Big and Small
Toddler · 2–3The same picture twice, once large and once small, three rows to a page. Circle the bigger one. Size words are among the first comparisons a toddler uses, and saying them out loud while pointing — bigger, smaller, the same — does more than the circling does. The two sizes are held about two to one on purpose: any closer and the comparison stops being obvious at a glance, which is the whole exercise. A free printable for ages two to four, on A4 or US Letter.
Why the same picture twice
Comparing a big elephant to a small mouse tests what a child knows about elephants. Comparing a big flower to the same flower drawn small tests what they can see. Only the second one is a size comparison, which is why every row on this sheet repeats one picture at two scales.
Say it while you point
Bigger, smaller, the same — said aloud while pointing — does more for a two-year-old than the circling does. Comparative words are among the earliest a child uses to describe the world, and this page is really an excuse to use them a dozen times in five minutes.
Frequently asked questions
- Why are the two sizes not further apart?
- About two to one is deliberate. Much closer and the comparison stops being obvious at a glance, which is the exercise; much further and the small one is too small to recognise as the same thing.
- Can I use this sheet for smallest instead?
- Yes. Ask for the small one instead of the big one and the page works unchanged — children often find that version harder, because the instinct is to reach for whatever is most visible.