Prepositions of Place: Complete Teaching Guide with Classroom Applications

Prepositions of place are vital linguistic tools that help us describe the position and location of objects or people. As teachers and parents, introducing these concepts effectively can transform a child’s ability to express spatial relationships in both speech and writing. This comprehensive guide explores the most important prepositions of place, with practical classroom applications and learning resources.

What are Prepositions?

Prepositions are connecting words that show relationships between other words in a sentence. Prepositions of place specifically indicate where something or someone is located. These small but mighty words help children describe their world with precision and clarity.

“Teaching prepositions through physical movement and visual aids creates memorable learning experiences that children retain long after the lesson ends. When we incorporate these spatial concepts into everyday classroom activities, we’re building linguistic foundations that support communication across all subjects.” – Michelle Connolly, Founder of LearningMole.

When teaching prepositions, it’s helpful to remember that they generally fall into three main categories:

1. At – for a specific point
2. In – for an enclosed space
3. On – for a surface

These three fundamental prepositions form the building blocks for understanding spatial relationships in English.

The Three Key Prepositions of Place

1. IN – For Enclosed Spaces

If something is contained inside a box or a wide flat area, we use ‘in’:

• In the newspaper
• In a cup
• In a bottle
• In bed
• In London
• In a book
• In a field
• In my stomach
• In a house
• In a drawer
• In a bag
• In a car
• In a river
• In a sea
• In a lake
• In England
• In Egypt
• In the fridge
• In the living room
• In the kitchen
• In the garden
• In the box
• In the microwave

Teaching Tip: Use clear containers with small objects inside to demonstrate ‘in. Have pupils place items in different containers while verbalising the preposition: “I’m putting the crayon in the box.”

2. ON – For Surfaces

If something is on a line or a horizontal or vertical surface, we use ‘on’:

• On the table
• On the wall
• On the floor
• On the window
• On the face
• On the plate
• On the page
• On the sofa
• On the chair
• On the bag
• On the river
• On the bottle
• On the bike
• On his/her foot
• On the desk
• On the fridge
• On the laptop
• On the curtain
• On the blanket
• On the box

Teaching Tip: Create a ‘preposition station’ where pupils place various objects on different surfaces and describe what they’re doing. This hands-on approach reinforces the concept through physical movement.

3. AT – For Points

If something is at a point (it could be a building), we use ‘at’:

• At the airport
• At the door
• At the cinema
• At the bus station
• At the train station
• At the bottom
• At the top
• At the front
• At university
• At school
• At hospital
• At club
• At college
• At home
• At the top of the page
• At the corner
• At the end of the road
• At the door
• At the crossroads
• At the front desk
• At the back
• At the shop
• At the market

Teaching Tip: Create a simple map of a town with different locations. Ask pupils to place figurines “at the school,” “at the shop,” etc. This builds both preposition usage and geographical vocabulary.

Common UK vs US English Preposition Differences

When teaching in UK schools, it’s important to note that certain prepositional phrases differ from American English:

• UK: “at the weekend” / US: “on the weekend”
• UK: “different to” / US: “different from” or “different than”
• UK: “in a team” / US: “on a team”
• UK: “at university” / US: “in university” or “in college”

These distinctions help pupils understand the subtle variations in English used across different regions, which is particularly important for those preparing for standardised tests or communication in international contexts.

Classroom Activities for Teaching Prepositions

1. Preposition Treasure Hunt (KS1-KS2)

Materials needed: Objects to hide, preposition cards

Skills developed: Vocabulary, listening, following instructions

How to play:

1. Hide various objects around the classroom
2. Create clue cards using prepositions: “Look in the cupboard” or “Search under the blue chair
3. Students follow the prepositional clues to find the hidden treasures
4. As an extension, have students create their clue cards for others to follow

2. Preposition Simon Says (EYFS-KS1)

Materials needed: None

Skills developed: Listening, physical movement, preposition recognition

How to play:

1. Use the traditional “Simon Says” format, but incorporate prepositions
2. “Simon say,s put your hands on your head”
3. “Simon says, stand behind your chair”
4. Continue with various prepositions while children follow directions

3. Preposition Picture Books (KS1-KS2)

Materials needed: Paper, art supplies, simple digital tools

Skills developed: Writing, illustration, creative thinking

How to play:

1. Students create a simple picture book using prepositions of place
2. Each page features a different preposition (e.g., “The cat is under the table”)
3. Students illustrate each sentence to show the preposition in action
4. Share books with classmates to practise reading and preposition identification

4. Digital Preposition Scavenger Hunt (KS2)

Materials needed: Tablets or computers, photo-taking ability

Skills developed: Digital literacy, observation, preposition application

How to play:

