An AB pattern repeats two different items in the same order: A, B, A, B. In this preschool pattern activity, the first pair is a digger and a helmet. The free construction printable has three rows, each ending with a blank box. Say the picture names together before asking what comes next. A spoken answer or a point to the matching picture is useful even if drawing a helmet is still difficult.
This activity uses page 4 of the free 10-page construction math Sample. No account or purchase is needed.Preview this worksheet
What you need
- Sample page 4: AB Patterns
- Pencil or crayons
How to play, step by step
Say the digger-and-helmet pattern
Point from left to right and say, “Digger, helmet, digger, helmet, digger…” Pause at the blank box. Invite your child to say the row with you. Ask, “What comes after the digger?” Give them time to look back at the earlier pictures before offering a clue.
Find the repeating AB pair
Point under the first digger and helmet. Say, “These two keep repeating in this order.” Move to the next pair and compare them. The digger is A and the helmet is B, but you can keep using the picture names while playing. Ask your child to point to another complete pair.
Complete the three rows
Draw a helmet in the top blank box, or let your child point to a helmet already in the row. Next read the mixer-and-cone row, then the bulldozer-and-barrel row. Their missing items are a cone and a barrel. Simple sketches work; an adult can write the item name if your child prefers.
Read the whole row back
Point to every picture, including the answer, and say the names again. Ask, “Does the same pair keep coming back?” If the answer interrupts the sequence, compare it with the first pair. Let your child adjust it and read it again. One row is enough for a short turn.
What to look for and how to help
If your child repeats the last visible vehicle in the blank box, read the row aloud and pause after each pair. Ask, “After a digger, what did we say?” A correct final answer is a starting point; pointing to the pair that repeats helps you see how they found it. Keep the focus on the sequence, rather than the quality of the drawing.
Make it easier
Cover the lower two rows. Say only the first four pictures of the top row, then ask your child to point to what follows a digger. You can draw the answer for them. Leave the letters A and B out of the conversation until the repeating picture pair makes sense.
Try an extra challenge
Try an action pattern away from the page: clap, tap, clap, tap. Invite your child to continue it, then invent a different pair of actions. Ask what stays the same between that sequence and the digger-and-helmet row: two different things take turns in a repeating order.
Check the answers together
From top to bottom, the missing items are a helmet, a cone and a barrel. Each row follows A, B, A, B, A, B. The vehicles occupy the A positions and the objects occupy the B positions.
Tips for parents and caregivers
You do not need toy vehicles or cut-out cards for this page. Naming or pointing to the missing object is enough to take a turn. If your child chooses a different answer, check the first pair together before drawing anything. Save extra rows for another session if interest drops.
Suggested for ages 3–6, with adult help. Choose by readiness and interest.
For the page, print settings and answer hints, visit Free Construction Math Printables for Preschool. It includes 7 complete activities in one 10-page PDF; the full pack is sold separately.
