Horizontal Line Tracing Worksheet – Pre-Writing Practice

Help the caterpillar crawl across the page to reach its leaf!
This horizontal line tracing worksheet gives preschoolers a fun way to practice early writing movements while building essential fine motor control and hand–eye coordination.

Tracing from left to right mimics the natural direction of English reading and writing, helping children form good habits before they even start learning letters.

This activity also strengthens pencil grip, focus, and muscle memory, making it an excellent starting point for little learners.

What’s Inside the Horizontal Line Worksheet

This printable has been thoughtfully designed to keep children engaged and confident while they trace.

• 5 horizontal dotted lines across the page for simple tracing practice
• A friendly caterpillar on the left and a leaf on the right to guide direction
• Clear, distraction-free layout suitable for preschoolers
• Encourages smooth, steady hand movement and line awareness

The caterpillar and leaf create a sense of purpose for each line, turning practice into a story.
Children naturally want to help the caterpillar reach its goal, which keeps them focused and motivated through the activity.

How to Use This Printable

1. Print on A4 or US Letter paper.
2. Show your child how to start tracing from the caterpillar and move toward the leaf.
3. Use pencils, crayons, or washable markers to trace the dotted lines.
4. Encourage slow, controlled strokes for better coordination.
5. Repeat each row or use different colors to make the page bright and fun.
6. Once your child gains confidence, invite them to draw their own lines beneath the printed ones.

You can also turn this worksheet into a playful learning game — for example, tell a short story about the hungry caterpillar looking for its leaf, or ask children to count how many lines they can complete neatly.

Learning Benefits

This horizontal line tracing worksheet supports key pre-writing skills:

• Builds fine motor strength and grip control
• Reinforces left-to-right directionality for reading and writing readiness
• Improves hand–eye coordination and focus
• Encourages patience, persistence, and visual tracking
• Promotes confidence as children see their progress line by line
• Provides a screen-free learning activity ideal for home or classroom use

Pre-writing practice helps little ones prepare for letters, numbers, and shapes.
This fun, nature-inspired printable makes the journey exciting and rewarding.

Download the free printable PDF below and let your little learners trace across the page as the caterpillar crawls toward its leaf.
Explore more tracing and pre-writing printables in our Pre-Writing Activities Collection to keep the learning going!