Patterns (AB and ABC) Worksheet (Free Printable PDF)

What’s in the PDF

• Page 1 (Level 1, easier): It has six AB pattern rows (apple, banana, apple, banana …) where children circle what comes next, plus a row of circles to colour their own AB pattern.
• Page 2 (Level 2, harder): It has five harder rows with ABC, AAB and ABB patterns, and four rows where children write the name of the pattern.
• Page 3: an answer key for both levels.

Print one level at a time. If Level 1 feels easy, move straight on to Level 2.

How to teach patterns

Patterns are one of the first ways children think like mathematicians: they look for a rule and predict what comes next. Read each row aloud with a rhythm: “apple, banana, apple, banana.” The rhythm helps children hear the repeating part. Then ask what the next one must be and why. Building patterns with blocks, beads or claps before using the worksheet makes the idea easier.

What to watch for

Children may copy the last picture instead of continuing the pattern, or choose a favourite picture. Ask them to find the part that repeats and put a finger on it. For ABC patterns, check that they repeat all three parts before starting again.

Game: Clap, clap, stamp

Make a sound pattern with your body: clap, clap, stamp; clap, clap, stamp. Ask your child to join in, then to invent their own pattern for you to copy. Change it to ABC: clap, stamp, click.

Everyday practice

Patterns are on striped shirts, tiled floors, fences, bead necklaces and in songs. Ask your child to point out patterns on a walk and say what repeats. Threading beads or pasta in a pattern is a lovely fine-motor bonus.

Questions to ask while they work

• What keeps repeating?
• What would come after this one?
• Can you make a pattern with three different things?

Practise next

Try skip counting, counting 1 to 10, missing numbers. Make shape patterns with our shapes worksheets.