Adding and taking away
Grade 3 · Math
Explore numbers, spot patterns and explain how you worked it out.
Choose a game
Take your time, try a game and collect stars.
Column addition and subtraction
Add and subtract 3-digit numbers with the column method, exchanging when you need to.
Play Column addition and subtractionEstimate the answer
Is 312 + 389 about 500, 700 or 900? Round to the nearest 100 to estimate in this
Play Estimate the answer
Learning about adding and taking away
These Grade 3 Math games practice Column addition and subtraction, Estimate the answer. 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 addition and subtraction
In this game children work out three-digit additions and subtractions. Many of the questions need an exchange, carrying a ten or a hundred in addition, or exchanging one in subtraction, which is where most mistakes happen.
Try an example: 631 + 295
Ones: 1 + 5 = 6. Tens: 3 + 9 = 12, write 2, carry 1. Hundreds: 6 + 2 + 1 = 9.
Show the answer
926
What to look out for
Subtracting the smaller digit from the larger one in each column, so 463 − 328 = 145. Always take the bottom digit from the top digit, exchanging when you need to.
Estimate the answer
In this game children round three-digit numbers to the nearest hundred and sort additions by their estimate: about 500, 700 or 900. Estimating first helps children spot a wrong answer from a written method.
Try an example: 322 + 230
300 + 200.
Show the answer
about 500
What to look out for
Rounding to the nearest ten instead of the nearest hundred. Look at the tens digit to decide whether to round the hundreds up or down.
Practice away from the screen
- Add up prices on a receipt with a written method.
- Estimate the total of a shopping list before adding it up.
Curriculum connections
Column addition and subtraction
Supports part of Common Core 3.NBT.A.2: fluently adding and subtracting within 1000. This focused game does not cover the entire standard.
Common Core connection: 3.NBT.A.2. This is focused practice for part of the standard.
Estimate the answer
Supports part of Common Core 3.NBT.A.1: rounding to the nearest 100, used here to estimate sums. This focused game does not cover the entire standard.
Common Core connection: 3.NBT.A.1. This is focused practice for part of the standard.
Questions families ask
Where should we start with adding and taking away?
Start with Column addition and subtraction. 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.