Position and direction
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.
Whole, half and quarter turns
Sort clock hands and turning robots into quarter, half, three-quarter and whole turns.
Play Whole, half and quarter turnsMoving on a grid: up, down, left and right
Move Jigby up, down, left and right to reach the star.
Play Moving on a grid: up, down, left and right
Learning about position and direction
These Year 1 Maths games practise Whole, half and quarter turns, Moving on a grid: up, down, left and right. 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.
Whole, half and quarter turns
Year 1 pupils learn to describe position, direction and movement, including whole, half, quarter and three-quarter turns. A whole turn goes all the way round back to the start; a half turn ends up facing the opposite way.
Try an example: A clock hand turns clockwise from 3 to 9. What turn is that?
3 to 6 is one quarter, 6 to 9 is another.
Show the answer
half turn
What to look out for
Thinking from 12 to 9 is a quarter turn because it looks close. Check the direction. Going clockwise from 12, you pass 3 and 6 before you reach 9.
Moving on a grid: up, down, left and right
Describing movement is part of the Year 1 position and direction curriculum. Children use words such as up, down, left, right, forwards and backwards to say how something moves from one place to another.
Try an example: The star is 2 squares to the right of Jigby. Which moves get him there?
Move right, then right again.
Show the answer
right, right
What to look out for
Mixing up left and right. Hold up your left hand with the thumb out: the fingers make an L for left.
Read the full Moving on a grid: up, down, left and right guide
Practise away from the screen
- Play 'Simon says' with turns: 'Simon says make a half turn.'
- Give directions to find a hidden toy: 'Three steps forwards, then turn right.'
Curriculum connections
These games support selected practice connected to Position and direction 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 position and direction?
Start with Whole, half and quarter turns. 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.