Position and direction
Year 2 · Maths
Explore numbers, spot patterns and explain how you worked it out.
Choose a game
Take your time, try a game and collect stars.
Which way now? Clockwise and anticlockwise turns
Jigby makes a quarter turn clockwise: which way does he face now?
Play Which way now? Clockwise and anticlockwise turnsRoutes on a grid
Plan Jigby's route round the rocks on a bigger grid, then put turns in order.
Play Routes on a grid
Learning about position and direction
These Year 2 Maths games practise Which way now? Clockwise and anticlockwise turns, Routes on a grid. 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.
Which way now? Clockwise and anticlockwise turns
Year 2 pupils use mathematical vocabulary to describe position, direction and movement, including movement in a straight line and rotation as a turn: quarter, half and three-quarter turns, clockwise and anticlockwise.
Try an example: Facing the top, a quarter turn clockwise
One step clockwise from top.
Show the answer
right
What to look out for
Mixing up clockwise and anticlockwise. Look at a clock and trace the direction its hands move.
Read the full Which way now? Clockwise and anticlockwise turns guide
Routes on a grid
Year 2 pupils order and arrange combinations of mathematical objects in patterns and sequences, and describe position, direction and movement, including movement in a straight line and turns.
Try an example: Jigby needs to go 2 squares right and 1 square up.
Right, right, up.
Show the answer
3 moves
What to look out for
Counting the square Jigby starts on. Count only the squares he moves into.
Practise away from the screen
- Stand up, face a wall and make quarter, half and three-quarter turns together.
- Draw a grid on paper and give a toy directions to reach a treasure.
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 Which way now? Clockwise and anticlockwise 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.