Subtraction Games at Home: 6 Playful Ways to Practise

The best way to help a child enjoy subtraction is short, daily number play with things you already have: dice, cards, blocks. Research on playful maths shows that children who practise numbers through games build stronger number sense than with worksheets alone¹. Below are six simple subtraction games — nothing to buy — with a tip on how to match the difficulty to your child's age.

Why play teaches more effectively

In a game, a child is active, engaged, and discovers the answer instead of passively writing it down. Playful counting boosts interest in maths and supports learning more than purely formal tasks², and even a few minutes of regular play can have lasting effects. A game also naturally shows the two meanings of subtraction: taking away ("remove") and difference ("how many more"). For the method itself, see our guide on how to teach subtraction.

6 subtraction games to try today

1. Roll two dice — "take away." Roll two dice; the child subtracts the smaller number from the larger. First to say the answer takes a token. Quick and simple, within 6.

2. The shrinking tower. Build a tower of, say, 10 blocks together. "Take away 4 — how many are left?" The child physically removes blocks and counts the rest. It's the cleanest picture of subtraction as taking away.

3. How many did I hide? Show 10 blocks, have the child close their eyes, and hide some under a cup. "You see 6 — how many did I hide?" This builds the complement and the difference (10 − 6), the foundation for crossing ten.

4. Cards for the difference. Pull cards 1–10 from a deck. Each player flips one; the bigger difference between the cards wins. Great for the "how many more" sense.

5. Home shop. The child "buys" toys with paper coins and gets change. Making change is subtraction at its most real (and a chance to count "how many more do I have than I need").

6. Number-line hopscotch. Chalk a 0–20 line. The child stands on a number and "hops back" by the number rolled. Subtraction becomes movement — a jump to the left.

How to match the difficulty

For a five-year-old, keep the numbers small (up to 5–6) and use the "take away" model with real objects. For a six- to seven-year-old, raise the range to 20 and add games that practise crossing ten (for example, "how many did I hide?" with numbers 11–20). One rule: a game should be slightly too easy, not slightly too hard — that's when a child wants to keep playing. Don't turn it into a test; frequency beats length. For how much time is enough, see how much daily math practice.

When it helps to add an app

Playing with a parent is irreplaceable, but you don't always have 15 minutes. That's when a tool that sets the level for you helps. In the City, children practise subtraction as picture-based tasks, with difficulty that rises on its own — from small numbers to crossing ten. Level 1 is free, so you can see whether it suits your child. If you're also working on addition, see the companion set of addition games at home.

Four more games to rotate

To keep it fresh, have a few variants on hand:

7. Domino difference. Draw domino tiles and find the difference between the pips on the two halves. Bigger difference takes the tile.

8. The money jar. Drop "coins" into a jar, then "take out 3" — how many are left? Taking away at its simplest, with a satisfying clink.

9. Throwing at a target. Give your child 10 balls or rolled socks to toss into a basket. They got 6 in — how many missed? That's subtraction as the complement to ten (10 − 6).

10. Race backwards. On a board game (or a drawn line), a token starts on 20 and moves back by the number rolled. First to reach 0 wins.

You don't have to play them all — pick two or three favourites and return to them. Repetition helps learning.

How to talk during play

Words matter. For taking away, say it plainly: "we had 8, we take 3, that leaves…". For comparing, ask: "how many more do you have?" This links the action to the language your child will meet at school. Avoid rushing or supplying the answer — let them count, even if it takes a moment. When they slip, don't correct instantly; suggest checking with addition ("let's count it back").

When your child finds it hard

If you see discouragement, drop the numbers lower (to 5) and return to plain "taking away" with objects — no rush, no competition. Choose cooperative games where you win together, and set the level so success comes often. A short, successful game once a day does more than a long, frustrating session now and then.

Why play sticks

When a child moves the blocks, rolls the dice and watches a group "shrink," they build a picture of subtraction a worksheet can't give. That picture stays — later, at 8 − 3, they "see" a real situation behind the symbol. Play also removes pressure: a slip in a game doesn't sting like a "wrong answer" in a notebook, so children try again more readily. And the more successful tries, the stronger the confidence — making it easier to move on to harder numbers and subtraction across ten.

Subtraction in everyday moments

Not everything has to be a board "game." The best practice often happens in passing:

• At snack time: "There were 4 strawberries, you ate 1 — how many are left?" The child counts what's on the plate.
• On the stairs: go up and down counting steps forward and back — stairs are a ready-made number line.
• While tidying up: "There are 8 blocks on the floor, you put 5 in the box — how many are still out?"
• At the shop: let your child work out the change (even an estimate teaches the sense of "how much less").

These micro-questions, woven through the day, do more than one long session — because the child sees that numbers are useful. The key is a light tone: ask out of curiosity, don't "test." If your child isn't in the mood, let it go and come back another time. And now and then, swap roles — let the child make up a problem for you ("I ate 2 of 6, how many do I have?"). Inventing problems is a sign they understand subtraction, not just compute it.

Frequently asked questions

What age are these games for? Most work from age 5 with small numbers; the crossing-ten versions suit ages 6–7.

How long should we play each day? Short and regular wins — a few to a dozen minutes. One game a day in a good mood beats a long session once a week.

My child loses and gets discouraged — what do I do? Choose cooperative games (like a shared "how many did I hide?") over competition, and set the level so success is frequent.

Will games replace school learning? They won't replace it, but they support it well — building the number intuition that school can then build on.

---

You don't need to be a teacher to teach subtraction — dice, blocks and five good-humoured minutes are enough. Pick one game from the list and play it today. And when you'd like your child to practise subtraction independently, at the right level, try the City in EduBert.

Sources

1. Play-based mathematics activities for families (study), ScienceDirect: sciencedirect.com
2. Board games boost young kids' math skills (research review), Phys.org: phys.org