- Number bonds to 10Adding and taking away
- Adding and subtracting within 20Adding and taking away
- Addition and subtraction facts to 20Adding and taking away
For parents and teachers
These maths games bring together related learning across Years 1 to 2. Start with a familiar skill, then try the next challenge when your child is ready. A school may teach these ideas in a different order; use the curriculum statements below to choose a suitable game.
The quoted headings and statements come from the National Curriculum in England. Every game has its own explanation and free printable. Talk through a question together before playing independently, and use the printable to return to a tricky idea away from the screen.
Key Stage 1
Year 1: Number bonds to 10
Number – addition and subtraction: “represent and use number bonds and related subtraction facts within 20”
A number bond is a pair of numbers that join together to make a total. The number bonds to 10 are 0 + 10, 1 + 9, 2 + 8, 3 + 7, 4 + 6 and 5 + 5, plus the same pairs the other way round. There are 11 ways to make 10 with whole numbers, starting at 0 + 10 and finishing at 10 + 0.
Number bonds matter because almost all later mental calculation leans on them. A child who knows instantly that 7 + 3 = 10 can work out 27 + 3, 70 + 30 and 10 − 7 without counting. That is why the National Curriculum asks Year 1 pupils to represent and use number bonds within 20, and expects them to know the bonds to 20 by the end of Year 2.
Play Number bonds to 10 · Free printable
Year 1: Adding and subtracting within 20
Number – addition and subtraction: “add and subtract one-digit and two-digit numbers to 20, including 0; solve one-step problems that involve addition and subtraction, using concrete objects and pictorial representations, and missing number problems such as 7 = ? − 9”
In Year 1, children learn to add and subtract one-digit and two-digit numbers to 20, including 0. They read and write calculations using the +, − and = signs, and solve simple problems including missing number questions such as 7 = ? − 9.
In the game, children balance the scales: they choose the number that makes both sides equal, such as 8 + ? = 15 or 9 + 6 = 10 + ?, which shows that = means “the same as”. The Quick quiz mixes four kinds of question: addition (8 + 5 = ?), subtraction (14 − 6 = ?), a missing first number (? + 4 = 11) and a calculation written the 'other way round' (7 = ? − 9). Seeing the equals sign in different positions teaches the important idea that = means 'is the same as', not 'here comes the answer'.
Play Adding and subtracting within 20 · Free printable
Year 2: Addition and subtraction facts to 20
Number – addition and subtraction: “recall and use addition and subtraction facts to 20 fluently, and derive and use related facts up to 100”
By the end of Year 2, pupils in England should recall and use addition and subtraction facts to 20 fluently, and use them to derive related facts up to 100. 'Fluently' means quickly and accurately, without needing to count each time.
This is a sprint game: children type as many answers as they can in 60 seconds. The questions include straightforward facts (9 + 6 = ?), subtractions (17 − 8 = ?) and missing number forms (? + 5 = 13). Regular short sprints are one of the best ways to build fluency, and the timer shows progress clearly.
More skills in this area
- Year 2: Adding two-digit numbers — No game for this yet.
- Year 3: Column addition and subtraction — No game for this yet.
- Year 4: Column methods with 4 digits — No game for this yet.