maths problem solving ks1

Homepage > Maths curriculum > KS1 maths

Learn all about the topics covered in KS1 maths, explore our free resources and have a go at some practice questions!

• What do children learn in the KS1 maths curriculum?

• Topic guides and practice questions

• KS1 maths resources and activities

•   KS1 maths SATs: guides and resources

Select a topic

Explore the topics covered in KS1 maths and have a go at some fun, interactive practice questions!

Number and place value

Learn how to count, read and write numbers up to 100

Find out more

Addition and subtraction

Explore strategies for mental and written problem solving

Multiplication and division

Discover key multiplication and division facts

Find out about data and how to read bar charts and graphs

Measurement

Explore time, volume and length and quantities

Learn how to identify 2D and 3D shapes

Position and direction

Discover how to arrange objects into patterns

Fractions, decimals and percentages

Learn what a fraction is and how to order them

Choose a year group

Select a year group.

Take a look at the skills children learn in each year group and have a go at some questions

What do children learn in KS1 maths?

In Key Stage 1 (KS1), kids explore a wide breath of content to help develop their knowledge of core concepts and gain an understanding of how maths is used in everyday life. From fractions to shapes, they learn lots of key skills that’ll place them in great stead for KS2!  The main topics they learn about are…    

1. Number and place value: In the KS1 maths curriculum, children learn to count, read, write and represent numbers up to 100. They also learn how to compare numbers and use the place value system.  

2. Addition and subtraction: Children learn various strategies for mental and written addition and subtraction. They also explore number bonds, counting techniques and inverse operations.  

3. Multiplication and division: Kids develop their understanding of multiplication and division and learn how to solve problems using multiplication and division facts, arrays and pictorial representations.  

4. Fractions : Learners discover how to recognise, name, find and write fractions in relation to length, shapes and quantity.

  5. Measurement: In KS1 maths, children learn how to use appropriate units, estimate measurements and read scales, including length, capacity and time.  

6. Properties of shapes: Learners explore the fundamentals of shapes, including how to recognise and name different types of 2D and 3D shapes.  

7. Position and direction: Children  learn how to describe position, direction and movement, as well as how to organise objects into patterns and sequences. 

8. Statistics: In the KS1 curriculum, kids explore how to collect and organise data. They also learn how to create graphs and interpret data using a variety of graphs.

Meet Doodle, the personalised maths app that explores the whole KS1 curriculum!

Created by our team of teachers, DoodleMaths is an award-winning maths app that’s filled with interactive questions and games covering the whole KS1 curriculum.    

Designed to be used for just 10 minutes a day, it creates every child a unique learning experience tailored to their needs, boosting their confidence and ability in maths.  And best of all, you can  try it for free !  

Frequently asked questions about KS1 maths

DoodleMaths is an award-winning app that’s filled with fantastic maths games for KS1!

From working in a messy bakery to helping a monkey collect coconuts, all of its games are specifically designed to develop instant recall and mental maths skills, transforming learning into a fun adventure.

Best of all, all of its questions feel like a game, with every exercise using interactive activities and explanations to help bring the subject to life!

Create an account today to enjoy a free 7-day trial .

There are lots of ways that you can help your child or pupils to learn KS1 maths:

• Rather than explaining concepts, use visual representations to explore them, such as number lines and grids.
• Nothing beats doodling! Encourage your child or pupils to draw pictures to help them understand concepts or have a go at working out the answer to a question. 
• Use real-life items to explore number, such as Smarties or pebbles. Encourage your child to sort the items into different amounts; doing this will help them understand concepts such as addition and fractions!
• Boosting their instant recall skills will help them with their mental maths and speed answering questions. Learning times tables in a specific order and using fun activities is a great way to help with this!

An array is an arrangement of items (such as pictures or numbers) in columns or rows.

They let children visualise what happens when they multiply or divide numbers together, helping them master times tables and division!

Reasoning is basically detective work: it’s when learners use what they already know to work out the answer to a question.

For example, if a child knows what 12 – 5 is, they can use this knowledge to work out what 12 – 6 is.

“I know that 12 – 5 is 7. As 6 is 1 higher than 5, the answer must be 1 higher than 7.”

KS1 maths resources and activities

Looking for even more ways to support your child or pupils’ learning? We’ve got you covered!

How to improve at mental maths

Discover our top tips to help any child master mental maths! 

