Position and direction
Grade 2 · Math
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 counterclockwise turns
Jigby makes a quarter turn clockwise: which way does he face now?
Play Which way now? Clockwise and counterclockwise 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 Grade 2 Math games practice Which way now? Clockwise and counterclockwise 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 counterclockwise turns
In this game Jigby starts facing one way and makes a turn. Children sort each card by the way Jigby faces afterwards: top, right, bottom or left. Acting out each turn is the most reliable way to check.
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 counterclockwise. Look at a clock and trace the direction its hands move.
Read the full Which way now? Clockwise and counterclockwise turns guide
Routes on a grid
In this game children program Jigby with moves to reach a target on a grid, then put sequences of turns and moves in order. Planning a route before running it, and fixing it when it goes wrong, builds the precise language of direction.
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.
Practice 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
Which way now? Clockwise and counterclockwise turns
Enrichment: quarter, half and three-quarter turns are not a Common Core standard. They prepare for angle work in Grade 4.
Routes on a grid
Enrichment: planning routes on a grid is not a Common Core standard. It builds the position words in Kindergarten standard K.G.A.1 and prepares for coordinates in Grade 5.
Questions families ask
Where should we start with position and direction?
Start with Which way now? Clockwise and counterclockwise 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. These games provide focused practice. Grade suggestions do not replace your school’s curriculum, and any Common Core connection applies only to the skill described.