Cut out four pictures, shuffle them, and put the little story back in order. This free set contains two different picture sequences: a sunflower growing in a pot and a snowman being built. Each story has its own four-card sheet, with a separate guide showing both finished orders. Choose A4 or US Letter and print only the parts you need.
The sunflower pictures use gentle painted colors; the snowman pictures have a soft paper-collage look. These are ready-colored cards for arranging and talking about. They are not coloring sheets, and no glue or backing sheet is needed to start.
Download the Cards and Separate Answers
The card PDF has two pages: one sunflower sheet and one snowman sheet. Each page holds four cards in a shared-edge two-by-two block. The guide is one additional page with short preparation instructions and the two answer rows. The complete pack combines those three pages.
Two card sheets - A4 | Two card sheets - US Letter
Guide and answers - A4 | Guide and answers - US Letter
Complete three-page pack - A4 | Complete three-page pack - US Letter
The letters A, B, C and D identify cards for the answer guide. They do not show the story order: the pictures are deliberately mixed on the cutting sheet. Look at the pictures rather than putting the alphabet in order. Keep the answer page aside until you want a check.
A Sunflower Story
The first picture in this story shows a seed resting in soil in a terracotta pot. Next comes a tiny seedling with two little leaves. After that, a larger leafy plant has a closed bud. The last picture has an open sunflower above its leaves. The pot gives you a familiar object to follow while the plant changes.
Begin by finding the seed and the open flower. Ask which comes first and which comes last, then place the other two pictures between them. Compare the tiny seedling with the plant that already has a bud: those visible differences help decide their order without reading a caption.
Once the four pictures are arranged, tell the story in your own words. You might begin with, "First there was a seed. Next a little seedling appeared." The cards leave out many real growing steps and do not give a timetable; use them as a short picture story rather than instructions for planting or caring for a sunflower.
Build a Snowman in Pictures
The snowman sequence begins with one large snowball. The next picture adds a second snowball above it. A smaller head makes a stack of three, and the final picture adds a face, stick arms, buttons, scarf and knitted hat. The earlier snowball shapes remain visible as the figure grows.
Try lining up the three unfinished pictures first. Find the single snowball, then the stack of two, then the stack with a head. Add the dressed snowman at the end. This particular picture story puts the decorations on last; children can describe the added details without needing to remember a long set of spoken instructions.
After checking the order, choose two neighboring cards and ask what has appeared. The answer might be a new snowball or the hat and scarf. You can also remove one card from the ordered row and ask which picture would fill the gap.
Prepare the Cards with Straight Cuts
Print the matching paper size in portrait orientation. At actual size, each card measures 85 by 100 mm; Fit to printable area is also suitable because the game does not depend on exact card dimensions. Check that all four pictures and letters appear in the print preview.
For each sheet, trim around the outside rectangle, then cut the central vertical and horizontal lines. The cards share edges, and there are no titles or footers to trim from individual cards. Keep the four sunflower cards together and the four snowman cards together so the stories do not get mixed while preparing them.
Ordinary paper is enough for a first activity. Adult help with cutting keeps preparation separate from the picture game. Put the chosen four cards on a clear tabletop with space to arrange them in a row; you do not need to print a separate placement mat.
Start Small or Tell the Whole Story
If four cards feel like too many choices, begin with only the first and last pictures. Add the two middle cards when you want a longer story. Let the child explain what they notice, then use the answer guide to check the pictured order together.
You may print copies for personal, family and classroom activities. If someone else wants the set, share this resource page so they can choose their own paper size and downloads. Please do not sell or rehost the PDFs.