Outdoor learning activities for KS1

When the sun is shining, there’s nothing better than taking your learning outside!

How to support your child's home learning

Practising maths ‘little and often’ is the perfect way to help kids develop their skills

Discover our top tips to help any child master mental maths!

When the sun is shining, there’s nothing better than taking your learning outside!

Practising maths ‘little and often’ is the perfect way to help kids develop their skills

KS1 maths SATs: guides and resources

In Year 2, children complete maths and English SATs papers. Explore what’s covered in the exams and how you can help your child or pupils prepare for them!

KS1 SATs papers 2024: what's included?

See what’s covered in KS1 SATs and how you can help your child prepare for them

How Doodle can help kids prepare for SATs

Our apps cover the whole KS1 curriculum, making them perfect study buddies

How to help your child prepare for SATs

SATs may seem worrying, but these tips will help calm your child (and you!)

KS1 SATs papers: what's included?

See what’s covered in KS1 SATs and how you can help your child prepare for them

Our apps cover the whole KS1 curriculum, making them the ultimate study buddies

Try our KS1 maths app for free!

What we offer

Quick links

All rights reserved. 

Are you a parent, teacher or student?

Get started for free!

Intervention information pack

We ask for your contact info so we can send our info pack directly to your inbox for your convenience, english and spelling information pack, maths information pack, exam prep information pack, case studies information pack.

Book a chat with our team

I’m new to Doodle

My school is already using Doodle

Information pack

We ask for your contact info so that our education consultants can get in touch with you and let you know a bit more about doodle., student login, which programme would you like to use.

DoodleMaths

DoodleTables

DoodleEnglish

DoodleSpell

If you’d like to use Doodle’s browser version, please visit this page on a desktop.

To log in to Doodle on this device, you can do so through our apps. You can find out how to download them here:

• Home Learning
• Free Resources
• New Resources
• Free resources
• New resources
• Filter resources
• Childrens mental health
• Easter resources

Internet Explorer is out of date!

For greater security and performance, please consider updating to one of the following free browsers

KS1 Resources & Worksheets > KS1 Mathematics Resources & Worksheets >

Resources and Worksheets

Subscription Level

National Curriculum Level

Topic/Skill

Filter by Keyword

Add Three 1-Digit Numbers

These practical activities include tasks covering a range of provision areas for pupils to practise the main skill of comparing objects.

Year 6 Place Value Consolidation Lesson

This Year 6 Place Value Consolidation lesson revisits the main teaching points from our Place Value block.

KS1 Christmas Symbol Sudoku

KS1 Christmas Symbol Sudoku Activity designed with fun Christmas symbols for pupils to complete during the festive period.

Geometry Shape Consolidation Year 1 Autumn Block 3 Reasoning and Problem Solving

This resource is aimed at Year 1 Expected and has been designed to give children the opportunity to consolidate the skills they have learned in Autumn Block 3 – Geometry: Shape.

Place Value to 50 Consolidation Year 1 Spring Block 2 Reasoning and Problem Solving

These Place Value worksheets are fantastic at helping your pupils practice their reasoning and problem solving skills. This pack contains two different question types for Year 1 Spring block 2

Length and Height Consolidation Year 1 Spring Block 3 Reasoning and Problem Solving

These Length and Height worksheets are fantastic at helping your pupils practice their reasoning and problem solving skills. This pack contains two different question types for Year 1 Spring block 3.

Addition and Subtraction Consolidation Year 2 Autumn Block 2 Reasoning and Problem Solving

This resource is aimed at Year 2 Expected and has been designed to give children the opportunity to consolidate the skills they have learned in Autumn Block 2 – Addition and Subtraction.

Weight and Volume Consolidation Year 1 Spring Block 4 Reasoning and Problem Solving

These Weight and Volume worksheets are fantastic at helping your pupils practice their reasoning and problem solving skills. This pack contains two different question types for Year 1 Spring block 4.

Multiplication and Division Consolidation Year 1 Summer Block 1 Reasoning and Problem Solving

This Multiplication and Division Consolidation Year 1 resource will help your pupils consolidate their understanding of Summer Block 1: Multiplication and Division. This resource is themed around preparing for a party for the good fairy.

