Fractions
Year 1 · Maths
Explore numbers, spot patterns and explain how you worked it out.
Choose a game
Take your time, try a game and collect stars.
Halves and quarters
Find half and a quarter of small numbers, and name equal parts.
Play Halves and quartersHalf, quarter or not equal?
Is it a half, a quarter, or are the parts not equal? Sort pizzas, cakes and sweets in this
Play Half, quarter or not equal?
Learning about fractions
These Year 1 Maths games practise Halves and quarters, Half, quarter or not equal?. Choose a game above for a short activity, or explore the examples below before you play. The full guide for each game explains its controls, gives more examples and includes a free printable for practice away from the screen.
Talk it through
Use counters, a drawing or a number line before moving to a mental method. Ask your child to explain a choice, then change one number and try the method again.
Ask: “How could you show the same answer another way?” Give your child time to explain. Return to an example after playing and ask whether they would approach it differently.
Halves and quarters
Year 1 pupils learn that a half is 1 of 2 equal parts and a quarter is 1 of 4 equal parts of an object, a shape or a quantity. They find half and a quarter of small numbers by sharing objects equally.
Try an example: What is half of 12?
Share 12 into 2 equal groups of 6. 6 + 6 = 12.
Show the answer
6
What to look out for
Thinking any cut into two pieces makes halves. Halves must be equal. If one piece is bigger, the pieces are not halves.
Half, quarter or not equal?
A half is 1 of 2 equal parts and a quarter is 1 of 4 equal parts. The word equal matters: if a pizza is cut into two pieces of different sizes, neither piece is a half.
Try an example: A cake is cut into 4 equal slices. Is one slice a half or a quarter?
1 of 4 equal parts.
Show the answer
A quarter
What to look out for
Calling any piece of two 'a half'. Ask: are the two pieces exactly the same size? Lay them on top of each other to check.
Practise away from the screen
- Share snacks fairly: 'There are 10 grapes. How many do we each get if we share them in half?'
- Cut toast into halves and quarters, and sometimes into unequal pieces, and ask which is which.
Curriculum connections
These games support selected practice connected to Fractions in the National Curriculum in England. Use your school’s sequence to decide when to introduce and revisit each skill. A game covers selected examples, rather than assessing every requirement.
Questions families ask
Where should we start with fractions?
Start with Halves and quarters. Look at the worked example together, then try a round. If the task feels unfamiliar, use the full game guide or its free printable before trying again.
Does this cover everything taught at this level?
No. This page brings together the games currently available for this topic. It supports selected skills and does not replace the full programme of study or practical teaching.