON the branch.
  • The squirrel is UNDER the tree.
  • The squirrel is BETWEEN two trees.
  • The squirrel runs AROUND the tree.
  • The squirrel jumps OVER the log.
  • The squirrel goes THROUGH the tunnel.

Basic Prepositions Kids Use Every Day

Where Words (Place)

IN – Inside something

  • The toys are in the box.
  • I'm in my bedroom.
  • The fish swim in the water.
  • Put your hands in your pockets.

ON – On top of something

  • The book is on the table.
  • The picture hangs on the wall.
  • I have a sticker on my shirt.
  • The cat sleeps on the chair.

UNDER – Below something

  • The ball rolled under the bed.
  • The dog hides under the table.
  • Worms live under the ground.
  • My shoes are under my bed.

BETWEEN – In the middle of two things

  • Sit between Mom and Dad.
  • The letter B comes between A and C.
  • The ball is between the two trees.
  • I'm standing between my two friends.

NEXT TO / BESIDE – Right by something

  • My house is next to the park.
  • Sit beside me at lunch.
  • The pencil is next to the eraser.
  • The library is beside the school.

IN FRONT OF – Before something

  • The car is in front of our house.
  • Stand in front of the class.
  • I wait in front of the school.
  • The cat sits in front of the fireplace.

BEHIND – At the back of something

  • The sun is behind the clouds.
  • Hide behind the door!
  • I sit behind Maria in class.
  • The keys are behind the vase.

ABOVE – Higher than something

  • The birds fly above the trees.
  • The clock hangs above the door.
  • The moon is above the mountains.
  • The shelf is above my desk.

BELOW – Lower than something

  • Fish swim below the water's surface.
  • Your name is below mine on the list.
  • Temperatures go below freezing in winter.
  • The basement is below the kitchen.

Movement Words (Direction)

TO – Going toward something

  • We go to school every day.
  • I'm going to the park.
  • Give the ball to me.
  • We drove to Grandma's house.

FROM – Coming away from something

  • I got a gift from my friend.
  • We just came from the store.
  • This letter is from your teacher.
  • The train comes from the city.

UP – Toward a higher place

  • Climb up the ladder.
  • Look up at the sky!
  • The balloon floats up.
  • I walk up the stairs.

DOWN – Toward a lower place

  • Slide down the slide.
  • Sit down on the chair.
  • The rain falls down.
  • We walk down the hill.

AROUND – In a circle or on all sides

  • Walk around the puddle.
  • The wheels go around and around.
  • We danced around the room.
  • The fence goes around the yard.

THROUGH – Going from one side to the other

  • Walk through the doorway.
  • The train goes through the tunnel.
  • I can see through the window.
  • The mouse ran through the hole.

ACROSS – From one side to the other

  • Swim across the pool.
  • The bridge goes across the river.
  • Draw a line across the paper.
  • The squirrel ran across the road.

When Words (Time)

AT – For clock times

  • School starts at 9:00.
  • We eat dinner at 6:30.
  • Go to bed at 8:00.
  • The movie begins at 2:15.

ON – For days

  • My birthday is on Tuesday.
  • We have soccer on Saturdays.
  • See you on Monday!
  • The party is on May 5th.

IN – For months, seasons, parts of day

  • My birthday is in July.
  • We swim in the summer.
  • I brush my teeth in the morning.
  • It snows in winter.

BEFORE – Earlier than

  • Wash your hands before eating.
  • Finish homework before TV time.
  • Brush your teeth before bed.
  • We arrived before the movie started.

AFTER – Later than

  • We play outside after school.
  • Dessert comes after dinner.
  • Call me after 3:00.
  • Clean up after you play.

DURING – While something is happening

  • No talking during the test.
  • We read during quiet time.
  • It rained during the picnic.
  • Be quiet during the movie.

Fun Examples with Animals

Bird Examples:

  • The bird is in the nest.
  • The bird sits on the fence.
  • The bird flies over the house.
  • The bird hops around the garden.
  • The bird flies through the air.
  • The bird lands beside the pond.

Cat Examples:

  • The cat sleeps on the sofa.
  • The cat hides under the table.
  • The cat jumps onto the chair.
  • The cat walks across the room.
  • The cat sits between the plants.
  • The cat runs down the stairs.

Bug Examples:

  • The ant crawls up the wall.
  • The butterfly flies above the flowers.
  • The spider is behind the book.
  • The ladybug crawls across the leaf.
  • The bee flies around the hive.
  • The worm wiggles through the dirt.

Preposition Games & Activities

Simon Says Prepositions

  • "Simon says stand behind your chair!"
  • "Simon says put your hands above your head!"
  • "Simon says sit between two friends!"

Hide the Toy Game

"Let's hide the toy and use preposition clues:"

  • "Is it in the box?"
  • "Is it under the table?"
  • "Is it behind the door?"
  • "Is it between the books?"

Drawing Challenge

"Draw a picture showing:"

  • A cat on a roof
  • A bird in a tree
  • A ball under a table
  • A car between two houses
  • A sun above mountains

Preposition Songs & Rhymes

"Where Is It?" Rhyme:
Is it in the box?
Is it on the chair?
Is it under the table?
Is it over there?
Is it between the books?
Is it behind the door?
Prepositions help us find things
Like never before!

"The Preposition Song" (to tune of "Twinkle Twinkle"):
In, on, under, over, between
These are prepositions as you've seen
They tell us where things are or go
Above, below, and to and fro
In, on, under, over, between
The best "where" words you've ever seen!

Common Mistakes Kids Make

Getting IN vs. ON mixed up:

  • ❌ "I'm on my room." (Wrong)
  • ✅ "I'm in my room." (Correct)
  • ❌ "The picture is in the wall." (Wrong)
  • ✅ "The picture is on the wall." (Correct)

Remember:

  • IN = inside something (like a box, room, car)
  • ON = on top of something (like a table, wall, floor)

Quick Reference Chart for Kids

Preposition

Picture Idea

Example Sentence

IN

Apple in a basket

The apple is in the basket.

ON

Book on a table

The book is on the table.

UNDER

Cat under a chair

The cat is under the chair.

BETWEEN

Ball between two cones

The ball is between the cones.

ABOVE

Cloud above a house

The cloud is above the house.

BELOW

Roots below the tree

Roots grow below the tree.

NEXT TO

Dog next to a house

The dog is next to the house.

IN FRONT OF

Car in front of garage

The car is in front of the garage.

BEHIND

Tree behind a house

The tree is behind the house.

Teaching Tips for Parents & Teachers

  1. Use real objects: Put a toy in a box, on a chair, under a table.
  2. Play "I Spy" with prepositions: "I spy something on the wall."
  3. Act it out: Have kids stand between chairs, sit under a table.
  4. Read picture books and point out prepositions: "Look, the mouse is under the clock!"
  5. Draw and label: Draw a scene and label: sun above, flowers beside house.
  6. Sing preposition songs to remember them.
  7. Make it a treasure hunt: "Find something under something red."

Remember: Kids learn prepositions naturally through play and conversation. Point them out in daily life: "Your shoes are under the bed!" or "Put your plate on the table!"

 

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