Learning subtraction takes practice, just like any math skill. So it’s a good idea to have a whole collection of clever subtraction activities in your toolbox. These are some of our favorites for the classroom or to send home with students to practice at home.
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1. Start with an anchor chart
Anchor charts give kids something to refer back to as they work on new concepts and skills. We like this subtraction anchor chart for all the details it provides.
Learn more: Lucky Little Learners
2. Read books about subtraction
Read-alouds are such a fun way to introduce new math concepts to kids. There are lots of great books to work into your subtraction activities, like our perennial favorite Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons.
Learn more: A Pinch of Kinder
If your students love the book, try this idea that incorporates real buttons into subtraction practice. So fun!
Learn more: Inspiration Laboratories
4. Climb the monkey tree
Five Little Monkeys is another beloved book with math concepts worked right into the story. Build your own tree for monkeys to climb, or use a doll bed for jumping!
Learn more: Mrs. Ricca’s Kindergarten
5. Try story problems
One of the best ways to make math meaningful for students is by teaching them how to solve story problems. When they see math in real-world scenarios, it helps numbers make sense in their minds.
Learn more: Miss Kindergarten
6. Introduce different strategies
Give kids plenty of strategies for understanding subtraction. They can use these when working on subtraction activities and exercises.
Learn more: Proud To Be Primary
7. Count with bears
Using manipulatives is a great first strategy to use. It is concrete and students can really see what it means to subtract and take away from something.
Learn more: Susan Jones Teaching
8. Smash some Play-Doh
For some reason, kids simply love to smash stuff! Roll balls of Play-Doh and let kids smoosh them as they subtract. (Find more ways to use Play-Doh for learning here.)
Learn more: Mama Papa Bubba
9. Whack-a-ball to subtract
Here’s another subtraction activity that lets kids burn off some energy. Make a 3D ten-frame by cutting holes in a shoebox. Rest Ping-Pong balls on the holes, then whack them with a toy hammer to subtract.
Learn more: Planning Playtime
10. Feed a hungry penguin
This hungry penguin is here to help your students learn how to subtract! Feed him paper fishies and write out the equations.
Learn more: Natalie Lynn Kindergarten
11. Visualize the problem
Subtraction activities like story problems are easier when kids can visualize the action. Try drawing pictures or acting out the story to make the concept real.
Learn more: Susan Jones Teaching
12. Sort flash cards
Label a row of paper bags 1 to 10, then sort flash cards into the correct bags. Make it a timed exercise and have two teams race to see who’s the fastest (and most accurate)!
Learn more: The Kindergarten Smorgasboard
13. Bowl and subtract
This is one of the most popular subtraction activities out there. Kids bowl, knock down pins, and subtract them from the total. This is too much fun to be learning, right?
Learn more: A Pinch of Kinder
14. Roll and Race
Students roll a die and match the number to the column on their game board. Then they solve the first available problem, either coloring in or covering the space with a manipulative. The first player to the top of a column wins.
Learn more: The Printable Princess
15. Have a LEGO subtraction race
Each person starts with a stack of LEGO bricks. Roll the die and take away the number shown, stating the equation out loud each time. First to zero wins!
Learn more: The Kindergarten Connection
16. Find the key to the lock
Invest in a set of locks that you can use for all kinds of things, including subtraction activities. These 8-packs from Amazon come in a variety of colors and should last for years.
Learn more: Differentiated Kindergarten
17. Use LEGO bricks for double digits
Ready to talk about “borrowing” and double-digit math? Make the concept easier by using LEGO bricks.
Learn more: Real Life at Home
18. Grab a Hula-Hoop
Start by tossing bean bags and seeing how many you can get into the hoop. Then, turn the results into subtraction equations.
Learn more: Miss Jacob’s Little Learners
19. Ask “How many am I hiding?”
Subtraction activities like this one are a fun way to introduce the idea to little learners. Start by laying a few small objects on a table. Next, cover some with your hand. Then, ask how many are left and how many you’re hiding. Simple, but effective.
Learn more: PreKinders
20. Stack cups
Kids get such a kick out of stacking cups. Work subtraction practice into the mix by labeling the cups with equations and solutions, then challenge students to stack the cups to show the right answers.
Learn more: The Kindergarten Smorgasboard
21. Use pool noodles and gophers
Your students will love this fun activity that builds math skills with puppets. Pop these darling gophers on a stick into the pool noodle, then take a few away to solve the problem.
Learn more: Planning Playtime
22. Solve and play bingo
First, kids work out the correct answers to the two-digit subtraction problems on this free printable. Then, they cut them out and paste them onto their bingo board. Finally, play a game of bingo together!
Learn more: Grade School Giggles
23. Play gumball unscramble
Pull a subtraction card, then use the four digits in the gumball machine to create a number sentence that equals the solution at the bottom of the equation.
Learn more: Jillian Starr Teaching
24. Toss some beanbags
Write a grid of randomized numbers on the sidewalk (or tape one off on your classroom floor). A student tosses two bean bags onto numbers, then makes a subtraction equation out of their results.
Learn more: Education.com
25. Use a zipper slider bag
A zipper bag number line? Genius! This clever idea is a useful tool for lots of subtraction activities. (Check out more number line ideas here.)
Learn more: Mrs. T’s First Grade Class
26. Slide beads on pipe cleaners
Make some handy math manipulatives with pipe cleaners and beads. Slide the beads to see subtraction equations in action!
Learn more: Tips and Ideas From Anne Gardner
27. Build a wrecking ball
One more chance to create a little mayhem! Similar to the bowling activity above, kids stack a number of blocks, then knock them down and see how many remain. Noisy, but fun!
Learn more: Math Geek Mama
28. Learn the subtraction rhymes
These rhymes will aid kids working on more advanced subtraction activities, helping them remember when they need to “borrow” from the next place value column—and when they don’t.
Learn more: Amy Lemons
