Choosing an operation
Year 6 · Maths
Explore numbers, spot patterns and explain how you worked it out.
Choose a game
Take your time, try a game and collect stars.
Order of operations
Use the order of operations (brackets, then × and ÷, then + and −) in a timed quiz. Free Year 6 maths game.
Play Order of operations
Learning about choosing an operation
In this Year 6 maths collection, you can practise Order of 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.
Order of operations
When a calculation contains more than one operation, the order you do them in matters. Year 6 pupils learn to use the order of operations to carry out calculations involving all four operations. The curriculum gives the example 2 + 1 × 3 = 5, but (2 + 1) × 3 = 9.
Try an example: 12 + 5 × 6 = ?
Multiply first: 5 × 6 = 30. Then 12 + 30.
Show the answer
42
What to look out for
Working left to right regardless of the operations: 12 + 5 × 6 = 17 × 6 = 102. Underline the multiplication or division before starting, and do it first.
Practise away from the screen
- Write a calculation without brackets and challenge each other to add brackets to make different answers: 2 + 3 × 4 can be 14 or 20.
Curriculum connections
These games support selected practice connected to Four operations 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 choosing an operation?
Start with Order of operations. 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 collection brings together the games currently available for this learning area. It supports selected skills and does not replace the full programme of study or practical teaching.