Measurement Money Consolidation Year 2 Autumn Block 3 Reasoning and Problem Solving

This resource is aimed at Year 2 Expected and has been designed to give children the opportunity to consolidate the skills they have learned in Autumn Block 3 – Measurement: Money.

Fractions Consolidation Year 1 Summer Block 2 Reasoning and Problem Solving

This Fractions Consolidation Year 1 resource will help your pupils consolidate their understanding of Summer Block 1: Fractions. It has been designed with a level of questions for Age Related Expectations for Year 1. This resource is themed around preparing for a Monster Pizza Party.

Statistics Consolidation Year 2 Spring Block 2 Reasoning and Problem Solving

These Statistics worksheets are fantastic at helping your pupils practice their reasoning and problem solving skills. This pack contains two different question types for Year 2 Spring Block 2.

Fractions Consolidation Year 2 Spring Block 4 Reasoning and Problem Solving

These Fractions worksheets are fantastic at helping your pupils practice their reasoning and problem solving skills. This pack contains two different question types for Year 2 Spring Block 4.

Make Equal Parts Year 2 Fractions Free Resource Pack

Step 1: These Make Equal Parts Year 2 worksheets are fantastic at helping your pupils practice their reasoning and problem solving skills. This pack contains two different question types for Year 2 Spring Block 4.

Recognise Equal Groups Year 2 Multiplication and Division Free Resource Pack

Step 1: This Recognise Equal Groups Year 2 Resource Pack includes a teaching PowerPoint and differentiated varied fluency and reasoning and problem solving resources for Autumn Block 4, Year 2: Multiplication and Division.

Free Year 1 Compare Lengths and Heights – Length and Height Discussion Problems

Step 1: Year 1 Compare Lengths and Heights Free Discussion Problems includes two discussion problems which can be used in pairs or small groups to further pupils' understanding.

Place Value Year 1 Numbers to 50 Free Discussion Problems

Step 1: Year 1 Numbers to 50 Free Discussion Problems includes two discussion problems which can be used in pairs or small groups to further pupils' understanding.

Properties of Shape Year 2 Recognise 2D and 3D Shapes Free Discussion Problems

Step 1: Year 2 Recognise 2D and 3D Shapes Free Discussion Problems includes two discussion problems which can be used in pairs or small groups to further pupils' understanding

Multiplication and Division Year 2 Make Equal Groups – Sharing Free Discussion Problems

Step 1: Year 2 Make Equal Groups - Sharing Free Discussion Problems includes two discussion problems which can be used in pairs or small groups to further pupils' understanding

Free Year 2 Recognise 2D and 3D Shapes Homework Extension Properties of Shape

Step 1: Free Recognise 2D and 3D Shapes Homework extension provides additional questions which can be used as homework or an in-class extension for the Year 2 Free Recognise 2D and 3D Shapes Resource Pack and are differentiated three ways.

Shape Year 1 3D Shapes Free Discussion Problems

Step 1: Year 1 3D Shapes Free Discussion Problems includes two discussion problems which can be used in pairs or small groups to further pupils' understanding.

Place Value Year 1 Add by Counting On Free Discussion Problems

Step 1: Year 1 Add by Counting on Free Discussion Problems includes two discussion problems which can be used in pairs or small groups to further pupils' understanding.

Free Make Equal Groups – Sharing Homework Extension Year 2 Multiplication and Division

Step 1: Free Make Equal Groups - Sharing Homework extension provides additional questions which can be used as homework or an in-class extension for the Year 2 Free Make Equal Groups - Sharing Resource Pack and are differentiated three ways.

Multiplication and Division Year 2 Recognise Equal Groups Free Discussion Problems

Step 1: Year 2 Recognise Equal Groups Free Discussion Problems includes two discussion problems which can be used in pairs or small groups to further pupils' understanding.

Stay in touch

01422 419608

[email protected]

Interested in getting weekly updates from us? Then sign up to our newsletter here!

Information

• Cookie Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Terms and Conditions

Copyright: Classroom Secrets 2024

Company number: 8401067

VAT number: 248 8245 74

• Terms & Conditions

Designed by Classroom Secrets

• Teach Early Years
• Teach Primary
• Teach Secondary

• New for Schools

Home > Learning Resources

KS1 and KS2 Maths – Problem solving

• Author: Mike Askew
• Main Subject: CPD
• Subject: Maths
• Date Posted: 20 June 2012

Share this:

If children use well worn techniques to solve problems without understanding or modelling the context, their maths skills won't fully evolve

Children, from birth, are proficient problem solvers. By the age of two or three they have solved what are probably life’s two biggest problems - how to walk and how to talk. As they get older they solve practical problems, such as sharing a bag of sweets fairly with others, long before they’ve heard of division. In this article, I look at how we can build on this natural propensity to solve problems in teaching mathematics.

