Maths Guru
English | हिन्दी

Ratio and Proportion Games for Kids

A ratio compares two amounts, such as 2 cups of rice to 3 cups of water. Ratios sit behind recipes, maps, mixing paint and sharing money fairly. Maths Guru introduces them in the oldest age band with simplifying, scaling and sharing questions.

Play now

What ratios really mean

A ratio tells us how two quantities relate. If a class has 10 boys and 15 girls, the ratio of boys to girls is 10:15. Just like fractions, ratios can be simplified by dividing both numbers by a common factor. Here both are divisible by 5, so 10:15 is the same as 2:3.

Equal ratios behave like equivalent fractions. 2:3, 4:6 and 8:12 all describe the same relationship, and each is made by multiplying both numbers by the same amount. That is how recipes scale: if 2 cups of flour make 4 pancakes, then 6 cups make 12 pancakes.

Ratios can also split a total. Sharing 20 sweets between two children in the ratio 1:3 means there are 1 + 3 = 4 equal parts. Each part is 20 ÷ 4 = 5 sweets, so one child gets 5 and the other gets 15.

Common mistakes to watch for

The most common mistake is reading a ratio as a fraction of the total. In the ratio 1:3, one quantity is not 1/3 of the whole; it is 1 part out of 4 parts, which is 1/4. Adding the parts first avoids this slip.

Another is adding instead of multiplying when scaling. If 2:3 becomes ?:12, some children add 9 to both and write 11:12. The 3 was multiplied by 4 to get 12, so the 2 must also be multiplied by 4 to give 8:12.

Children also mix up the order of the two terms. "Ratio of boys to girls" is not the same as "girls to boys". Underlining the first thing named in the question helps. And finally, not simplifying completely, such as stopping at 4:6 instead of 2:3, is a typical error. Check whether there is still a common factor.

How to practise at home

The kitchen is a ratio lab. Doubling or halving a recipe makes the idea of scaling natural, and cooking rice with water in the ratio 1:2 shows how ratio keeps things consistent.

Mixing squash or paint is another way. Make orange squash with 1 part concentrate to 4 parts water, then ask what a bigger jug needs. Maps and models give further ideas: "1 cm on the map is 5 km" is a ratio.

Encourage your child to use a ratio table, which is two rows of numbers that grow together: 1 → 3, 2 → 6, 3 → 9, 5 → 15. Filling in the gaps is a simple way to scale quantities up or down without needing formulas.

How Maths Guru teaches ratios

The Weaver's Loom in Conquer the World is the ratio island, and it opens for the Year 4 to 6 group (ages 8 to 11). The questions cover simplifying a ratio such as 6:10, scaling a ratio ("2:3 = 8:?"), sharing an amount in a ratio, and recipe problems where a quantity is scaled up for more people.

Because ratio is a Year 4 to 6 topic, younger players do not meet it in Conquer the World. They can build the underpinning skills, such as times tables, division and equivalent fractions, in the other islands and in Time Skip and Classroom quizzes.

Worked examples

Simplify 6:10

Answer: 3:5

Both numbers divide by 2, giving 3:5. Nothing else divides both 3 and 5, so it is fully simplified.

Simplify 12:16

Answer: 3:4

Both numbers divide by 4: 12 ÷ 4 = 3 and 16 ÷ 4 = 4, giving 3:4.

2:3 = 8:?

Answer: 12

The first number was multiplied by 4 (2 to 8), so multiply the second by 4 as well: 3 × 4 = 12.

Share 24 in the ratio 1:2

Answer: 8 and 16

There are 1 + 2 = 3 parts, so each part is 24 ÷ 3 = 8. The shares are 8 and 2 × 8 = 16.

Share 25 in the ratio 2:3

Answer: 10 and 15

There are 2 + 3 = 5 parts, so each part is 25 ÷ 5 = 5. The shares are 2 × 5 = 10 and 3 × 5 = 15.

3 cups of flour make 5 portions. How much flour for 15 portions?

Answer: 9

15 portions is 3 times as many as 5, so multiply the flour by 3 as well: 3 × 3 = 9 cups.

Tips for parents

  • Treat ratios like fractions: find a common factor and divide to simplify.
  • When sharing, add the parts first, divide the total by that number, then multiply for each share.
  • Use a ratio table to scale up and down in simple steps.
  • Always keep the order the same as in the question: boys to girls is not girls to boys.
  • Cook together; recipes are the best everyday ratio practice.

Practise it in these games

Questions parents ask

When are ratios taught in school?

In India, the idea of ratio is introduced around Classes 5 to 6, and in the UK ratio and proportion are mostly Year 6 topics. Maths Guru offers it only in the Year 4 to 6 band.

What is the difference between a ratio and a fraction?

A fraction compares a part with the whole, while a ratio compares one part with another. In the ratio 1:3 there are 4 parts in total, so one quantity is 1/4 of the whole.

Why can't younger children play the ratios island?

Ratio relies on a good understanding of multiplication, division and equivalent fractions. Maths Guru keeps the island to the oldest band so that questions stay fair.

More maths skills

Play now