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For kindergarten, preschool, daycare, ESL and homeschool educators

Printable worksheets for teachers, from one class photo

Photo Play turns one picture into six printable activities about the same subject. In a classroom, that means one familiar picture and six ways into it, so every child can start at a level that suits them.

One class photo, six differentiated activity sheets

Photograph something the whole group knows: the class mascot, a classroom plant, a pumpkin from the field trip or a block tower built together. Photo Play turns it into line art and builds six pages around it.

Everyone

Free colouring

Big shapes for the youngest children and a fine-motor warm-up for everyone else. There is no wrong answer, so every child can finish.

Number recognition

Colour by number

Numbered areas and a colour key practise matching numerals to colour words.

Focus and patience

Mosaic colouring

A numbered grid reveals the picture square by square. A good fit for children who enjoy a longer task.

Counting in order

Connect the dots

36 to 40 dots around the subject practise number sequence. Pair children up, or sit with an adult, if the numbers are new.

Spatial thinking

Cut & build

Six picture pieces to rebuild. An adult cuts; children arrange. Keep each set in an envelope for a quiet centre.

Early writing or close looking

Draw a story or picture detective

Starter packs have a three-frame story page. Packs made from your own photo have a picture detective page instead: find three close-up details.

Printing for a whole class on Letter or A4

  • Download the PDF that matches your paper: US Letter (8.5 × 11 in) or A4 (210 × 297 mm). There is no need to stretch one size to fit the other.
  • Print one master copy at Actual size or 100%, check the edges, then photocopy the rest. Choose Fit only if your printer clips the page.
  • Download single activities as one-page PDFs, so each group gets only the pages it needs.
  • Line art copies well in black and white. The picture puzzle is easier to rebuild in colour, and card stock helps the pieces last.
  • Pre-cut puzzle pieces and keep each set in a labelled envelope. Scissors and small pieces stay with an adult.

Printable PDFs are in English. Packs are for personal and classroom use; please do not resell them.

The story page for early writing

The Draw a story page in every starter pack has three frames: First, Then and At the end. One page works for a range of writers in the same group:

  • Children who are not writing yet draw each scene and tell the story while an adult writes a few of their words.
  • Emerging writers label their drawings or copy a word from the class word wall.
  • Confident writers add a sentence under each frame, using First, Then and At the end as sentence starters.
  • English language learners rehearse the sequence aloud with a partner, then write the three linking words.

Choosing a photo for a class pack

A class mascot, a toy, a plant or an object from a field trip works best and keeps children’s faces out of it. To use a photo that shows a child, you need permission from a parent or guardian, and your school’s own photo policy still applies.

Your pack is private and stays available for 24 hours, so download the PDFs you want to keep. Free tries are limited to 5 packs in any 24 hours and are shared by everyone on the same network, which matters on a school connection. After that, each pack uses one generation credit, from US$0.99.

Printables to start with today

All 31 starter packs are free to download without an account. Each activity is also on its own page with single-sheet PDFs.

Preschool printables & kindergarten worksheets for home learning · Browse free printable packs

A new class photo every week

With 20 credits for US$13.99, you can turn a new class pet, field-trip photo or theme into six printable activities every week of the term. No subscription; credits are kept in your account.

See credit bundles

Schools, daycares and libraries

Would you like to use Photo Play across a school, a daycare centre or a library programme? Tell us about your setting and what would help, such as particular themes, class sets or a partnership.

Contact us about a partnership