Are your kids struggling with subtraction? Finding the number that is left when another number is taken away can be a very challenging skill for students to master, but subtraction is an essential part of developing mathematical fluency. The key is to hook your kids with fun activities that will help them understand and strengthen their subtraction skills. So resist using that next worksheet and make math fun by choosing from our list of 38 super subtraction activities!
1. Get Off My Boat Subtraction Game
Your kiddos will make waves with this engaging subtraction activity that also gets them moving! Use tape to make a boat on your classroom floor and then place a few of your students on the boat. Have the rest of the class class count them and then remove some sailors from the boat to show subtraction!
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2. Penguin Subtraction
This adorable hands-on subtraction activity provides lots of fun for your kiddies. The subtraction mat can be used with whole groups or as independent work in math centers. You can assign your students numbers or have them choose the number of fish to start.
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3. Locks And Keys Subtraction
Increase student engagement with locks and keys; it’ll even improve your little mathematicians’ fine motor skills! Simply label some locks with numbers and the keys with subtraction equations and let them work to solve the equations and open each lock with the correct key. This clever idea is sure to become a favorite instructional tool in your classroom!
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4. Pete The Cat Subtraction
Your students will demonstrate subtraction success with this Pete the Cat subtraction activity! Read Pete The Cat and His 4 Groovy Buttons and use it to inspire them to create this cute craft. Let them decide the number of Pete’s buttons that are going to pop off and have them write a number sentence to match.
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5. How Many Am I Hiding?
This is the cutest activity for teaching subtraction to your younger learners! You can use any small object, but these plastic ants work perfectly. Begin the game with a certain number of ants and then cover up some with your hand. Next, have your kids tell you how many ants you are hiding.
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6. Subtraction Bowling
Your children will love playing this awesome subtraction bowling game! Begin with ten toilet paper rolls and let the games begin. They’ll take turns rolling a ball to knock down pins and then record the number that was taken away to make subtraction sentences as they play!
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7. Silly Monster Subtraction Mat
These silly monster subtraction mats are a favorite subtraction activity among preschoolers and kindergartners. They are also simple to use and a terrific addition to your math centers. Add some googly eyes to the monsters to make this activity a sure hit for your kiddos!
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8. Beaded Number Rods
This hands-on and engaging subtraction activity is tons of fun for your little ones! Not only that, but the supplies needed for this activity are minimal and inexpensive. All your kids need to do to start understanding subtraction is simply slide the colorful beads off the stick!
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9. In The Bag Subtraction
This low-prep activity is engaging, fun, and hands-on! It is also great for math centers, and it can be easily differentiated for your learners. Just have them choose one of the subtraction flashcards, solve the equation, and then put the card in the bag that shows the correct answer!
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10. Lily Pad Subtraction
This is one of the cutest elementary math ideas! Use these plastic frogs and lily pad math manipulatives to teach your children how to subtract. You can create this subtraction activity inexpensively and very quickly.
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11. Goldfish Subtraction Mat
This cute subtraction work mat is great for teaching your kiddos to practice subtracting from 20. They’ll love using goldfish crackers and the free printable to have fun while learning how to subtract. Use this activity for extra practice in math centers or for an educational snack break!
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12. Loose Tooth Subtraction
Children love talking about their new loose teeth and they’ll certainly be curious about this activity! Start by giving each of your students a picture of a child who has ten teeth. They’ll roll a die, blackout that number of teeth, and then write the subtraction equation at the bottom.
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13. Football Subtraction
It’s time for kickoff! This activity is perfect for your little football fans and can be used in math centers, small groups, and partner work. Print the activity, cut out the field goal and football cards, and they’ll be ready to match the subtraction number sentences to the correct answer!
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14. Love Monster Subtraction
Love Monster Subtraction is a fun, hands-on activity that keeps your kiddies engaged as they practice subtraction skills within 10. These adorable mats can be used with different manipulatives and are a wonderful addition to your classroom math centers, especially on Valentine’s Day!
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15. Double-Digit Subtraction Card Game
This subtraction activity incorporates playing cards to provide extra practice with double-digit subtraction problems. You’ll only need the ace card and cards 2-9 for this subtraction practice activity. Your students will love rearranging four cards to find the difference between them.
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16. Knock Over Dominoes Subtraction
This classic game can also be used as a math tool! Your kids will be hooked as they read the problem on the subtraction card, set up the appropriate number of dominoes, and then knock down the correct number to see the difference left standing! This is excellent for providing visual support for your struggling learners.
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17. Cupcake Subtraction
Begin this lesson by reading aloud Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes. Then have your kiddos make this cute hands-on subtraction activity by encouraging them to create their own subtraction problem that shows how many cupcakes went missing! This one is sure to leave a sweet taste for subtraction!
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18. Hungry Monster Subtraction
Your kiddos will enjoy feeding the hungry monsters in this subtraction activity! All you’ll need is the monster printable, hair gel, ten buttons, a dice, and a plastic bag. This activity is great for practicing foundational math skills, and it also serves as a terrific sensory activity!
