Typing for Kids Free, One Keyboard Row at a Time

Type each line in the box, one keyboard row at a time, with no timer.

Type each word and press space after it. No timer. The run ends with the text. ff jj ff jj ff jj dd kk dd kk dd kk ss ll ss ll ss ll aa ;; aa ;; aa ;; gg hh gg hh gg hh a lad had a salad dad has a flask a glad dad asks add a dash shall dad ask

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Test length

Practise

–This run

–Your best

–Last run

No timer: the run ends with the text, or when you press Finish. Words per minute is correct characters divided by five; accuracy is correct keystrokes out of all keystrokes.

No runs yet. Your last ten will show up here.

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Next step Ready for a clock? Try the one minute test Catch falling words in a game

All 40 lines

Stage 1: the middle row 10

ff jj ff jj ff jj Pointer fingers only. Feel for the small bumps on F and J before you press anything.
dd kk dd kk dd kk Middle fingers. Keep the pointer fingers resting on F and J while D and K go down.
ss ll ss ll ss ll Ring fingers. Keep the little fingers resting on A and the semicolon.
aa ;; aa ;; aa ;; Little fingers. The semicolon sits next to L and needs no Shift.
gg hh gg hh gg hh G and H have no finger of their own. Each pointer finger slides in one key, then goes back.
a lad had a salad Five words and not one key off the middle row.
dad has a flask The S in has and in flask is the left ring finger both times.
a glad dad asks G and then L: the left pointer reaches in, then the right ring finger presses.
add a dash Double D in add: press, lift, press again with the same middle finger.
shall dad ask Shall ends on a double L. Tap the right ring finger twice.

Show all 40 lines (30 more)

Stage 2: add the top row 11

rr uu rr uu rr uu Pointer fingers reach up and a little left. Come back to F and J after each key.
ee ii ee ii ee ii Middle fingers reach up to E and I. These are two of the five vowels.
ww oo ww oo ww oo Ring fingers reach up to W and O. Keep the other fingers still.
qq pp qq pp qq pp Little fingers reach up. Q is the top-left letter key and P the top-right one.
tt yy tt yy tt yy T and Y are long reaches for the pointer fingers, up and inward.
we sit here Every word uses a top-row letter and a middle-row letter.
it is a hot day The Y in day is the right pointer finger reaching up and left.
the kite is up The word the is the most used word in English, so it is worth learning well.
pour tea for us P and then O: the right little finger, then the right ring finger.
a jolly pirate Double L again. Pirate starts on the right hand and ends on the left.
fish sleep too Double E and double O. Tap each twice with the same finger.

Stage 3: add the bottom row 10

vv mm vv mm vv mm Pointer fingers reach down. V is down and right of F, M is down and right of J.
bb nn bb nn bb nn B and N are long reaches down and inward for the pointer fingers.
cc xx cc xx cc xx C is the left middle finger and X the left ring finger, both reaching down.
zz aa zz aa zz aa The left little finger drops from A to Z and comes back up.
a lazy zebra Two Zs: the left little finger does the work in both words.
my van is blue M, V, N and B all sit on the bottom row.
six brown cubs X, B, N and C: four bottom-row keys in three short words.
we zoom by bike Double O in zoom, then B in both by and bike.
come back soon Five bottom-row keys: C and M in come, B and C in back, N in soon.
mix the batter Double T in batter: tap the left pointer finger twice.

Stage 4: capitals and full stops 9

I can type. I is always a capital. I is typed by the right middle finger, so the left little finger holds Shift.
We bake buns at home. W is a left-hand letter, so hold the right Shift with the right little finger.
The frog sat still. T is a left-hand letter: hold the right Shift. The full stop is the right ring finger.
Look at the stars. L is a right-hand letter: hold the left Shift with the left little finger.
My pen is green. M is a right-hand letter, so the left Shift. Double E in green.
The bell rang at nine. Double L in bell. The line ends with the full stop, then nothing.
A crab hid in the sand. A is typed by the left little finger, so the right hand holds Shift.
Ducks can swim. D is a left-hand letter, so the right little finger holds Shift.
Owls hoot at night. O is a right-hand letter, so hold the left Shift. Double O in hoot.

How this list was compiled: All 40 lines were written for this page, in four stages: the middle row (10 lines), the top row added (11), the bottom row added (10), and capitals with full stops (9). Every word (74 different words) was checked against the ENABLE word list (the enable1 file on the norvig.com ngrams page), fetched on 2026-09-24; the one-letter words a and I are allowed. Every line in stage 1 keeps to the middle-row keys, every line in stage 2 to the middle and top rows with at least one top-row key, and every line in stage 3 has at least one bottom-row key; no line's text is used by any other list on this site. Home keys (A S D F and J K L ;), the raised marks on F and J, and the finger for each key: the Wikipedia article Touch typing, checked 2026-09-24, cross-checked against this site's type the alphabet list. That "the" is the most used English word: the first row of the count_1w word-count file on the same norvig.com page, checked 2026-09-24. No line holds a rude or frightening word. Licence: Lines and notes are original to this site. The ENABLE word list was used only to check spelling; no part of it is reproduced here.

How it works

This typing for kids page teaches the keyboard one row at a time. Stage 1 stays on the middle row, where your fingers rest. Stages 2 and 3 add the top and bottom rows. Stage 4 adds capitals and full stops.

Read the full guide

Start with Stage 1

The page opens on Stage 1: the middle row. Rest your fingers on A S D F and J K L ;. Type each line and press space after every word. If you press a wrong key, keep going. Move up a stage when a line comes out right without looking at your hands.

What the numbers mean

Press Finish when you want to stop. You see words per minute and how many keys were right out of every 100. Five key presses count as one word. Your best stays in this browser only.

Look at the screen, not your hands. The small bumps on F and J tell your fingers where they are.
For a capital letter, the hand that is not typing the letter holds Shift.

Questions and answers

Is this a typing test?

No. It is practice, so there is no clock and no pass mark. When the lines feel easy, try the one minute typing test for kids and see how many words you can type.

Why start on the middle row?

Your fingers rest there. Every other letter is a short reach up or down from the middle row and back again. The bumps on F and J let you find the row without looking.

Is anything saved or sent?

The page never asks for a name or an email address. What you type is checked in your browser and is not sent to us. Your best result is kept in this browser only.