Adding and taking away
Year 5 · Maths
Explore numbers, spot patterns and explain how you worked it out.
Choose a game
Take your time, try a game and collect stars.
Adding and subtracting large numbers
Add and subtract 5- and 6-digit numbers with the column method.
Play Adding and subtracting large numbersMental addition and subtraction
99,999 + 1 = 100,000. Match big calculations to their answers, worked out in your head, in this
Play Mental addition and subtraction
Learning about adding and taking away
These Year 5 Maths games practise Adding and subtracting large numbers, Mental addition and subtraction. 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.
Adding and subtracting large numbers
Year 5 pupils add and subtract whole numbers with more than four digits, including using formal written methods, and use rounding to check answers.
Try an example: 70,711 + 44,496
Estimate: 71,000 + 44,000 = 115,000. Add in columns from the ones.
Show the answer
115,207
What to look out for
Lining up a five-digit number under a six-digit number from the left. Line up from the ones. Use squared paper.
Mental addition and subtraction
Year 5 pupils add and subtract numbers mentally with increasingly large numbers.
Try an example: 12,500 + 3,000
Only the thousands change.
Show the answer
15,500
What to look out for
Reaching for a written method for every calculation. Look at the numbers first. Are any of them round?
Practise away from the screen
- Add the populations of two towns or cities.
- Ask quick mental questions in the car: 45,000 − 2,000?
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 Adding and subtracting large numbers. 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.