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19. Sticky Note Haircut Math
Calling all little hair stylists! This subtraction activity is loads of fun and much more interactive than a typical worksheet. Your learners will love cutting the number of sticky note hairs off their paper to match each subtraction equation!
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20. Action Of Subtraction
Read-alouds are a great way to teach your kiddos some new skills, and The Action of Subtraction is no exception! Gather your class on the carpet for a fun-filled, rhyming story all about the meaning of subtraction!
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21. Decomposing Numbers
This one is great for the visual learners in your class. To prep this activity, print or draw out two little circles connected to one larger circle. Then, your mathematicians can use cubes or beans to practice decomposing total amounts into smaller parts. To make it more challenging, have them write equations to match their visuals!
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22. Picture Subtraction
Have little prep time and need some simple subtraction practice for your young learners? Check out this worksheet that provides pictures of different subtraction problems. Demonstrate how to cross out the subtracted amount from each picture group or let them use dot markers to make it even more fun!
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23. Race To The Moon
Race to the Moon is an out-of-this-world game for your children on their way to learning how to subtract! Have them partner up and take turns choosing a problem to solve. If they answer correctly, they get to cover the tile. The first one to create a path to the moon wins!
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24. Roll It, Solve It, Color It
Adding games to your math routine is sure to help your students master the basics! For this fun activity, they’ll take turns rolling dice, solving the corresponding equation, and covering the answer with a coin or cube. The challenge is to get five in a row to be crowned subtraction champion!
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25. One More, One Less
One fish, two fish, one more, one less! This activity allows your young mathematicians to practice numeric order by first drawing a number card and then illustrating it using little fish and number manipulatives to show the number and the numbers that are one less and one more.
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26. Find The Difference
Your kiddos will enjoy making towers to practice subtraction! All you need are some cubes or legos, dice, and recording sheets. Have them work with a partner and take turns rolling dice to build towers that show that number. They’ll compare their towers, find the difference, and write a number subtraction number sentence!
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27. Subtraction Smash
Everyone loves squishing Play-Doh and this subtraction activity is certain to be a smash! Just print and laminate the activity templates, and give your kiddies Play-Doh and dice. They’ll roll a number, form Play-Doh balls to show that number, and then smash one before answering how many are left.
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28. Miss Sally Subtraction Anchor Chart
Bring the concept of subtraction to life by creating a Ms. Sally Subtraction anchor chart! By hanging this DIY poster in your classroom, your students will have a visual reference when practicing their subtraction skills. Don’t forget to include key vocabulary and a few different subtraction strategies!
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29. Play-Doh Subtraction
Here’s another Play-Doh game, but this time your kiddos will get some squishy subtraction practice using a number line! Create one on the floor or table using masking tape and then give them some subtraction problems. They’ll have a blast using their feet or hands to squish the amount being subtracted!
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30. Subtraction To Zero
This game requires zero prep and all you need is a deck of cards! Each of your kids will start at 100 and will take turns drawing a card from the pile to subtract. Draw a nine, they’re at 91. If they then draw a four, they’re down to 87! The first player to get to zero wins!
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31. Act It Out
Kinesthetic learning is great for helping your children understand number concepts, and it also happens to be loads of fun! Write a subtraction problem on the board and have them role-play the equation. For example, ten students standing in a line with seven of them sitting brings 10-7= 3 to life!
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32. Bee Number Bonds
Number bonds are a great way to visually show the concept of subtraction to your young learners. Print and laminate the bee bond cards, and have them practice filling in the missing number with a dry-erase marker. This activity bee-autifully shows the relationship between subtraction and addition!
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33. Subtraction Facts Dotting Game
Once your learners have grasped the basics of subtraction, challenge them to match the correct equation to a given answer. The wheels in their brains will turn as they try to find all the subtraction bubbles that represent the same difference. Have them use dot markers to make this even more engaging!
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34. Chick Subtraction
This is perfect for your kiddos who need repetitive subtraction practice. Print the chick pictures on different colored paper, cut out the number sentence pieces, and put them in a baggy. Then, have yoru learners order the equations, match these to the correct picture, and record their subtraction sentences on the worksheet!
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35. Subtraction Board Game
Tired of flashcards? This board game puts a fun spin on memorizing subtraction facts! Your kids will move a game piece to the number that reflects the answer to different subtraction problems. They’ll be having so much fun playing this game, they won’t even realize they’re doing math work!
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36. Monkey Math Games
Here is another fun printable board game that your mathematicians in training will adore! They’ll take turns monkeying around by rolling dice to move the number of spaces shown. If they correctly solve the subtraction problem on which they land, they get to roll again!
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37. Subtraction Cootie Catchers
What kid doesn’t love cootie catchers? Not only is this activity fun to make, but your students will have a great time playing with the finished product over and over again! This cootie catcher uses numerals, tally marks, and ten frames to ensure they master their number sense!
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38. Subtraction Cup Stacking Challenge
This is another great hands-on activity that provides excellent visual support to help your children sharpen their math fluency. They’ll stack cups in a particular arrangement to reflect the answers to subtraction problems shown on their worksheets. This one also comes in three levels making it easy to differentiate!
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