“Where’s the Mouse? Teaching Prepositions with a Clock

 This resource (ESL prepositions of place activity: printable flashcards and worksheets with a mouse & clock — fun games to teach “on, under, behind, next to” to young learners)  is part of the House Furniture for Elementary ESL, at my store:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/House-Furniture-unit-for-Elementary-ESL-3420723

Teaching prepositions is essential for helping English language learners (ELLs) understand how objects relate to one another in space. By interacting with the mouse and the clock in different positions, students will build visual comprehension of common prepositions. 

• ESL flashcards: mouse and clock to teach prepositions of place (on, under, behind, next to.

Flashcards and Small cards-Partner Practice. One student picks a flashcard and describes it without showing. The other has to find the small card to match it to learn spatial language.

Take a look! 

• Printable small-cards: picture + word cards for prepositions game for kids

Small Card Puzzle Match: Picture + Word. Cut the cards into two pieces—one with the image and one with the sentence or preposition. Students match and read them aloud.

• Worksheets support multiple learning styles – visual (coloring/drawing), kinesthetic (cut and paste), and auditory (when paired with read-alouds).

Draw the Mouse Worksheet. Students read the instruction: “There is a pink mouse on the clock.” This helps reinforce understanding through art and movement.

Roll & Color Worksheet. Use the preposition dice provided in the resource. Students roll, find a matching image on the worksheet, and color it.

Read and Color the Scene Worksheet. Students read simple sentences like “The brown mouse is under the clock.” They find the matching picture and color it.

Students write the number to match images of the mouse and clock with written preposition sentences. This builds reading comprehension and visual matching.

• Games

Print two sets of mini cards. Students play memory by flipping two cards at a time, trying to find matching positions. When they find a match, they say the sentence: “The mouse is behind the clock.”

Use these same cards and have students find a card and physically move the mouse to match the preposition.” The mouse is on the clock!”

Print the mats labeled with prepositions.  Students sort the small cards by placing them under the correct label. You can turn it into a center activity or partner game!

Give students a set of puzzle word cards to use a pair work. They match the picture card and build the sentence to describe it. For beginners (just picture + matching), for intermediate (picture + sentence writing on a notebook).

Board Game for playing in small groups. When students land on a space, they say the sentence to move forward.

Flap Book-They write the sentence under each space: “The mouse is on the clock.”  There is a set of illustrations to color, cut and paste for extra fun, perfect for a writing center.

This resource is also available separately or in a bundle, here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Prepositions-Bundle-Hands-On-ESL-Activities-for-Elementary-ELLs-13387265

 ESL House Furniture Worksheets for Elementary Vocabulary Practice, all in this resource. Go here, to the blog post:    https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2024/07/furniture-in-house-worksheets-for.html

 

Visit my Facebook fan page for tips, activities, and inspiration tailored to your classroom needs! 👉 Click here to join the fun: https://www.facebook.com/ESLPreschoolTeachers/

 

“Hands-On Farm Vocabulary Activities Worksheets for ELLs”

 This resource (Hands-On Farm Vocabulary Activities — Printable Worksheets & Games for Elementary ELLs) is included in full pack, ready to download:   https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Farm-Unit-for-Elementary-EFL-3790548

These printable worksheets give your students a meaningful way to practice grammar and vocabulary together, making your Farm Unit comprehensive, communicative, and fun!

Introduce Farm Vocabulary

Students connect each farm animal picture to the correct word from the vocabulary list. This worksheet helps learners build recognition of common farm animals.

In this labeling activity, students write each farm animal name.

Use Worksheets for Vocabulary Practice

To support language development in context, I’ve included two essential grammar worksheets in the Farm Unit resource: one focused on the verb “can” and another practicing the present continuous tense (e.g., "The cow is eating"). These worksheets help students connect grammar structures with real-life vocabulary

Students describe each image using the present continuous tense: 

"The horse is jumping."

Reviewing the present continuous during the farm unit helps students connect grammar while they practice forming and recognizing “It’s… It’s …ing.” sentences.

To support early literacy and vocabulary development, I’ve added a variety of vocabulary-focused worksheets to the Farm Unit resource. These include activities where students match, write, read, color, and draw farm animals.

Find a farm animal word search and sorting worksheets that build on the same set of animal words. Word searches help students scan for patterns, recognize letter combinations, and reinforce spelling. Sorting the farm animals by features (e.g., number of legs, baby/mommy pairs) promotes logical thinking.

In this creative coloring activity, students bring the farm scene to life by drawing and coloring the animals according to simple instructions.

