Our new preposition game turns a tricky part of speech into something kids can see. Instead of memorizing a list of little words, children watch a claymation mouse run around a box and float above it, then fill in real sentences with Alphy the Funzy cheering them on.
You know the moment: your class can recite “above, below, under, over,” but when a sentence has a blank, they pick “on” for the milk going into the bowl. Prepositions are small words with big jobs, and they are hard to picture from a list.
The Use the Prepositions Game gives every child the same simple question to ask: where? It reads every direction aloud, shows a picture of each word, and waits patiently when a child needs a moment. It works on a whiteboard for the whole class or on a tablet for one learner at a time.
- A tap-to-play preposition game for 3rd grade (great for 2nd grade practice and 4th grade review).
- The 8 sentences and the 10-word word bank from the Use the Prepositions Worksheet, played in 2 rounds.
- Every word in the word bank has a mouse-and-box picture that shows what it means.
- Pairs with the printable worksheet and more preposition practice pages.
Why kids love this preposition game
Prepositions describe position and motion, and that is easiest to learn when you can see it. The game shows each word as a tiny picture, acts one out with the mouse every round, and reads each finished sentence back so kids hear the word in place.
Watch me first
Each round opens with the clay mouse acting out a preposition while Alphy thinks out loud.
Picture clues
All 10 word-bank buttons show the mouse and the box in that position, like an anchor chart.
Read it back
Every right answer is read aloud as the whole sentence, with the preposition stressed.
Hints that teach
A wrong pick gets a kind hint that describes the motion, never the answer.
Watch the Use the Prepositions Game in action
See a full play-through of both rounds, then try the short version. Find more on the Have Fun Teaching YouTube channel.
How to play the Use the Prepositions Game
Press Play and Alphy takes it from there. Each round starts with a quick example, then it is the child’s turn.
Watch the mouse
The clay mouse runs AROUND the box (Round 1) or floats ABOVE it on a balloon (Round 2). Alphy asks where and taps the word.
Read and ask where
Read the sentence, or tap the speaker to hear it. Then ask: where?
Tap a word
Tap a preposition in the word bank. It drops into the blank.
Check it
Read it with the word. Does it make sense? Tap Check and hear the whole sentence read back.
The Use the Prepositions Game is part of the Have Fun Teaching membership. Members can open it full screen on any device. New here? Start your 3 free days and play it today.
What kids learn from the preposition game
The game follows the way teachers teach prepositions in 3rd grade: model it, ask where, and check that the sentence makes sense.
What a preposition does
Kids learn the big idea: a preposition tells where something is or where it goes.
One question to ask
“Where?” works on every sentence, so kids have a strategy, not a list to memorize.
See the difference
Picture clues make tricky pairs clear: over and above, across and through, under and behind.
Use context clues
The rest of the sentence (“the long, dark tunnel”) tells which word fits.
Check that it makes sense
Reading the sentence with the word is a habit that helps in all grammar work.
Hear correct grammar
Every finished sentence is read aloud, so kids hear the preposition used the right way.
Teacher tip: play it, then print it
Play the game on the whiteboard as a class, then hand out the Use the Prepositions Worksheet so kids fill in the same sentences on paper. Check off each step as your class finishes it:
More preposition resources for kids
Keep the practice going with printables that teach the same skill as the game.
3rd Grade · WorksheetUse the Prepositions WorksheetThe printable page this game is built on: 8 sentences and a word bank.
3rd Grade · WorksheetSort the Prepositions WorksheetSort position words by what they show.
3rd Grade · WorksheetFind Prepositions WorksheetSpot the preposition in each sentence.
3rd Grade · WorksheetPrepositions in SentencesWrite sentences that tell where.
4th Grade · WorksheetFill in the Blanks PrepositionsMore fill-in-the-blank practice with position words.
3rd Grade · WorksheetCircle and Draw PrepositionsCircle the preposition, then draw where things are.
3rd Grade · WorksheetPrepositions Word SearchFind 15 prepositions hiding in the puzzle.
4th Grade · WorksheetCircle and Write PrepositionsCircle each preposition and write your own.
Explore more resources
Get every game with a membership
Grammar practice kids actually ask for
Members play the Use the Prepositions Game and every other Have Fun Teaching game, and download the preposition printables that go with it.
- Every Have Fun Teaching game, including the Use the Prepositions Game
- Every printable, song and video, Preschool–6th
- Unlimited downloads, new resources added daily
- Use it with your class or your kids at home
Preposition game FAQ
What is the Use the Prepositions Game?
The Use the Prepositions Game is an online preposition game for kids from Have Fun Teaching. Alphy the Funzy shows how to ask where, then children read each sentence from the Use the Prepositions Worksheet and tap the preposition from the word bank that fills in the blank.
What grade is the preposition game for?
It is made for 3rd grade and works well for 2nd grade practice and 4th grade review. Every direction and sentence can be read aloud, so children who are still building reading skills can play too.
What is a preposition, in kid words?
A preposition is a word that tells WHERE something is or where it goes, like over, under, through, between and behind. Kids can find one by asking: where?
Can kids play it on a tablet or phone?
Yes. The game runs in the browser on computers, tablets, phones and interactive whiteboards. There is nothing to install.
How do I practice prepositions after the game?
Print the Use the Prepositions Worksheet and complete the same sentences on paper, then hide a toy and give clues like behind the lamp or under a pillow. Kids use the same question they practiced in the game: where?
Ready to ask “where?” with Alphy?
Press Play and let your kids fill in every sentence themselves.
Works on computers, tablets, phones and interactive whiteboards.
