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Halloween Matching Worksheets for Preschool & Kindergarten
These Halloween matching worksheets ask kids to slow down and really look: which ghost is missing its mouth, which shadow belongs to the witch hat, which half finishes the jack-o’-lantern. There are 6 free printable pages for preschool and kindergarten (roughly ages 3 to 6), and each one downloads as a PDF in US Letter (8.5 x 11 in) and A4.
Matching is one of those skills that looks easy to adults. For a 4-year-old, telling a plain pumpkin from one with a face, in a row of four, takes real attention. The pages start with exact copies and get pickier as you go. The last one is a set of cards you cut out and play with, which tends to be the favorite.
Download the Halloween Matching Worksheets
Press Download or Print under a worksheet and choose your paper size. US Letter is for the US and Canada. A4 is for most other countries.
A Quick Look at Each Page
- Match the Same Pictures: six pictures on the left, the same six mixed up on the right. Draw lines between twins.
- Which One Is Different?: six rows of four. Some are easy (a cauldron among hats). Some are sneaky (one ghost without a mouth).
- Same or Different?: two pictures, two words. Kids circle “same” or “different.”
- Halloween Shadow Match: match each outline picture to its gray shadow. The bat and the owl tend to cause a pause.
- Match the Halves: five pictures split down the middle. Kids find the other half by looking at the cut edge.
- Memory Match Cards: twelve cards, six pairs. Cut them apart and play.
Why “Spot the Difference” Practice Pays Off
Teachers call this visual discrimination. It just means noticing small differences in shape and detail. It’s the same skill a child uses later to tell b from d, or 6 from 9. Matching pictures is a gentle way to practice it before letters and numbers come into it.
Each of these Halloween matching worksheets asks for the skill in a slightly different way. Shadows take away the inside details, so kids have to go by the outside shape. Halves make them picture the rest of something they can only partly see. The odd one out page asks them to keep three pictures in mind and find the one that breaks the pattern.
Don’t worry if your child rushes the first time. Ask “How do you know?” after each answer. Explaining “this ghost has no mouth” is half the learning.
Ideas for Class Parties and Quiet Time
- Print at 100% or “Actual size,” not “Fit to page.” The memory cards come out the right size that way.
- Print the memory cards on cardstock so you can’t see the picture through the back. Plain paper glued onto an old cereal box works too.
- Black and white is fine. Kids can color the cards before cutting, which also makes the pairs easier to spot for younger players.
- Pop the shadow and halves pages into a dry-erase sleeve. Then they work as a reusable Halloween center.
- For a class party, hand one memory set to each table. Four players and twelve cards is about a ten-minute game.
- Three-year-olds can skip the line drawing. Let them point, or place a sticker next to the matching picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age are these Halloween matching worksheets for?
Most kids from 3 to 6 can do them. Matching the same pictures and the memory cards work for preschool. Same or different and the halves page are a better fit for kindergarten.
Are the pages free to use?
Yes, free for personal and classroom use. Please don’t sell them or upload the files to another site. Share a link to this page instead.
Which paper size should I choose?
US Letter in the US and Canada, A4 almost everywhere else. The content is the same on both.
How do you play the memory match game?
Cut out the twelve cards, mix them and lay them face down in rows. Take turns flipping two cards. If they match, keep them. If not, turn them back over. Whoever has the most pairs at the end wins. With little ones, start with just six cards.
