Prepositions for kids sound like grammar, but for a three-year-old they are really about looking and moving: is the cat in the box, on the table or under it? This page turns those little words into a game. A friendly cat moves around a simple scene with one table and one box, and your child hears every position in Hindi and English, like "The cat is under the table" and "बिल्ली मेज़ के नीचे है।" Then the roles swap and your child places the ball where Golu asks.
What your child learns about position words
Position words (also called prepositions of place, spatial words or positional language) tell us where something is. They matter far beyond English class. A child who understands "put your shoes under the bed" or "the book is next to the lamp" can follow routines, tidy up, play hide-and-seek and later read maths instructions such as "draw a circle between the two stars". The seven words in this game are:
- in (अंदर): the cat sits inside the open box.
- on (ऊपर): the cat sits on top of the table.
- under (नीचे): the cat hides below the table.
- next to (बगल में): the cat stands beside the box.
- behind (पीछे): only the top of the cat peeps out from behind the box.
- in front of (आगे): the cat is closer to you than the box.
- between (बीच में): the cat is in the gap between the table and the box.
In Hindi, most of these are postpositions that come after the noun: मेज़ के नीचे is literally "table-of below". Bilingual children often notice this difference, and hearing both versions side by side helps them build the idea rather than just memorising one sentence.
Which prepositions to teach at which age
Children learn these words in a fairly steady order. "In" and "on" come first, "under" next, then "next to" and "behind", and "in front of" and "between" last because they depend on where the viewer is standing. The game follows this order automatically through the age setting in the grown-ups' settings.
| Age | Words in the game | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| 2-3 years | in, on, under | Understands before saying. Points to the right place when you ask. |
| 3-4 years (nursery) | in, on, under, next to, behind | Starts saying "in box", "on table". Can follow "put it under the chair". |
| 4-5 years (LKG) | all seven | Uses full phrases. Mixes up "behind" and "in front of" now and then. |
| 5-6 years (UKG, class 1) | all seven, harder spots | Explains positions in sentences and uses "between" correctly. |
How to play the in, on, under game
There are three modes in the tab bar. Every instruction is spoken, so your child does not need to read.
Learn
Big word buttons sit under the scene. Tap "under" and the cat jumps under the table while the sentence plays in both languages. This is free play: let your child tap as often as they like. After a few taps a marble drops into the Goli Jar.
Where is the cat?
The cat appears in one spot and Golu asks "Where is the cat?" (बिल्ली कहाँ है?). Your child taps the word that matches. Younger children see two choices, older ones three or four.
Put the ball
This is the reverse and it is harder. Golu says, for example, "Put the ball between the table and the box", and dashed circles show the possible spots in the scene. Your child taps the right circle and the ball appears there. Moving from understanding a word to acting on it is exactly the step teachers look for in nursery and LKG.
No mode ever says "wrong". A wrong tap gets a soft sound and a spoken hint. On the second try the correct answer glows, and on the third a pointing hand appears. After a short set of rounds your child gets a marble and a small real-world mission.
How to teach prepositions at home in 5 minutes a day
Position words are best learned with the body and real objects. Use the game as a warm-up, then play one of these:
- Teddy on the move. Give your child a soft toy and a shoebox. Say "Put teddy in the box… now on the box… now under the bed." Swap roles and let your child give you orders.
- Hide and seek with a spoon. In the kitchen, hide a spoon and give clues: "It is next to the atta tin", "It is behind the pressure cooker." Kitchens are full of good "in" and "on" places.
- Obstacle course. In the park or a corridor, say "crawl under the table, walk around the chair, stand between the two cushions". Moving their own body through space fixes the meaning fast.
- Tidy-up talk. "Your shoes go under the bed, your bag goes on the hook, the crayons go in the box." Tidying becomes a language lesson.
- Picture books. Ask "Where is the dog?" on each page and let your child answer with a position word.
Say the Hindi and English together the first few times ("under, नीचे"), then use whichever language your family speaks most. Mixing both is fine and normal in bilingual homes.
In on under worksheet and printable ideas
There is no PDF to download, but you can print this page from your browser and use it as a simple guide. For a homemade in on under worksheet, draw a box and a table on paper and ask your child to draw a ball in, on or under them. For class 1 and UKG, add "between" and "behind". Real objects still beat paper at this age, so keep worksheets short.
Common mix-ups and how to help
- "Behind" and "in front of". These depend on where you stand. Walk around a chair with your child and show that "behind" changes when you move. The game keeps the viewer fixed so the meaning stays simple.
- "On" and "above". "On" means touching. If the cat floats over the table, it is "above". This game only uses "on", which is right for this age.
- "Next to" and "between". "Between" needs two things. Put your child between two cushions and say it together.
Tips for speech delay, autism and bilingual homes
If your child is not talking much yet, focus on understanding: ask them to put a toy somewhere and celebrate the action, not the word. Many autistic children enjoy the predictable scene here, where the table and box never move, so repeat the Learn mode as often as they like. You can turn on calm motion and fewer choices in the settings behind the grown-up check. If your child becomes frustrated, stop and play with real objects instead; there is no score to lose. Keep screen time short and do it together: five minutes of play followed by a real hide-and-seek game teaches more than half an hour alone. If you have concerns about how your child understands language, talk to your paediatrician.
Where to go next
Position words pair well with big and small, opposite words for kids such as up and down, and the listening game Golu says, which practises following instructions. For a vocabulary boost around the home, try household items name, and for more movement words, action words for kids.
