Free printable letter C worksheets for preschool and kindergarten: trace uppercase C and lowercase c, find the letter, follow the letter maze and color C words.
Preschool and kindergartenCommon Core RF.K.1.D, RF.K.3.A2 free PDFs with answer keys
Change the numbers, layout and number of problems, then download a new PDF with its answer key.
C is a consonant with two sounds, hard and soft, but young children only need the hard /k/ sound to start. These free letter C worksheets cover tracing C and c, finding C among O, G and look-alike letters, a C maze and a color page for “C is for cat”.
Free letter C worksheets to print (PDF)
Each of these letter C worksheets is a one-page PDF; the find and maze pages add an answer key. Press Customize to change the colors or paper size in the maker on this page.
Trace C and cArrows first, then on their own.PDFCustomizeFind the letter CCircle and count, with key.PDFCustomizeLetter C mazeColor the C path, with key.PDFCustomizeC is for catColor, trace and draw.PDFCustomize
The letter C sound
Most of the time c says /k/, as in cat, car, cake and cup. Before e, i or y it usually says /s/, as in city, cent and cycle; this is called the soft c. For preschool, teach only the hard sound and treat soft c words as “tricky” until later. C also joins h to make ch in chair and cheese, and k to make ck at the end of duck.
C is for cat: letter C words for kids
Words that start with C: cat, car, cake, cup, cow, carrot, castle, cookie, candle, caterpillar.
C inside or at the end: duck, sock, music, picnic, taco, bacon.
The color page uses cat, car, cake and cup, so children trace each word and color the matching letter.
Letter C at a glance
Place in the alphabet
3rd of 26, after B and before D
Type
Consonant
Uppercase shape
Curves only
Often confused with
G, O and e
Scrabble tile value
3 points
Grouping letters by shape helps handwriting: letters made of curves, like C, build the round strokes that a, d, g and q need later.
How to write C and c
Uppercase C: Start near the top right and curve all the way around to the left and down, like an open circle.
Lowercase c: The same curve, just small: start near the middle line and curve around.
C is one of the easiest letters to write and a building block for others: a, d, g, o and q all begin with the same c curve. Start at about two o’clock, curve up over the top and around to the bottom. Practice big c curves in the air first, then on the tracing page.
Letter C tracing and the rest of the pack
Trace: letter C tracing with arrows to follow, then uppercase C and lowercase c on their own.
Find the letter: circle every C and c hidden among similar-looking letters, then count them.
Letter maze: color the C squares to make a path from start to finish.
Color: color the big Cc, trace the C words and draw something that starts with C.
Letter C activities for preschool
Short, hands-on games make the letter C worksheets stick. Try one a day alongside the printed pages:
Cotton ball C: glue cotton balls onto a big C to make a cloud letter.
Car race: drive a toy car along the curve of a large C taped to the floor.
Cookie cutter shapes: cut c curves from play dough and turn them into a, d and o.
Color by C: color only the pictures on a magazine page that begin with /k/, like cat, cup and cake.
A letter C week plan
Monday: say the /k/ sound together, trace C and c on the first page, then try the Cotton ball C idea above.
Tuesday: work through the find-the-letter page, count how many you circled, and move on to Car race.
Wednesday: solve the letter C maze, then play Cookie cutter shapes.
Thursday: color “C is for cat”, read cat, car, cake and cup aloud and finish with Color by C.
Friday: write C and c from memory, look for C in a favorite picture book and reprint any page that felt tricky.
Letter C worksheets kindergarten teachers can use
Kindergarten children read hard c words such as cat, cap, cot and cut, and they learn that c and k often make the same sound. The letter C worksheets teachers use also prepare children for the c curve that begins a, d, g, o and q. After the color page, try sorting picture cards into “starts with c” and “starts with k”.
Names: if someone in the family has a name that starts with C, the name tracing worksheets turn it into a tracing page.
Whole alphabet: the alphabet worksheets hub has all 26 letter packs plus ABC order and matching pages.
Letter C worksheets: frequently asked questions
What age are letter C worksheets for?
Preschool and kindergarten, usually ages 3 to 6. Kindergarten expects children to recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters (Common Core RF.K.1.D).
How many days should we spend on the letter C?
A letter-of-the-week plan uses one page a day: trace on Monday, find on Tuesday, the maze on Wednesday and coloring on Thursday, with Friday for review or a craft.
Why does C make two sounds?
English borrowed many words from French and Latin, where c before e, i or y is soft. The rule is simple: c says /s/ before e, i or y and /k/ almost everywhere else.
Should preschoolers learn the soft c?
Not yet. Teach the hard /k/ sound first and introduce soft c in first grade, when children read words like city and face.
Can I print a different letter or several at once?
Yes. The maker on this page can build packs for any letters, like S, A, T, P, I, N, or the whole alphabet.
