Simple Activities to Teach Sequencing for Preschoolers

Learning to sequence events takes practice. Some kids pick it up quickly and easily, but others struggle. Either way, there are some fun and easy ways to teach sequencing to preschoolers.

What is Sequencing?

According to FreeDictionary.com, sequencing, also known as temporal ordering, is the “arrangement of events in time.” Learning how to place events in time order is an important skill that young learners should master. 

Understanding how to create a sequence of events helps littles ones begin to recognize patterns that are in the world, which they will need as they grow and learn. These patterns and sequences are what make the world make sense and understandable. 

Some of the best sequencing activities can easily happen in your daily activities. 

• A Daily Routine is probably one of the first references young children have to temporal ordering. We teach them how to get ready for the day in a sequential order of events that then become routine.
• Everyday tasks such as chores can also be a great way to teach younger children the importance of doing things in the right order. 
• Following a Recipe – There are step-by-step processes and one that needs to be followed in a specific order or it won’t turn out right. And if you’re making food for a large gathering, you need to cook in a certain order to ensure things complete at the same time so nothing is served cold.
• My husband has always been a “DIY-er” when it comes to repairs and construction. He enjoys figuring out how things work or how to improve them. Sequencing is important when building and constructing a new project, as well as while doing repairs. Doing something out of order can cause catastrophic damage.
• Critical thinking – learning to see a logical order and predict an outcome or approach an unknown issue logically, is a cognitive skill that takes intentional practice.

Why Sequencing is Important

While it might not seem to matter too much, being able to recall and place events of the story in the correct order, is a very important concept that is vital to language development. Sequencing events in the correct order is something they will use through high school and even in life.

Two instances they will use sequencing later in life is history and science. Being able to recall historical order of events correctly is not only necessary for tests, studies, and reports, but also to correlate what happened around the world at the same time. Sequencing is vital in conducting science experiments too. Doing things in the wrong order could spell disaster.

​Sequencing comes in many forms, from following a basic recipe to stories to teaching children other life skills. For instance, when you give your children a set of instructions they need to be able to follow more than one at a time. And oftentimes they need to be done in a specific order. This is something we stress with our kids – even as they get older.

Ways to Teach Sequencing to Preschoolers

If you have ever tried to teach preschool children how to order a series of events or to put something in a particular order, you know it can be difficult at times. Here are a few ideas we have used over the years to help teach our own children learn proper sequence, without interrupting their daily lives.

Start with Patterns

Over the years, I have noticed that while my little ones love stories, they are not able to jump right into sequencing stories. Even when they know the stories and can tell you all about them, they often get the order mixed up. So start with a pattern of colors – red, blue, red, blue, _____. This is a fun and easy way to help them recognize colors as well as establish patterns.

Another great way to practice is introducing the sequences of letters. Whether you’re teaching them the alphabet or a pattern of letters, this is a great way to reinforce letter recognition as well.

Use Sequential Order Words

It is important to use sequencing words and terminology with your little ones. Numerical (first, second, etc.) and transitional (in the beginning, next, last, etc.) are order words they need to know and understand. So when you do simple tasks at home, start using these terms. When giving instructions for chores, whether they are helping with laundry, doing the dishes, or learning to cook, these words can easily be used.

​Printable sequencing cards, like the ones in our Gingerbread MEGA Pack, are a fun activity to help little learners learn how to put events in the proper order. The MEGA pack also includes other activities for early learners to work on story structure, letters, counting, and so much more. Get your older children involved with the manuscript print or cursive copywork of the classic Gingerbread Man story.

Start Small

Little ones need short and sweet. So start with just a few simple steps to help them understand how it works. You could do a pattern of three simple parts of the story. Take the Three Little Pigs for instance. Have three picture cards – one with all 3 pigs, one with the wolf blowing on a house and one with the brick house standing. Mix them up and let them put them in the correct order.

Read and Repeat a Story

As with most things we learn, repetition is key. Your little ones will need to hear the story multiple times, paying close attention to the order of words so they can remember the story sequence. Often reading a story several times can improve their memory of the sequences of events. 

For instance, each time you read the story, add some sequencing. Start with having them tell you what happened first, next and last. Then you could ask them to put their cards in order. And finally, ask them to retell the story in their own words. This is a great way to increase the “difficulty” as it were.

While they may not understand the plot of a story, learning to put shorter stories in sequential order will help them as they grow in their reading and learning of literature. 

Add more steps

After they have mastered three-step sequencing, its time to increase the steps! Go to four, and once they’ve mastered that, move to 5-step sequences, and so on. This is the fun part and where you can start making some games out of it.

Using nursery rhymes are a great way to build that strong foundation, while using a picture book and sets of cards to teach correct sequence.

Simple Sequencing Activities

As your little ones start showing more successful sequencing skills, you can begin playing sequencing games or even making games to practice and improve. One you can play right at home is giving your kids a list of 5 things to gather in a specific order and bring them to you. My kids love “playing” this game. And I may or may not use it to get them to clean up their toys.

Learning to grow your own apple seeds is another fun way to help children understand basic concepts while following a sequence of steps. These simple hands-on activities and the use of visual aids, are a great way to learn a very abstract concept in the preschool years. 

Gingerbread Mini Activity Pack

Grab our FREE Gingerbread Mini Activity Pack to introduce your students to this holiday story. This pack includes a word search, drawing activity, colorable images, and more!