Complete the picture
Half a picture on one side of the mirror line and the other half to colour in. Pupils count how far each square is from the line and repeat it on the other side.
Start over?
Teaching guide: symmetry in primary school
A shape is symmetrical when a line splits it into two matching halves, each the mirror image of the other. Completing pixel pictures on squared paper is the clearest way to practise it: every square has its partner the same distance from the mirror line. This free symmetry worksheet generator makes A4 worksheets for Grades 1 to 4 with our own pictures (hearts, houses, rockets, butterflies, robots, cats…), different every time and with an answer key.
Student worksheet 
Answer key Reflect the shape
From Grade 2, shapes away from the mirror line (a flag, a sailboat, a letter F) to reflect: the shape is flipped but keeps its form and size.
Is it a line of symmetry?
A dashed line over a picture: is it a line of symmetry or not? Lines that are not are checked so that at least two squares do not match.
How many lines?
Shapes with no, one, two or four lines of symmetry: pupils draw them all and write how many there are.
From vertical to diagonal
Grades 1 and 2 use vertical and horizontal mirror lines; in Grade 3 the given half changes sides, and Grade 4 adds diagonal lines and pictures with two mirror lines.
Black and white friendly
One-colour pictures print in grey. With the colour option, each colour prints as a pattern with its name, so pupils colour with the right one.
Frequently asked questions about the symmetry worksheets
Which grades are these worksheets for?
Grades 1 to 4 (Years 2 to 5). Level 1 uses 8 × 8 grids and small pictures; level 2, 10 × 10 grids and the first shapes to reflect; level 3, 12 × 12 grids with the given half on any side; and level 4 adds diagonal mirror lines and pictures with two lines.
What is a line of symmetry?
It is a line that splits a shape into two halves that match like a reflection in a mirror: fold the paper along the line and the halves fit exactly. A shape may have no lines of symmetry, one or several.
How do you complete a symmetrical picture on a grid?
For each coloured square, count how many squares it is from the mirror line and colour the square the same distance away on the other side, in the same row (vertical line) or the same column (horizontal line).
Can an answer be ambiguous?
No. The generator checks every picture square by square: pictures to complete are exactly symmetrical about the printed line, the lines of symmetry of each shape are computed, and lines that are not lines of symmetry have at least two squares that do not match.
Can I print them in black and white?
Yes. By default the pictures are in one colour, printed in grey. If you choose coloured pictures, each colour prints as a pattern (stripes, dots, checks) with the colour name next to it.
Which other geometry worksheets go well with these?
The area and perimeter worksheets, the views and isometric drawing worksheets and, for younger children, patterns and dot-to-dot. Find every resource under maths worksheets.
Is any pupil data sent anywhere?
No. Worksheets are generated in your browser and templates are saved in your browser's memory.
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