A ball of yarn is made of several tangled, irregular lines that cross each other multiple times — one of the most complex exercises in our tracing series. Our yarn ball tracing worksheet trains kids to follow several irregular lines with their eyes at once and trace each one individually. Print it for free and get started right away!
Why this tracing worksheet matters
Unlike the roller coaster with a single, clearly identifiable line, the yarn ball is made of several overlapping threads. Kids need to visually tell which thread belongs to which — an excellent exercise for visual discrimination skills, which are also important for reading and recognizing similar-looking letters.
Several lines crossing one another
Telling one thread apart from the others
The most visually demanding exercise in the series
Important for letter discrimination in reading
🖨️ Step by step: printing tips
Click "Print Now" — black & white printing works great
Laminated and used with a wipe-off marker, the worksheet becomes reusable
Set aside plenty of time since this exercise takes focus
Follow one thread completely with a finger before picking up the pencil
🧶 How the yarn ball helps kids practice
Tell a story while tracing: a cat has been playing with the ball of yarn and tangled the threads all up! Now you have to look very closely to follow each individual thread from start to finish. This playful idea turns the advanced exercise into a little detective game.
✍️ Handwriting tip: getting the line right
Focus on just one thread to begin with
Follow that one thread carefully all the way to its end
Only then continue with the next thread
🎨 Coloring ideas for the yarn ball
Red for a typical ball of knitting yarn
A different color for each thread — makes it easier to tell apart
Brown-beige like natural sheep's wool
Shades of green for an unusual kind of yarn