Dot to Dot: Cucumber with Rounded End — Ages 4-5

A long cucumber lying on a slant, with a smiling face at its rounded end and three stripes along its skin, hides in twelve dots for four- and five-year-olds.

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All printables: Dot-to-dot

Dot to Dot: Cucumber with Rounded End — Ages 4-5

How to use this worksheet

The eyes and stripes are printed; begin at the bigger dot 1 near the rounded top end on the right.
Follow the dashed line down the right side through 3, 4 and 5 to the lower end at 6 and 7.
Come back up the long upper edge from 8 to 12, then join 12 to 1.
The cucumber lies diagonally, so it is fine to turn the sheet if a line feels awkward.

What this worksheet teaches

Most lines on this card are diagonal. Slanted strokes are harder for young children than straight up-and-down or side-to-side ones, and they are exactly what letters like A, K, M and X need. The dashed guide keeps the direction clear while the hand gets used to it. The count goes past ten to 12, so your child also practices 10, 11 and 12, which follow one another along the upper edge. A fact to share while drawing: cucumbers are about 95 percent water and grow on climbing vines, not under the ground like carrots.

Play idea

Lay 12 cucumber slices in a row on a plate. Each time your child joins a dot, they may eat one slice. When the plate is empty, the paper cucumber is finished too.

Questions and answers

Questions from parents

Why does the cucumber lie on a slant?

The diagonal position gives practice with slanted lines. A cucumber standing straight would have mostly vertical lines, which are easier.

My child finds 11 and 12 hard to read. Any tip?

Point out that both start with 1, just like 10. Reading "one-one, eleven" and "one-two, twelve" aloud a few times helps.

Is the faint line needed at five?

Not always. If your child finds the numbers easily, try the next card without the guide.