Connect the Dots

Print a dot to dot page from 15 of our own pictures: a star, a heart, a fish, a house, a sailboat, a rocket, a butterfly, an apple, a cat, a bird, a pine tree, an umbrella, a turtle, a whale and a car. Pick easy, medium or hard, or set the number of dots from 10 to 150. Number the dots 1, 2, 3, count by 2s, 5s or 10s, or use the letters A to Z. Every corner of the picture gets a dot, the rest follow the outline in drawing order, and every number is placed so that it touches no dot, no other number and no printed line. Dot 1 has a ring round it. The answer key shows the finished picture. You can also add your own shape: the outline of a dark silhouette becomes the dots. Download a PDF on US Letter or A4, a 300 DPI PNG or an SVG. Nothing is uploaded.

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How to make a dot to dot page

1. Choose one of our pictures, or all of them for a booklet, or add your own shape.
2. Pick a level, or set the number of dots yourself (10 to 150).
3. Choose the numbering: 1, 2, 3, counting by 2s, 5s or 10s, or letters A to Z.
4. Download the PDF and print at 100% on US Letter or A4.
5. Start at the dot with the ring and join the dots in order with a pencil, then colour the picture.

What you can use it for

• A pencil activity for home, travel or restaurants
• Counting and skip-counting practice with a picture at the end
• Alphabet order practice with letters
• Early finishers and quiet time in class
• Party bags and activity packs
• Turning any silhouette into a puzzle

The 15 pictures

#	Picture	Theme	Dots (easy / medium / hard)	Most dots
1	Star	Shapes	22 / 44 / 85	150
2	Heart	Shapes	19 / 37 / 72	150
3	Fish	Ocean	17 / 35 / 67	120
4	House	Home	22 / 44 / 86	150
5	Sailboat	Sea	26 / 51 / 99	150
6	Rocket	Space	18 / 35 / 68	120
7	Butterfly	Garden	26 / 53 / 100	150
8	Apple	Food	18 / 36 / 70	150
9	Sitting Cat	Animals	18 / 36 / 71	120
10	Little Bird	Animals	14 / 27 / 53	100
11	Pine Tree	Nature	22 / 44 / 86	150
12	Umbrella	Weather	17 / 33 / 65	120
13	Turtle	Animals	18 / 36 / 70	120
14	Whale	Ocean	17 / 34 / 66	120
15	Car	Vehicles	17 / 35 / 67	120

Most dots is the largest count (100, 120 or 150) where every number still stays clear; 7 pictures take 150. Our tests check every picture at every level, in every numbering, on US Letter and A4.

Numbering

Numbering	Labels on a 20-dot heart
Numbers 1, 2, 3…	1, 2, 3 … 20
Count by 2s	2, 4, 6 … 40
Count by 5s	5, 10, 15 … 100
Count by 10s	10, 20, 30 … 200
Letters A to Z	A, B, C … T

Letters work up to 26 dots. The first number is printed in bold beside the ringed start dot.

Levels

Level	Dot size	Number size	Dots per picture
Easy	2.0 mm	11 pt	14 to 26
Medium	1.6 mm	9 pt	27 to 53
Hard	1.3 mm	7.5 pt	53 to 100

If a number cannot fit at its size, it gets smaller, down to 6 pt.

What prints

Page	What is on it
Puzzle page	Title, dot count, numbering, a name line, the dots with their labels, the ringed start dot and any printed details
Answer key page	The finished picture: every dot joined in order (and back to the start), labels in grey
All pictures	One puzzle page per picture, then the answer keys in the same order

Pages print on US Letter or A4 with 12.7 mm margins; the picture area is 176 mm square on both.

Your own shape

• Use one dark, solid shape on a light background: a silhouette works best.
• Sharp corners become dots; smooth curves are spread out along the outline.
• Keep thin parts (tails, legs) at least a few millimetres wide or the dots crowd together.
• Choose more dots for a detailed outline, fewer for a simple one.

More printable activities: the Maze Generator, the Word Search Maker, the Crossword Maker and Dot Grid Paper for drawing your own.

Tips for little hands

• Use a pencil first, so a wrong line can be rubbed out.
• Point to the next number before drawing to it.
• Start with easy pictures and count aloud.
• Colour the picture when the lines are done.

For a picture to colour by number, try Photo to Coloring Page with your own photo, or Graph Paper for grid drawings.

Frequently asked questions

How do you do a connect the dots puzzle?

Find the start, the dot with the ring round it, and draw a line to the next number, then the next, in order. When you reach the last dot, join it back to the first. The lines make the picture.

How many dots should I choose?

Easy pictures have 14 to 26 dots, medium 27 to 53 and hard 53 to 100. Choose fewer dots for young children and more for older ones. Some pictures take up to 150 dots; if a picture cannot keep every number clear at that count, the page says so.

What does counting by 2s, 5s or 10s do?

The dots are numbered 2, 4, 6… or 5, 10, 15… or 10, 20, 30…, so joining them means counting in steps. The answer key is the same picture.

Can I use letters?

Yes, for pictures with 26 dots or fewer: the dots are labelled A to Z. Choose 26 dots or fewer to use letters on a bigger picture.

Why does every corner have a dot?

So the finished lines keep the shape: points of a star, tips of fins, corners of a roof. The other dots follow the curves of the outline, closest where the outline bends most.

Can I make a dot to dot from my own picture?

Yes. Choose Your own shape and add a dark silhouette on a light background (PNG, JPEG or SVG). The outline of the biggest dark shape becomes the dots; sharp corners get a dot each.

Are the numbers always readable?

Yes. Each number sits beside its dot, on the outside of the picture where possible, and never touches another dot, another number or a printed line. Our tests check every picture at every level and in every numbering.

Are the answer keys included?

Yes. Leave Answer key on and the PDF ends with the finished picture for each puzzle.

Is it free?

Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit.

Is anything uploaded?

No. The pages are drawn by JavaScript in your browser, and a shape you add is read on your device. Nothing is saved when you close the page.