Fun with Subtraction

When children can physically see something being taken away, subtraction stops being just a row of numbers and starts making sense.

For young learners, understanding why 5 − 2 = 3 is far more valuable than simply memorizing the answer. Fun with Subtraction turns early subtraction into a hands-on activity where children can count objects, remove them, see what remains and then connect that experience to the written number sentence.

Designed for children aged 6 years and older, this 14-page printable PDF resource uses colourful animals and their favorite foods to help children practice subtraction up to 20 in a concrete, visual and playful way.

What’s Inside?

The resource includes six different animal-themed subtraction activity mats featuring a fish, dog, bunny, cat, mouse and bird.

Each animal has its own matching food:

• Fish and worms
• Dog and bones
• Bunny and carrots
• Cat and fish
• Mouse and cheese
• Bird and cookies

Children use the included food pieces to create their own subtraction problems. There are 20 pictures of each food type, allowing learners to practice subtraction up to 20.

For example, a child can give the fish 5 worms, place 2 worms in the fish’s mouth to show that they have been “eaten”, and then count the 3 worms remaining. They record the quantities on the activity mat before completing the number sentence 5 − 2 = 3. The example and instructions are demonstrated on pages 3 and 4 of the resource.

The same concept can then be repeated with different numbers and different animals, creating many subtraction combinations from the same printable resource.

Why Teachers and Parents Will Love It

Subtraction can be difficult when children are expected to jump straight from physical counting to abstract equations.

This activity helps build the bridge between the two.

Instead of merely asking, “What is 8 minus 3?”, you can let the child start with 8 objects, physically take 3 away, count what is left and then write the equation.

They’re not just being told what subtraction means. They’re doing it.

The animal characters also give the maths a simple story. The dog had some bones. The dog ate some. How many are left? That little bit of context turns an abstract calculation into something a young learner can see and understand.

For longer-term classroom or home use, the resource recommends laminating the activity mats and storing the pieces together in a flip-file.

Advantages of This Resource

• Helps children understand the concept of taking away
• Provides hands-on subtraction practice up to 20
• Connects physical objects with written subtraction equations
• Includes 6 colourful animal-themed activity mats
• Includes 20 printable pieces of each matching food type
• Allows many different subtraction problems to be created from the same resource
• Encourages counting before and after objects are removed
• Helps children connect quantities to numerals
• Makes abstract subtraction more concrete and visual
• Encourages mathematical language such as has, ate and left
• Can be laminated and reused many times
• Ideal for one-on-one teaching and hands-on maths activities
• Suitable for classroom learning, homeschooling, revision and additional practice at home
• Lets teachers and parents adjust the difficulty according to the individual learner

Age: 6+ years
Pages: 14
Number range: Subtraction up to 20
Skills: Subtraction, counting, number recognition, number sentences and understanding “taking away”
Format: Digital PDF

This is a digital, printable product. No physical activity set will be shipped. After purchase, download and print the PDF. For repeated use, the activity pages and pieces can be laminated. Laminating supplies, scissors, storage materials and other physical items are not included.

Help children move beyond simply reciting subtraction facts and start understanding what subtraction actually means. With Fun with Subtraction, they can count it, take it away, see what’s left and solve it.