Routine and non-routine problems

Routine problems are problems children know how to solve based on their previous experiences. The sort of thinking required by routine problems can be described as reproductive: the child only needs to recall or reproduce a procedure or method they have previously learnt. A problem like ‘Apples’, for example (see below), is likely to be a routine problem for most children at the upper end of primary school; they know to multiply the two numbers together without having to think deeply about what operation to use.

• Apples on a supermarket shelf are in bags of eight. • If Jane buys six bags, how many apples is that?

In contrast, non-routine problems are where the learner does not immediately have a solution tucked under his belt. The problem solver has to put some effort into understanding the problem and creating, rather than recalling, a solution strategy. Non-routine problems engage learners in productive thinking.

We often think of non-routine problems as needing to be unusual or not having, to us as adults, an immediately obvious method of solution. ‘Stamps’ is typical of this type of non-routine problem.

• Clearing out a desk draw I found a collection of 5p and 6p stamps. • I have a parcel to post that needs 58p worth of stamps on it. • Can I create this exactly using the stamps I found? • If so, is there more than one way of doing this?

In choosing problems to work with, we need to decide whether or not we think a problem will be routine or non-routine for the particular children working on it. In the rest of this article, the problems chosen are being treated as though they are non-routine problems for the children working on them. That’s not to say that I don’t think routine problems have a place in the curriculum - they do. Here, however, I want to deal with some of the issues around teaching and learning non-routine problems.

The importance of context

• Four hungry girls share three pizzas equally. • Eight hungry boys share six pizzas equally. • Does each girl get more pizza than each boy, less or the same?

As a routine problem, the ‘story’ of pizzas and hungry children doesn’t serve any real purpose: children quickly learn to disregard the context, to strip out the mathematics and to work some procedure. The problem could just as easily have been put in the context of builders sharing bricks and many learners would happily say each builder would get 3/4 of a brick, without stopping to question the near impossibility of sharing out bricks.

We can, however, treat ‘Pizzas’ as a non-routine problem and use it to introduce children to thinking about fractions and equivalences. The context of hungry children and pizzas then becomes important. It is not chosen simply to be window-dressing for a fraction calculation. Nor are pizzas chosen because children are intrinsically motivated by food, making the unpalatable topic of fractions digestible. No, the context s chosen because children know about fair shares and slicing up pizzas - they can solve this problem without any formal knowledge of fractions. As the researcher Terezhina Nunes once pointed out, young children would not be able to solve the ‘bald’ calculation 3 divided by 4 but, “show me four young children who, given three bars of chocolate to share out fairly, hand the bars back saying ‘it can’t be done.”

Children have ‘action schemas’ for solving problem like ‘Pizzas’ - they can find ways to solve this with objects, pictures, diagrams and, eventually, symbols. Teaching can then build on the children’s informal solutions to draw out the formal mathematics of fractions. From being one of 20 ‘problems’ on a worksheet to complete in a lesson, ‘Pizzas’ can become a ‘rich task’ taking up the best part of a lesson, if children work on it in pairs and carefully selected solutions are then shared with the class.

Creating mathematical models

Part of the productive thinking in working on rich, non-routine problems requires children to create mathematical models, and we can teach to support this.

• At the supermarket Myprice, milk costs £1.08 per litre. • This is 7 pence less per litre than milk costs at Locost. • How much does 5 litres of milk cost at Locost?

What is missing from this approach is attention to setting up an appropriate model of the problem. Ultimately this could be a mental model of the problem context, but it helps initially to encourage children to put something on paper that can be shared and discussed. In problems involving quantities, like ‘Milk’, simple bar diagrams can help children create the appropriate model. These help children examine the relationships between the quantities (as opposed to simply fixing on specific numbers and keywords).

Setting up a diagrammatic model begins with creating a representation of what is known in the situation. In this example, we know milk at Myprice costs £1.08, so a diagram for this would look like:

MYPRICE £1.08

This provides the basis for talking about what the picture for the price of milk at Locost is going to be. Will the bar be longer or shorter? Where is the bar for the 7 pence to be drawn?

