Adding and taking away
Year 4 · Maths
Explore numbers, spot patterns and explain how you worked it out.
Choose a game
Take your time, try a game and collect stars.
Column methods with 4 digits
Add and subtract 4-digit numbers with the column method.
Play Column methods with 4 digitsMissing numbers and inverse operations
Use the inverse to find the missing number in □ + 2,350 = 5,000.
Play Missing numbers and inverse operations
Learning about adding and taking away
These Year 4 Maths games practise Column methods with 4 digits, Missing numbers and inverse operations. 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.
Column methods with 4 digits
Year 4 pupils add and subtract numbers with up to four digits using the formal written methods of columnar addition and subtraction where appropriate.
Try an example: 5,641 + 2,641
Ones: 2. Tens: 8. Hundreds: 12, write 2, carry 1. Thousands: 5 + 2 + 1 = 8.
Show the answer
8,282
What to look out for
Getting stuck when the top digit is 0. Exchange from the next column that is not zero, then work back.
Missing numbers and inverse operations
Year 4 pupils solve addition and subtraction two-step problems in contexts, deciding which operations and methods to use. Missing-number problems build the inverse thinking those problems need.
Try an example: □ + 1,150 = 5,000
5,000 − 1,150 = 3,850.
Show the answer
3,850
What to look out for
Adding the two numbers you can see, every time. Ask what the calculation means in words first.
Practise away from the screen
- Add the distances on a road sign or a map.
- Ask: I had some money and spent £1,150. I have £3,850 left. How much did I start with?
Curriculum connections
These games support selected practice connected to Addition and subtraction 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 adding and taking away?
Start with Column methods with 4 digits. 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.