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Kindergarten Opposites Resources

13 kindergarten opposites resources: 6 activities, 5 worksheets, 1 flash card and more. How teachers use these

Kindergarten Opposites Resources

13 kindergarten opposites resources: 6 activities, 5 worksheets, 1 flash card and more. How teachers use these

Flash Cards
Flash CardsKindergartenOpposites Flash Cards

Opposites flash cards for Preschool through 1st Grade: 12 fold-over picture cards teach 24 opposite words, with a practice page and answer key included for fun, hands-on vocabulary review.

KindergartenEnglishGrammarFlash Cards
Worksheet
WorksheetKindergartenVerb Opposites Worksheet

Kindergarten students practice with this verb opposites worksheet by matching action words like push and pull, then circling opposites. An answer key is included to make checking quick.

KindergartenEnglishAntonymsWorksheets
Worksheet
WorksheetKindergartenOpposites Matching Worksheet

This opposites matching worksheet helps Kindergarten students connect five picture pairs like hot and cold, with a full answer key, building strong describing words through play.

KindergartenEnglishOppositesWorksheets
Worksheet
WorksheetKindergartenCircling Empty Full Examples Worksheet

This circling empty full examples worksheet lets kindergarten students find the full container in each row of pictures. An answer key is included, making it a quick, fun way to build early measurement words.

KindergartenMathCapacityWorksheets
Worksheet
WorksheetKindergartenWhich Way is That Reading Comprehension Worksheet

In this which way is that reading comprehension worksheet, kindergarten students read a park story, answer five questions about up, down, left, right, front and back, and check work with the answer key.

KindergartenEnglishFollowing DirectionsWorksheets
Worksheet
WorksheetKindergartenCircle Left or Right Worksheet

This circle left or right worksheet gives Kindergarten students eight picture cards for practicing left and right, with an answer key included so checking work is quick.

KindergartenEnglishFollowing DirectionsWorksheets
Lesson Plan
Lesson PlanKindergartenOpposites Lesson Plan

Materials available in this Opposites Lesson Plan include Opposites Flash Cards, and Opposites Worksheets. You will also find Antonyms Worksheets,

KindergartenEnglishAntonymsLesson Plans
Activity
ActivityKindergartenLucky Charms Before and After Activity

Using Lucky Charms Before and After Activity, studentsplay this fun game to practice identifying before and after.

KindergartenEnglishFollowing DirectionsActivities
Activity
ActivityKindergartenOpposites Activity

Using Opposites Activity, studentsplay this fun game to practice identifying opposite pairs.

KindergartenEnglishOppositesActivities
Activity
ActivityKindergartenSame and Different Snowflakes Opposites Activity

Using Same and Different Snowflakes Opposites Activity, studentsplay this fun game to practice identifying same and different opposite pairs.

KindergartenEnglishOppositesActivities
Activity
ActivityKindergartenFull and Empty Opposites Activity

This full and empty opposites activity lets preschool and kindergarten children race cars to the finish by naming full and empty pictures, with an answer key included for quick checking.

KindergartenEnglishOppositesActivities
Activity
ActivityKindergartenLeft and Right Simon Says Opposites Activity

Play the Left and Right Simon Says Opposites Activity with preschool to 1st grade: move picture cards to the correct side of the mat. Practice page and answer key included.

KindergartenEnglishAntonymsActivities
Activity
ActivityKindergartenTop and Bottom Toys Edition Opposites Activity Board Game

This top and bottom toys edition opposites activity board game helps preschool to 1st grade students use top, middle and bottom with a toy shelf, spinner and cards. Answer key included.

KindergartenEnglishAntonymsActivities
From our teachers' playbook

Up, down, and all around!

What do kindergarteners learn about opposites?

Kindergarten is where kids discover that lots of words come in pairs that mean the very reverse of each other. They learn everyday opposites like hot / cold, big / small, full / empty and up / down, and they start using them to describe what they see. Position pairs such as left and right or top and bottom sneak in too, which helps with following directions. The click moment comes when a child points at a picture and says, all on their own, "That one is open, so this one is closed!"

Our favorite ways to make opposites stick

Five-year-olds learn opposites best with their whole bodies and lots of pictures. Here are the moves we lean on.

Simon Says, opposite style

Call out "Simon says hands UP!" and then "Simon says hands... the opposite!" Kids have to think before they move, and the giggles keep everyone in. Left and right is the trickiest pair, so put a sticker on every right hand before you start.

Why it works: playful practice with a clear goal keeps kids practicing longer, and simple learning games have been shown to build real skills (Ramani and Siegler, 2008).

Left and Right Simon Says Opposites ActivityTry it withLeft and Right Simon Says Opposites ActivityActivitiesOpen it →

Picture pairs on the rug

Hand out opposite flash cards and have each child find their partner card: the tall giraffe looks for the short mouse. Partners stand up together and say their words out loud. Shuffle and play again; it takes three minutes.

Why it works: children learn more from words and pictures together than from words alone (Mayer, 2009).

Opposites Flash CardsTry it withOpposites Flash CardsFlash CardsOpen it →

Show it with real stuff first

Before any worksheet, act it out with objects: pour water into a cup for full, dump it for empty, open and close the classroom door. Say the pair every time, "full... empty!" Kids remember the action long after the lesson ends.

Why it works: showing first, practicing together, then letting kids try alone is the "gradual release" model teachers have relied on for decades (Pearson and Gallagher, 1983).

Opposites Lesson PlanTry it withOpposites Lesson PlanLesson PlansOpen it →

Make it feel like play

Opposites are perfect for quick, silly games at the table or on the floor.

Full and Empty Opposites ActivityActivities

Full or empty?

Kids sort cups, boxes and bags into a full pile and an empty pile, then hunt the room for more.

Open Full and Empty Opposites Activity →Top and Bottom Toys Edition Opposites Activity Board GameActivities

Top and bottom toys

A little board game where players move toys to the top or bottom of the shelf. Say the word as you move!

Open Top and Bottom Toys Edition Opposites Activity Board Game →Opposites Matching WorksheetWorksheets

Match them up

Draw a line from each picture to its opposite. Great for a calm morning seat job.

Open Opposites Matching Worksheet →

What's on this page

6 Activities5 Worksheets1 Flash Card1 Lesson Plan

Teacher favorites right now: Opposites Flash Cards, Verb Opposites Worksheet and Opposites Matching Worksheet.

Questions parents and teachers ask

What opposites should a kindergartener know?

Start with the everyday pairs kids can see and feel: big and small, hot and cold, up and down, in and out, open and closed, full and empty, day and night. Position words like left and right or top and bottom come next.

How do I teach opposites to a 5-year-old?

Act them out before you write them. Use real objects, your body and picture cards, and always say both words together. Short daily games work far better than one long lesson.

Are opposites the same as antonyms?

Yes. Antonym is the grown-up word for opposite. Most kindergarten teachers say opposites, then introduce the word antonym in 1st or 2nd grade.

Why is left and right so hard for kindergarteners?

Left and right depend on which way you are facing, so they are trickier than pairs like hot and cold. A sticker or bracelet on one hand and lots of movement games help a lot.

Keep exploring

Kindergarten English ResourcesOpposites Resources1st Grade Opposites Resources

Written by the Have Fun Teaching team of elementary teachers and homeschoolers. Research: Ramani, G. B., & Siegler, R. S. (2008). Promoting broad and stable improvements in low-income children's numerical knowledge through playing number board games. Child Development, 79(2). Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia Learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. Pearson, P. D., & Gallagher, M. C. (1983). The instruction of reading comprehension. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 8(3).