Subtraction Games Online Free
Subtraction facts come from the addition facts children already know. Begin with counting back and taking away within 10, then subtract from teen numbers and 20, then work with tens and two-digit numbers.
10 games
How to make subtraction easier
Subtraction means taking away, or finding the difference between two numbers. The fastest way to subtract is to think of the addition fact behind it: 13 − 8 is “8 plus what makes 13?”, which is 5. That’s why subtraction gets easier once addition facts and number bonds to 20 are known.
Start with counting back for taking away 1, 2 or 3, then subtraction within 10 and subtracting from 10. Next come teen numbers in subtraction within 20 and subtracting from 20, and the missing addend game for the “what do I add?” way of thinking.
For bigger numbers, subtracting 10 and subtracting 9 build place value, adding and subtracting tens works with multiples of 10, and two-digit subtraction brings it together within 100.
Questions and answers
Why is subtraction harder than addition?
Counting back is slower and easier to get wrong than counting on. Thinking of subtraction as “what do I add?” (9 − 4 → 4 + ? = 9) makes it much faster. Practise it with the missing addend game and subtract from 10.
Do the subtraction games include negative numbers?
No. Every question takes a smaller number from a larger one, so answers are always zero or more.