Now that you have so many engaging and hands-on games for addition, you need some for subtraction too! Using hands- on games for subtraction is important so that students can visualize what’s happening. They need to have the experience of a group of objects becoming smaller because some of the objects are taken away. If this isn’t taught in a concrete way, it’s likely to be a very difficult thing to teach!
1. Frogs in the Pond
I always like kicking off our subtraction unit with some subtraction stories. My students each have a “pond” (a piece of blue construction paper) and some green unifix cubes. I tell them how many frogs are in the pond, and how many frogs jumped out, and they tell me how many frogs are left. It’s a great way to start getting your kids to think about what’s happening when they subtract without using equations yet.
2. Subtraction Smash
In this activity, students will roll small balls of play dough and literally “smash” the number of balls that they are subtracting. It’s such a powerful way for kindergarteners to see that their group is getting smaller.
3. Cookie Jar Subtraction
For this activity, students will put cookies onto their cookie jar mat. Side note: I like to use cookie crisp cereal, but you can use any round manipulative. When they subtract, they can either eat the cookies or remove the manipulatives from their cookie jar.
4. Subtraction Bowling
For this activity, you can use a mini bowling set, toilet paper rolls, or empty water bottles. Students will roll a ball and knock down as many “pins” as they can. They will use the number of pins they knocked down to create their subtraction equation: # of pins they started with – # of pins they knocked down = # of pins still standing. This is a great activity for a day when your kids have a lot of extra energy! (This image is from my friend Abbie over at Kindergarten Chaos. Click here to read her post all about subtraction bowling!)
5. Subtraction Kindergarten Game Show
This interactive game can be played independently on a computer or iPad, or as a whole group on a SmartBoard (you can even play it as a virtual lesson over Google Meet!). Students will practice their subtraction facts with this self-checking “game show.” They can even add manipulatives for more hands-on fun! (Want to try it for free? Click here!)
Bring on the Games!
Practicing subtraction facts day after day can get boring if you don’t approach it in a fun and engaging way! Using games in my classroom is one way I love to keep my students engaged in practicing subtraction. If you’re looking for more, here’s a peek into our world of guided math!
Resources For You
Ready to give subtraction games a try? Click here to download a free sample of Kindergarten Game Show (subtraction within 5)!
And if you’re looking for the whole game, you can find the Kindergarten Game Show Addition and Subtraction Bundle here!