Two different models can be set up and children asked to describe the relationship between the prices at the two supermarkets, to see which diagram fits with the information in the problem. If the diagram for the price at Locost is shorter by 7, then two statements can be made:

MYPRICE £1.08p LOCOST     7p

• Myprice milk costs 7 pence more than milk at Locost.

• Locost milk costs 7 pence less than milk at Myprice.

In comparison, making the bar for milk at Locost longer by 7 gives different comparative statements:

MYPRICE £1.08p 7p LOCOST    

• Myprice milk costs 7 pence less than milk at Locost.

• Locost milk costs 7 pence more than milk at Myprice.

Children can then talk about which of these situations fits with the wording in the problem.

Having established that Locost milk must be £1.15 a litre, children can go on to produce the bar diagram model for this.

Supporting non-routine problem solving

Where the problems were played out as non-routine, three factors identified are worth noting. First, in choosing the tasks, the teachers made sure they would build on learners’ prior knowledge - as I suggest a problem like ‘Pizzas’ can. Second, in contrast to focusing on getting the answer, the researchers observed what they called ‘sustained pressure for explanation and meaning’. In other words, the teachers pressed for children to explain what and why they were doing what they were doing rather than simply focusing on whether or not they had got the correct answer. Third, the amount of time children were allowed to work on the problem was neither too long or too short: children need enough time to ‘get into’ a problem, but too much time can lead to a loss of engagement.

Share good practice

Gather together a collection of problems covering all the years of education in your school (or ask teachers to each contribute two or three problems).

Working together in small groups, teachers sort the problems into three groups:

1. Problems they think would be routine for the children they teach 2. Problems they think would be non-routine for their children 3. Problems they think would be much too difficult for their age group

Everyone agrees to try out a problem from group 2 with their class. Discuss how too much focus on getting the answer can reduce the challenge and stress the importance of pressing children to explain their working. At a subsequent meeting, people report back, focusing in particular on strategies they used to keep the problem solving non-routine.

About the author

Mike Askew is Professor of Primary Education at Monash University, Melbourne. Until recently, he was Professor of Mathematics Education at King’s College, University and Director of BEAM.

You may also be interested in...

• Download your free digital copy of the brand new January issue of Teach Primary now
• Teach Primary Awards 2019 Finalists Announced
• Oxford University Press celebrate double victory
• Free resources for teaching film in primary schools
• National Curriculum Key Stage 2 assessments reveal increased attainment in primaries

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy & Cookies Policy.

Tried & Tested

Power Maths – A Child-Centred, ‘Can-Do’ Mastery Teaching Programme for KS1 and KS2

Category: Maths

Fit To Dance Schools From Disney On Ice

Category: Other

‘S!ng Sensational’ And ‘A King Is Born’ – Two Fun New Musical Masterpieces That Children Will Love

Category: Music

Product review: Schofield & Sims Fractions, Decimals & Percentages

See all Tried & Tested products

Recommended for you...

We Need Subject Specialists

It’s time to say RIP to acronyms in education

£150m of funds for PE – how will you spend it?

Transform A Classroom To Take Your Creative Writing To Exciting Places

Ace-English

Follow us on Twitter @teachprimary :

Share teach primary:.

Home | Tried & Tested | Interactive | Book Reviews | Resources | News | Hot Products | Advertising Contact Us | Primary Resources | Primary Teaching Resources | Privacy Policy

Copyright 2024 Artichoke Media Ltd

Registered in England and Wales No 14769147 | Registered Office Address: Jubilee House, 92 Lincoln Road, Peterborough, PE1 2SN

Maths Tutoring Built for Schools

"This is one of the most effective interventions I have come across in my 27 years of teaching."

Hundreds of FREE online maths resources!

Daily activities, ready-to-go lesson slides, SATs revision packs, video CPD and more!

24 Fun KS1 Maths Games And Activities To Play At Home And School

Emma Johnson

We’ve brought together 24 of the best KS1 maths games to give teachers and parents some new ideas on how to improve pupils’ numeracy in and out of school. 

At KS1, maths games, such as multiplication games , are a great way to motivate, engage and inspire children while still having fun. Children in key stage 1 are ready to start practising and developing a whole range of maths concepts and skills, particularly their fluency and strategic thinking. 