Label-the-body-parts worksheets featuring farm animals. These worksheets combine science, vocabulary building. Students learn key animal body part words like tail, legs, ears, wings, beak, hooves, etc.

Students connect each farm animal with the product it provides, such as milk from cows or eggs from hens. It helps learners build real-world vocabulary.

In this yes/no identification activity, students practice asking and answering the question “Is this…?” as they look at each farm animal.

Writing, coloring and identification worksheet where students complete simple sentences to describe farm animals.

Interactive learning with small cards helps elementary ESL students practice vocabulary through hands-on and engaging activities.Go to this blog post:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/03/interactive-learning-with-small-cards.html 

Visit my store today to find resources that are ready to use and perfect for supporting your elementary ELLs. Your feedback is always appreciated as I continue to develop materials that meet the needs of both teachers and students.

Here’s the link to my store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Holistic-English-Resources-By-Rosa-Amelia

Thank you for considering my resources to enrich 

“Monkey & Box Prepositions: Fun, Hands-On Activities for ELLs”

 This resource (Monkey & Box Prepositions — hands-on ESL/ELL activities and worksheets to teach prepositions of place with fun games, puzzles, writing and partner practice)  is included in the Zoo Animals for EFL. Click here:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Zoo-Animals-Flashcards-for- EFL-3611842

Learning prepositions of place is essential for your learners because it helps them develop key communication skills and a deeper understanding of how objects relate to each other in space. This **Monkey & Box Prepositions** resource uses fun hands-on activities, games, puzzles and worksheets to help elementary ELL students understand where things are (e.g., on, in, under, next to).

 

Prepositions Flashcard Drill

Young learners will use the flashcards with prepositions pictures to describe where animals are. Prepositions help students form complete sentences and improve their fluency. They will write yes/no questions for each flashcard (e.g., "Is the monkey on the box?"). After writing, students can ask those questions to a partner, strengthening their ability to use prepositions in spoken language.

Students must observe the image carefully to form the puzzle sentence with the cards, improving their visual literacy and understanding of spatial relationships.  Students match the image to the correct puzzle sentence: “The monkey is in the box.”

Start the fun Copycat Drawing & Writing Activity (multi-sensory task (draw + write) . Students draw the image from a small card and write the corresponding sentence. This is multi-sensory learning (seeing, drawing, writing) to boost recall.

Die + Placement Game

Activities like placing objects in a specific location improve both language and spatial thinking. Students must connect the preposition word to positioning the monkey and the box in that correct location, after rolling the die included in the resource. Students then describe the sentence using the cutouts: “The monkey is in front of thebox!”

Beginners can focus on picture recognition; advanced learners can write full sentences .

Worksheets Prepositions

Worksheets give students multiple opportunities to practice prepositions in different contexts. Students can work at their own pace, allowing for differentiation based on ability levels. Just choose the correct one for your students.

The visual prepositions poster introduces students to key location words using simple, kid-friendly monkey illustrations. Each monkey demonstrates a different preposition—between, in, behind, in front of, on, under, and next to—making it easy for young learners to understand spatial relationships at a glance. It’s perfect for introducing the vocabulary, displaying in the classroom, or using as a quick reference during hands-on activities.

This Read and Color worksheet helps students practice prepositions of place using simple sentences and colored monkeys. Children read each sentence, identify the correct preposition (in front of, behind, on, next to, under), and color each monkey accordingly. It’s a fun way to reinforce reading comprehension.

Children read each sentence—such as behind the red box, between the yellow boxes, or in the pink box—and then match it to the correct picture.

Each picture shows the monkey in a different location, and learners fill in the missing preposition to answer “Where is the monkey?”

Worksheets provide a way for teachers to assess individual understanding.  By reading sentences and matching them to pictures, students improve comprehension.

Worksheets will keep students engaged while deepening their understanding of prepositions.

This labeling worksheet is a great way to reinforce body-part vocabulary while keeping the focus on the fun monkey theme. Students follow the arrows and label each part of the monkey’s body.

Matching mats help students recognize and decode words, improving their sight word recognition. Just print and cut.

Students will practice sentence structure in context, by saying where they landed on the board game.

If students write sentences in the flip book, they practice sentence formation and grammar. It’s a tactile activity, which helps kinesthetic learners absorb information better.

Teaching animal movements helps students learn action verbs in context, making vocabulary more meaningful and easier to remember.Go to this blog post:

 https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2024/04/zoo-animals-move-flashcards.html

This resource is also available separately or in a bundle, here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Prepositions-Bundle-Hands-On-ESL-Activities-for-Elementary-ELLs-13387265

 

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