1. Students take photos around the school that demonstrate different prepositions
2. They create a digital slideshow with a caption for each image using the appropriate preposition
3. Present to the class for peers to guess which preposition is being shown
4. This activity can be adapted for home learning by having pupils take photos around their house

Advanced Prepositions of Place

As pupils develop their language skills, introduce these additional prepositions of place to expand their vocabulary:

Preposition	Use	Example Sentence
above	higher than something	The clock hung above the TV
across	from one side to the other	We walked across the bridge
after	one follows the other	The mother ran after her child
against	directed towards something	The ladder leaned against the wall
along	in a line; from one point to another	They’re walking along the beach
among	in a group	She felt comfortable among friends
around	in a circular way	The children sat around the teacher
behind	at the back of	The cinema is behind the supermarket
below	lower than something	The cave is below ground level
beside	next to	The police station is beside the bus stop
between	something/someone is on each side	The pencil is between two books
by	near	He lives in the house by the sea
close to	near	Our school is close to the library
down	from high to low	They walked down the hill
from	the place where it starts	The train travels from London to Edinburgh
in front of	the part facing forward	The fountain is in front of the museum
inside	opposite of outside	Stay inside the building
into	entering something	She walked into the classroom
near	close to	The playground is near the canteen
next to	beside	Our desk is next to the window
off	away from something	The cat jumped off the sofa
onto	moving to a place	The frog jumped onto the lily pad
opposite	on the other side	Our house is opposite the park
out of	leaving something	Take the books out of your bag
outside	not inside	The children played outside
over	above something/someone	The plane flew over the city
past	going near something/someone	We walked past the library
through	going from one point to another	The train passes through the tunnel
towards	in the direction of something	We walked towards the school
under	below something	The cat is hiding under the bed
up	from low to high	They climbed up the hill

Practice Activities: Test Your Knowledge

Complete these sentences with the correct preposition of place:

1. Sign your name _______ the dotted line. A- After B- Behind C- On
2. When we flew _______ the clouds, we could see the earth’s surface. A- Over B- In C- Below
3. Can I sit _______ you at the movie theatre? A- Around B- Beside C- Inside
4. The kids are playing _______ in the backyard. A- At B- On C- In
5. Your glasses are right _______ you. A- In front of B- On top of C- Behind
6. You can pick up your keys _______ the front desk. A- In B- At C- On
7. Let’s meet _______ the front door. A- In B- At C- Below
8. There’s a helicopter hovering _______ our house. A- Above B- On C- Under
9. Didn’t you park your car _______ mine? A- On top of B- At C- Behind
10. Please stay _______ the police caution tape. A- Behind B- Above C- Over
11. There are two students ________ the class. A- Next B- In C- On
12. The oranges are not in the basket. They are _______ the table. A- In B- Between C- On
13. My pencil is __________ the books and the notebooks. A- Between B- In C- On
14. The red car is ________ of the house. A- Behind B- In front C- Next to
15. There isn’t anything __________ my pocket. A- Between B- Next to C- In
16. Some students are waiting _______ of the classroom. A- Next to B- In front C- Between
17. Our house is ________ to the supermarket. A- In B- On C- Next
18. Oh my God! I saw a mouse __________ the sofa. A- Behind B- In C- Next
19. There is a big supermarket _______ the park. A- On B- Near C- In front
20. The children are playing _______ the garden. A- On B- Between C- In

Cross-Curricular Connections

Mathematics

Use prepositions to describe positions and directions in geometry and coordinates:

• The point is on the line
• The number is between 5 and 10
• The shape is inside the circle

Physical Education

Incorporate prepositions into movement instructions:

• Run around the cones
• Jump over the hurdle
• Crawl under the net
• Stand between the two markers

Geography

Apply prepositions when describing locations and features:

• The village is nestled between two mountains
• The river flows through the valley
• The capital city is in the north of the country

Digital Skills

Create interactive presentations or digital maps where pupils must identify prepositions in virtual environments:

• The icon is at the top of the screen
• The file is in the folder
• The cursor is on the button

Supporting Diverse Learners

For EAL Pupils

• Use visual cues and real objects to demonstrate prepositions
• Create multilingual preposition cards with translations in home languages
• Encourage physical movement to reinforce meaning

For SEND Support

• Use concrete objects and tactile experiences for pupils with learning difficulties
• Incorporate movement breaks for pupils with ADHD, using prepositions in instructions
• Create visual preposition cards with symbols or photographs for non-verbal pupils

Assessment Opportunities

1. Observational Assessment: Note how pupils use prepositions in everyday conversation
2. Preposition Picture Labelling: Have pupils label pictures with the correct prepositions
3. Gap-Fill Activities: Create sentences with missing prepositions for pupils to complete
4. Speaking and Listening: Ask pupils to give directions using prepositions of place

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