Inevitably, some people consider these sorts of educational games to be an ‘end of term’ or ‘filler’ activity in the classroom, when they are actually an excellent way of helping children learn basic number facts and explore fundamental number concepts at any time.

When searching for fun maths games on the internet, a large number of search results are often for digital online games. While these too have their place, they aren’t always practical to manage with a class of 30. 

In this blog, I will be introducing a range of non-digital games that are interactive in a different sense. While all these maths games are all suitable for primary school children in key stage 1, you’ll find, as with many maths activities, they aren’t restricted to one year group and can be easily adapted to suit children of different ages. They can also be adapted for use in small groups and learning interventions , as well as whole class environments.

Don’t forget to download the printable resources required for a few of the KS1 maths games.

KS1 Maths games printables

All the printable resources you'll need to complete these games

Maths games for year 1 

In year 1, children continue learning to count to 100, represent numbers in different ways and read and write numbers to 20. They are encouraged to learn their number bonds to 20, alongside the corresponding subtraction facts. Many of the games in year 1 are aimed at improving fluency and the learning of basic maths skills.

1.  Number game: battleships

In year 1, children need to be able to read and write numbers to 100. This is a great game for developing number sense and practising reading numbers.

What you will need to play:

• A hundred square (see downloadable resource pack)

How to play:

• Both players position themselves so they can’t see each other’s hundred square or number square .
• Each player places counters on the hundred square to represent 3 battleships (3 counters long, 4 counters long and 5 counters long).
• Players take it in turns to call out a number. If they hit a battleship, they take the counter. If they miss, the other player marks an x on that number on the hundred square.
• The winner is the first player to ‘sink’ all 3 battleships.

2.  Number game: total of 10

This is a simple KS1 maths game to help children practise their number bonds to 10 and number bonds to 20

• 1 or more players
• A pack of cards with the picture cards removed. Ace is worth 1.

• Shuffle the cards and lay out face up into 4 rows of 5 cards.
• The aim of the game is to remove all the cards from the table in sets of 2 or more cards which add up to 10. E.g. an 8 and a 2 could be removed and a 3, 5 and 2 could also be removed.
• The game can be played individually, with players trying to clear as much of the table as they can.
• If played with other players, take it in turns to remove cards. The winner is the person to have removed the most cards by the end of the game.
• The game can also be played using number bonds to 20, by finding cards which add up to 20.

3.  Number bonds game: make 10 pyramids

This is another fun KS1 maths game for practising number bonds to 10.

• 1 or 2 players.
• A pack of cards (with picture cards removed) Ace is worth 1

How to play :

• This game can be played individually or against another player.
• Shuffle the cards and set out in the shape of a pyramid, with 6 cards on the bottom, up to 1 card at the top. Make sure the cards are overlapping, as in the picture below.
• The aim of the game is to remove all the cards which make 10. This can be 10 on it’s own, or 2 cards which add up to 10.
• Only cards which aren’t covered by another card can be removed, so players have to start with the bottom row.
• If a pair of cards which add up to 10 can’t be made, the player takes a card from the pile at the side.
• If they still can’t make a pair, they put the card in the discard pile and take another card from the face down pile.
• If playing with another player, each person takes it in turns to try and make 10. If playing alone, keep on going until all the cards have been used.

4.  Mental addition and subtraction game: bowling

This is a fun, active way of practising subtraction using subitizing and mental addition.

• 2 or more players
• A set of 6 bottles (to act as skittles) with circle stickers set out in patterns.
• A tennis ball
• Paper and pen
• Set out the ‘skittles’ (water bottles)
• Children take it in turns to bowl their ball.
• They check the skittles that have been knocked over and add together the total on each skittle.
• If they are correct, they get to keep the score from the fallen skittles. This is recorded.
• The winner is the player with the most points at the end of the game.

5.  Place value game:  sorting and matching

In year 1, children need to be able to identify and represent numbers using objects and pictorial representations. This sorting and matching activity is a good way to practise this skill.

