Patterns turn up in almost every Class 1 maths book, usually as a short chapter with beads, shapes and numbers that ask “what comes next?”. They look easy, but a good patterns worksheet for Class 1 is quietly teaching big ideas: noticing what repeats, predicting, and seeing that numbers grow in steady jumps. Those ideas later become skip counting, times tables and even algebra.
Print-ready worksheets for this topic
Class 1 Maths Worksheets PDF – Numbers to 100, Addition, Subtraction, Money & Time (49 Pages) – A4 PDF, instant download. ₹149 ₹299
This guide explains the three kinds of patterns children meet in Class 1 (repeating, growing and number patterns), gives you 20 ready-to-use “what comes next” questions with answers, and adds rangoli, bead and clapping activities you can do at home or in class with almost no preparation.
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Quick answer: Class 1 pattern practice usually covers:
- Repeating patterns: AB (circle, square, circle, square), ABB, AAB and ABC.
- Growing patterns: each step gets one more (1 dot, 2 dots, 3 dots).
- Number patterns: counting on or back in steady jumps (2, 4, 6, 8 or 20, 19, 18).
- Skills: find the repeating part, say it aloud, continue it, spot the mistake and make your own.
What are patterns in maths for Class 1?
A pattern is something that follows a rule. In a repeating pattern, a small group of things (we call it the core or the repeating part) happens again and again. In a growing pattern, something changes by the same amount each time. Children do not need these words straight away, but they do need to hear you say the pattern aloud, because saying it helps them feel the rhythm: “red, blue, red, blue…”.
A simple way to explain it to a six-year-old: “A pattern is like a song that repeats. If you know the tune, you can sing the next part.”
| Pattern type | Example | Repeating part or rule |
|---|---|---|
| AB | circle, square, circle, square | circle, square |
| AAB | star, star, moon, star, star, moon | star, star, moon |
| ABB | big, small, small, big, small, small | big, small, small |
| ABC | triangle, circle, square, triangle, circle, square | triangle, circle, square |
| Growing | 1 dot, 2 dots, 3 dots, 4 dots | add one more each time |
| Number (counting on) | 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 | jump on by 2 |
| Number (counting back) | 20, 19, 18, 17 | jump back by 1 |
How to teach shape patterns for kids, step by step
- Start with real objects. Line up a spoon, a fork, a spoon, a fork. Ask, “What comes next?” Let your child put the next item down.
- Say it aloud together. Tap each item and chant the names. Children often spot the next item by rhythm before they can explain it.
- Find the core. Ask your child to put a hand around the part that repeats. If they can circle “spoon, fork”, they understand the pattern.
- Move to drawings. Draw simple shapes in a row on paper and leave two blank spaces at the end.
- Change one thing at a time. After AB, try AAB, then ABB, then ABC. Keep the shapes the same and change only the order.
- Swap roles. Let your child make a pattern and you continue it. Make a deliberate mistake now and then, and let them catch you.
Shapes are perfect for this because children already know their names. If your child is still learning to tell a square from a rectangle, our post on shapes worksheets for Class 1 covers that first.
Number patterns for Class 1
Number patterns are where patterns meet counting. In Class 1 these are usually counting on in 1s, 2s, 5s or 10s, and counting back in 1s. They connect directly to skip counting, so if your child can skip count in 2s aloud, they can usually finish 2, 4, 6, __ on paper.
- Find the jump: look at two numbers side by side and ask, “How much bigger is this one?” From 5 to 10 is a jump of 5.
- Use a number line: draw 0 to 20, and hop a finger along. Jumps you can see are easier than jumps you imagine.
- Missing numbers in the middle: 10, 20, __, 40 is harder than a blank at the end, because children have to look both ways.
- Counting back: 20, 19, 18 uses the same skill as “just before”. Our before and after numbers guide has practice for this.
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20 “what comes next” pattern questions (with answers)
Copy these onto paper, or read them aloud and let your child answer on a mini whiteboard. Questions 1 to 9 are shape, letter and action patterns; 10 to 17 are number patterns; 18 to 20 are challenge questions.
Shape, letter and action patterns
- circle, square, circle, square, circle, ___
- red, blue, red, blue, ___
- A, B, A, B, A, ___
- star, star, moon, star, star, ___
- clap, clap, stamp, clap, clap, ___
- triangle, circle, square, triangle, circle, ___
- A, B, C, A, B, ___
- big, small, small, big, small, ___
- up arrow, down arrow, up arrow, down arrow, ___
Number patterns
- 2, 4, 6, 8, ___
- 5, 10, 15, 20, ___
- 10, 20, ___, 40, 50
- 1, 3, 5, 7, ___
- 20, 19, 18, 17, ___
- 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, ___
- 50, 45, 40, 35, ___
- 11, 12, 13, ___, 15
Challenge questions
- Row 1 has 1 dot, row 2 has 2 dots, row 3 has 3 dots. How many dots in row 4?
