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Subtraction Games for Kids

Subtraction means taking away, finding the difference and working out what is missing. It is often harder for children than addition, so Maths Guru builds it up gently, from single-digit take-aways to three-digit problems and missing-number puzzles.

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What subtraction really teaches

Subtraction has three faces, and children benefit from meeting all of them. It is taking away (9 apples, eat 4, how many are left?), finding the difference between two amounts (how much taller is a 120 cm child than a 95 cm one?), and finding what is missing (I have 12 stickers and need 20).

Good subtractors do not always take away. To work out 15 − 8, a child can count up from 8 to 10, which is 2, and then from 10 to 15, which is 5, giving 7. Counting up is often quicker and less error-prone than counting back, especially for numbers that are close together such as 62 − 59.

Subtraction is also the inverse of addition. If 8 + 7 = 15, then 15 − 8 = 7 and 15 − 7 = 8. Knowing this lets children check answers by adding back.

Common mistakes to watch for

The classic error is subtracting the smaller digit from the larger one in each column, whatever its position. In 62 − 27, a child who thinks 7 − 2 = 5 writes 45 instead of the correct 35. The ones digit of 2 cannot lose 7, so a ten must be exchanged to make 12 − 7 = 5, leaving 5 tens for 50 − 20 = 30.

Another common mistake is reading 8 − 3 as 3 − 8 and getting confused by negative numbers, because the order in subtraction matters. Unlike addition, 8 − 3 and 3 − 8 are different.

With subtraction word problems, children sometimes pick the wrong operation. Teaching them to ask "Am I taking away, comparing, or finding a missing part?" helps them decide, and drawing a quick bar picture of the amounts shows the structure.

How to practise at home

Use real change. Giving a child a 50 rupee note and asking what change they should get from a 36 rupee item is practice with a genuine purpose. Count up together: 36 to 40 is 4, 40 to 50 is 10, so the change is 14.

Play "how far to 100". Say a number such as 64 and have your child call back how much more makes 100. This builds fluency with complements and is good mental practice on the way to school.

Always connect it back to addition: after solving 83 − 47 = 36, ask your child to check by computing 47 + 36. If they get 83, the subtraction is right. This habit of checking builds a sense of accuracy that carries into every other topic.

How Maths Guru teaches subtraction

The Cave Temples island in Conquer the World is devoted to subtraction, across ten levels. Younger children start with take-aways within 10 and work up towards 50, while the Year 2 to 3 path rises to numbers around 500. Missing-minuend and missing-subtrahend questions such as ? − 18 = 25 appear from the middle levels, along with three-number sums like 50 − 12 − 9.

Elsewhere, subtraction shows up in Shop Street, where children work out the change a customer should be given, in Memory Dash's Chain Recall, where numbers are added and taken away from a running total, and in Time Skip, Number Kingdoms (claiming Salt Flats), Neon Clash's forge and Classroom quizzes. Magic Squares puzzles also rely on finding missing numbers.

Worked examples

15 − 8

Answer: 7

Count up from 8: 2 steps to reach 10, then 5 more to reach 15. That is 2 + 5 = 7.

62 − 27

Answer: 35

Take away 20 first to get 42, then take away 7 to get 35. Alternatively, count up from 27 to 30 (3), then to 62 (32): 3 + 32 = 35.

100 − 46

Answer: 54

Count up from 46 to 50, which is 4, then from 50 to 100, which is 50. In total 4 + 50 = 54.

? − 18 = 25

Answer: 43

The missing number is what you started with, so add back: 25 + 18 = 43. Check: 43 − 18 = 25.

83 − ? = 47

Answer: 36

The missing number is the difference between 83 and 47. Counting up from 47 to 50 is 3, then 50 to 83 is 33, so 36.

50 − 12 − 9

Answer: 29

Take away step by step: 50 − 12 = 38, then 38 − 9 = 29. You could also take away 21 in one go, since 12 + 9 = 21.

Tips for parents

  • Teach counting up as well as counting back; for close numbers like 62 − 59 it is much faster.
  • Always check by adding: if 83 − 47 = 36, then 47 + 36 should be 83.
  • Practise making change from 50 or 100 rupees with real notes and coins.
  • Remind your child that the order matters, so 8 − 3 is not the same as 3 − 8.
  • Use a number line drawn on paper to show jumps for take-away and difference problems.

Practise it in these games

Questions parents ask

Why do children find subtraction harder than addition?

Subtraction is not commutative (the order matters), it often needs exchanging between columns, and it comes in three forms: take away, difference and missing part. Practising all three in small steps makes it feel familiar.

What subtraction does Maths Guru cover for Class 1 to 2?

The Year 1 to 2 path starts with take-aways within 10 and rises to numbers up to about 50, including three-number take-aways and some missing-number questions in later levels.

Is there a good way to check a subtraction answer?

Yes. Add the answer to the number taken away. If you get back to the starting number, the answer is correct. This inverse check is worth making a habit.

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