Math · Ages 10–12, Ages 4–6, Ages 7–9
Subtraction games for kids
Subtraction is often harder than addition because children have to think backwards. Mixing subtraction with addition — as these games do — helps kids see how the two are connected: if 7 + 3 = 10, then 10 − 3 = 7.
Questions start small and grow with your child, with friendly feedback instead of red crosses.
2 games that practise subtraction
What your child practises
- Subtracting within 10 and 20
- Seeing addition and subtraction as a pair
- Taking away in word problems
When do children learn this?
Taking away within 10 in kindergarten / Reception, within 20 in grade 1 / Year 1–2, and bigger numbers by grade 2–3.
How to help at home
- Use “fact families”: 3 + 4 = 7, 4 + 3 = 7, 7 − 3 = 4, 7 − 4 = 3.
- Try “counting up”: for 12 − 9, count from 9 to 12.
- Act it out with snacks — eating the “taken away” ones is very motivating.
Subtraction questions from parents
Which games practise subtraction?
Rocket Math mixes adding and subtracting within 20 at its second level, and Story Sums puts taking away into short stories.
Why does my child find subtraction harder than addition?
It’s very common. Subtraction asks children to hold a number in mind and work backwards. Practising both together, and linking them as fact families, helps most.