- AB, ABB, ABBB, ___
- Find the mistake: circle, square, circle, square, square, square. Which shape is wrong?
| Q | Answer | Q | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | square | 11 | 25 |
| 2 | red | 12 | 30 |
| 3 | B | 13 | 9 |
| 4 | moon | 14 | 16 |
| 5 | stamp | 15 | 2 |
| 6 | square | 16 | 30 |
| 7 | C | 17 | 14 |
| 8 | small | 18 | 4 dots |
| 9 | down arrow | 19 | ABBBB |
| 10 | 10 | 20 | the 5th shape should be a circle |
For question 20, the pattern should read circle, square, circle, square, circle, square. Only the fifth shape is wrong. Want more mixed practice beyond patterns? Our Class 1 maths worksheet with answers has questions across the year’s topics.
Pattern activities: rangoli, beads and more
1. Rangoli border
Draw a long strip on paper (or use chalk on the floor). Make a border with a repeating flower, dot, dot, flower, dot, dot. Children continue it with crayons or coloured rice. Rangoli is a lovely way to show that patterns can be beautiful as well as mathematical.
2. Bead or button necklace
Thread beads, buttons or pasta on a string in an ABC pattern. Ask your child to say the pattern before adding each bead. For younger children, use just two colours.
3. Body patterns
Clap, clap, jump. Touch head, touch toes. Body patterns are great for restless children and work for the whole class at once.
4. Kitchen patterns
Spoon, bowl, spoon, bowl on the table. Or arrange peas and corn in a line on a plate. Let them eat the pattern afterwards.
5. Make-your-own pattern card
Fold a strip of paper into eight boxes. Your child draws a pattern in the first six boxes and swaps with a sibling or classmate, who fills in the last two.
Prefer ready-to-print pages?
Class 1 Maths Worksheets PDF – Numbers to 100, Addition, Subtraction, Money & Time (49 Pages) – A4 PDF, instant download. ₹149 ₹299
Common pattern mistakes (and quick fixes)
| Mistake | What to try |
|---|---|
| Copies only the last item | Say the whole pattern aloud from the start, tapping each item. |
| Treats ABB like AB | Circle the repeating part in pencil before continuing. |
| Guesses number patterns | Write the jump between numbers in small arcs above them. |
| Stops after one item | Ask for the next two or three items, not just one. |
| Cannot spot a mistake | Read the pattern slowly together and listen for the “wrong note”. |
A one-week patterns plan (10 minutes a day)
- Day 1: AB patterns with real objects, then questions 1 to 3.
- Day 2: AAB and ABB with claps and stamps, then questions 4, 5 and 8.
- Day 3: ABC patterns with beads, then questions 6, 7 and 9.
- Day 4: number patterns on a number line, questions 10 to 13.
- Day 5: counting back and missing numbers, questions 14 to 17.
- Day 6: challenge questions 18 to 20 and a rangoli border.
- Day 7: your child makes three patterns for you to solve.
Printable patterns worksheet for Class 1
If you would rather print than draw, our Class 1 Maths Worksheets PDF (49 A4 pages) includes pattern pages with pictures, shapes and numbers, alongside numbers to 100, tens and ones, addition and subtraction within 20, Indian money, 2D and 3D shapes, measurement, time and simple data handling. There are three mental maths speed sheets, five pages of answer keys, a 4-week progress tracker and a certificate. It follows common Class 1 themes and is not an official board workbook, so pick the pages that match your child’s school book.
Get the Class 1 Maths Worksheets – ₹149
Want to check the style first? Download the free Class 1 maths sample: 3 real pages plus the cover and contents page, free at checkout with just your name and email. If you are stocking up for the whole year, the Complete Worksheet Library bundle (₹699) includes the Class 1 maths pack among its 20 original packs.
Download the Class 1 Maths Pack – ₹149
Frequently asked questions
What is a pattern for Class 1 students?
A pattern is a set of shapes, colours, actions or numbers that follows a rule. In Class 1, children continue repeating patterns such as circle, square, circle, square, and number patterns such as 2, 4, 6, 8.
What are the types of patterns taught in Class 1?
Most Class 1 books include repeating patterns (AB, AAB, ABB, ABC), simple growing patterns where one more is added each time, and number patterns that count on or back in steady jumps.
How do I help my child find what comes next in a pattern?
Ask your child to say the whole pattern aloud from the beginning and to circle the part that repeats. Once they can see the repeating part, the next item becomes clear.
How are number patterns linked to skip counting?
A number pattern like 5, 10, 15, 20 is skip counting in 5s. Practising skip counting aloud makes number patterns much easier and later helps with times tables.
Does the Class 1 Maths pack include pattern worksheets?
Yes. The 49-page Class 1 Maths Worksheets PDF includes pattern pages with pictures, shapes and numbers, along with other Class 1 topics and answer keys at the back.
