Free Printable Kindergarten Readiness Checklist

Starting kindergarten is a big step in your child’s life, and helping them feel prepared can make a world of difference. Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, or kindergarten teacher, this free printable kindergarten readiness checklist is a great way to gently assess the essential skills your child will need for a successful start to the school year.

The beginning of the year can feel like a whirlwind of new environments, people, and routines. This checklist covers a wide range of kindergarten readiness skills across key areas of development, including fine motor skills, gross motor skills, language skills, emotional skills, and social-emotional development.

It’s perfect for using at home or sharing during kindergarten open house, or a kindergarten information night.

This simple kindergarten readiness assessment helps you track progress in a friendly, fun way and lets you know if your child may need a little extra help in any area before the first day of school.

How to Use the Checklist

This simple kindergarten readiness assessment is designed to be easy and stress-free to use with young children. You can go through each skill with your child during everyday moments like playtime, getting dressed, or reading together.

Check off what they can do confidently, and use any gaps as a guide for what to focus on with hands-on activities or gentle practice. There’s no pressure, just an easy way to support your child’s learning journey at their own pace.

What’s Included on the Kindergarten Checklist

Here are the core skills included in our free printable checklist. Each one of the following skills is an important building block for incoming kindergarten students:

Say My Name – Recognizing and saying their own name builds confidence and language skills.

Name Shapes – Can your child identify basic shapes like circles, squares, and triangles?

Write My Name – A key fine motor skill that also supports letter recognition, especially for lowercase letters.

Count to 10 – This early number recognition skill is part of building math fluency.

Name Some Numbers – Can your child point to or say numbers when shown?

Name Some Colors – Recognizing colors is one of the basic skills in early childhood education.

Follow Directions – A must for adjusting to a daily routine and participating in classroom activities.

Share – Practicing social skills like sharing helps with group play and learning.

Take Turns – Another vital social emotional learning skill that promotes cooperation.

Ask for Things – Encouraging independence and strong communication.

Listen – Active listening is essential for learning and classroom safety.

Put On Shoes – A practical life skill that builds independence.

Wash Hands – Hygiene routines are part of every child’s school readiness.

Name Some Letters – Knowing a few letters (especially those in their name) is a great start.

Read Words – Some kids may begin to read; others will build this during the year. Recognizing simple words is helpful.

Draw and Tell – Combining drawing with storytelling boosts language and creative thinking.

Hold a Crayon – A basic fine motor skill necessary for writing and coloring.

Use Scissors – Another important occupational therapy milestone for prek – k kids.

Use Glue – Handling glue properly supports visual arts and fine motor coordination.

Sort Things – Sorting builds early math and critical thinking skills.

Match Things – Matching objects by shape, color, or type builds foundational logic skills.

Tell Big & Small – Comparing sizes supports physical science and vocabulary.

Hop – A simple but important gross motor skill for physical education.

Throw – Hand-eye coordination supports play, games, and general development.

Clean Up – Teaches responsibility and independence.

Button My Shirt – A self-help skill that’s part of getting dressed for the day.

Make Patterns – Understanding patterns builds early math skills and visual thinking.

Work Alone – Helps build attention span and confidence in new tasks.

A Valuable Tool for All Kids

Every child develops at their own pace, and this checklist is not a test. It’s a valuable tool to help you spot which key skills your child is already rocking and where they might benefit from some hands-on activities, lesson plans, or even speech therapy or occupational therapy support.

You can also use it to guide your home learning, summer program, or free preschool time with fun ideas that build school readiness while keeping the learning fun.

We have plenty of ideas here at in the playroom if you do need to work on a particular skill, and we have linked a few ideas above so you can click through to related activities.

Download the Free Kindergarten Readiness Checklist

Use this free printable checklist to get your child ready for a smooth transition into kindergarten. Whether your child is entering a public school or homeschool this list gives you a clear picture of their child’s readiness for this exciting time in their educational journey, in terms of life skills needed and academics such as letter sounds.

Click the link below to download your copy of the Kindergarten I Can… Checklist. This file also includes a Preschool Checklist and a First Grade Checklist, so you can choose exactly the one that suits your child’s stage or take a peek at the others if you’re curious about what comes next! If you’re unsure how to download, follow our quick step-by-step guide here: How to Download Printables

Getting ready for kindergarten doesn’t have to feel like a stressful situation. With the right tools and support, your child can confidently take their first step into this new chapter. This skills checklist supports the foundation every child needs for success.

Help your incoming kindergarteners feel empowered, excited, and equipped to take on their first year. And if they’re not quite there yet? That’s okay too, you’ve got time, resources, and this handy checklist to help them get there.

Let’s make this milestone a positive one for both you and your child!