🌀 Worksheets

Free printable warm-up strokes for little hands

Twelve printable warm-up worksheets sorted by age: big circles, lying eights, waves across the page, loops, spirals and mirrored drawing with both hands.

Warm-up strokes are big, flowing lines drawn from the shoulder and the wrist – the kind you do before writing so the hand isn't stiff. For ages 3–4 the paths are 12 to 13 mm wide and run across the whole page; for ages 4–5 they narrow to 6 to 8 mm; for ages 5–6 to 5 mm, the size of letters in a writing book.

Every age group has four sheets and one bundle in a single PDF. Each sheet carries a short tip for parents and a one-sentence task for the child.

Sheets by age:

ages 3–4ages 4–5ages 5–6

Ages 3–4 (4)

⬇ Bundle: warm-up strokes ages 3–4 (4 sheets) in one PDF

Big circles – worksheet for ages 3–4, previewSave
Pre-writing

Big circles

Warm-up strokes · ages 3–4
Lying eights – worksheet for ages 3–4, previewSave
Pre-writing

Lying eights

Warm-up strokes · ages 3–4
Waves across the page – worksheet for ages 3–4, previewSave
Pre-writing

Waves across the page

Warm-up strokes · ages 3–4
Both hands from the middle – worksheet for ages 3–4, previewSave
Pre-writing

Both hands from the middle

Warm-up strokes · ages 3–4

Ages 4–5 (4)

⬇ Bundle: warm-up strokes ages 4–5 (4 sheets) in one PDF

Circles and a spiral – worksheet for ages 4–5, previewSave
Pre-writing

Circles and a spiral

Warm-up strokes · ages 4–5
Rows of lying eights – worksheet for ages 4–5, previewSave
Pre-writing

Rows of lying eights

Warm-up strokes · ages 4–5
Loops across the page – worksheet for ages 4–5, previewSave
Pre-writing

Loops across the page

Warm-up strokes · ages 4–5
Both hands: waves and loops – worksheet for ages 4–5, previewSave
Pre-writing

Both hands: waves and loops

Warm-up strokes · ages 4–5

Ages 5–6 (4)

⬇ Bundle: warm-up strokes ages 5–6 (4 sheets) in one PDF

Warm-up before writing – worksheet for ages 5–6, previewSave
Pre-writing

Warm-up before writing

Warm-up strokes · ages 5–6
Eights and loops – worksheet for ages 5–6, previewSave
Pre-writing

Eights and loops

Warm-up strokes · ages 5–6
Spirals in and out – worksheet for ages 5–6, previewSave
Pre-writing

Spirals in and out

Warm-up strokes · ages 5–6
Both hands at once – worksheet for ages 5–6, previewSave
Pre-writing

Both hands at once

Warm-up strokes · ages 5–6

Questions parents ask

What are warm-up strokes?

Big flowing lines – circles, lying eights, waves, loops and spirals – drawn in one stroke without lifting the hand. They loosen the arm from the shoulder down to the fingers and work as a warm-up, not as a test.

How long should we practice?

Five to ten minutes, one or two sheets. A short go every day helps more than half an hour once a week.

What should the child draw with?

At ages 3–4 a thick triangular crayon or a wax crayon, for older children a pencil or a thinner crayon. A whiteboard or a big sheet of paper on the floor suits the big strokes well too.

How do I print them?

On A4 or US Letter paper, at actual size (100 %) and in black and white. Print them as often as you like – repeating the same exercise several times is the point.