• Multi-link cubes
• Dienes base 10
• Using the multi-link cubes, children make stacks of varying sizes, from 1 to 10 cubes in length.
• Ask children to order the stacks of cubes from smallest to largest.
• Once this is complete, ask the child to turn away, mix up the stacks and add some Dienes base 10.
• Children need to match up the Dienes pieces with the corresponding stack of cubes.
• Children working at a different level can be extended further by sorting them into 2 groups – odd and even numbers.
• Paper and pen 
• Both players throw 2 dice and add the 2 numbers together. The player with the highest answer wins the round
• The winner is the first player to reach 10 points.
• The game can be adapted by using 10 sided dice, or by adding a third dice.

7.  Addition and subtraction game: grab 

In this KS1 maths game, children use concrete resources to practise their addition and subtraction skills. They also get to practise writing out number sentences.

• 2 bowls filled with cubes or other small objects
• Paper and pen.
• This game can be played individually or as a speed game against another player.
• Grab a handful of objects from each bowl, count how many in each pile and write out an addition or subtraction sentence (remind children that the largest number needs to go first if they are practising subtraction).
• If playing against another player. Both players take a handful, then race each other to write out the addition/subtraction number sentence. 

8.  Addition game: ‘pig’

This is a simple KS1 maths game for practising mental addition skills.

• The first player roles the dice and if the dice lands on a 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 , they can either record the number and let the other player have a turn, or throw again to try and increase the total.
• The aim of the game is to be the first player to reach 100, by throwing a dice and adding to the total each time.
• If a 1 is thrown at any stage, the player loses all the points for that round and score zero.
• The game can also be played with 2 dice, with players adding the totals of both dice each time. If at any stage, they thow two ones, then not only do they lose any points from that round, but they lose all the points gained in the game so far.

Maths games for year 2

In year 2, children are expected to read and write numbers to 100 and recognise the place value of each digit in a 2-digit number. Children will continue to build upon the addition and subtraction skills gained in year 1 and build on their understanding of basic fractions. For our games in this section, we’ll be focusing on place value, basic addition/subtraction and simple fractions.

9.  Place value two digit number game: in the bucket

In year 2, children are expected to identify and recognise each digit in a 2-digit number. This game is great for helping children to understand place value.

• 2 or more players.
• 2 boxes or buckets
• A selection of 2-digit number cards from 10 to 99
• Player one takes a 2-digit number card
• The aim of the game is to use bean bags to make that 2-digit number.
• The 2 boxes/buckets represent the tens and the ones. Children need to try and get the correct number of beanbags into each box, to represent the tens and the ones.
• If the card selected has 54 on it, the player needs to attempt to get 5 bean bags in the ‘tens’ box and 4 bean bags in the ‘ones’ box.
• Players score a point if they get the bean bags into the correct boxes.
• This game can also be played as a relay race with 2 teams competing against each other.

This video shows an example of how this game can be played at KS2 for numbers greater than two digits. Please note that for KS1 this game would only require 2 buckets as you would only be working with 2-digit numbers.

10.  Addition maths game: skunk

This is another great KS1 maths game for practising addition skills, whilst getting children to think about the best strategy.

• Write the word skunk and separate each letter into a different column on a sheet of paper. Each letter of the word ‘skunk’ represents a different round of the game. 
• The first player rolls a pair of dice and works out the total of the two dice. The score is written in the S column. If they roll a one they score zero.
• Once they have their first score under the letter ‘S’, they have to make the decision to either stop and take that score as their score for the game, or roll again and hope they score even more to add to the first round score.
• If they roll a one in the second round, play stops and the player takes the score from the first round as their total for the game. The risk a player takes in moving on and throwing again, is if two ones are thrown, all the points for the game are wiped and the player scores zero. 

11. Addition maths game: make 20

This KS1 maths game is great for practising addition of numbers up to 20. The speed element helps children work on their fluency.

• One or more players
• Post it notes with the numbers 0-20
• A large circle (this can be a hoop or a circle draw on paper)
• Put the circle in the middle and place the post-its around the outside.
• This is a speed game in which players need to match the pairs of post-it notes which equal 20 and stick them in the circle.
• Time the player to see how quickly they can make all the pairs. This is then either the target time for the other player, or their own target time, if they are playing alone.

12.  Maths fluency game: maths fact top it

This is another good KS1 maths game for building fluency of addition and subtraction facts. 

• A set of maths fact flash cards which you can create yourself based on children’s prior knowledge of addition or subtraction up to 20 Eg. 7 + 5, 9 + 6, 2 + 11
• Players divide up all the maths fact cards and hold in their hands. On the count of 3, each player throws down one card.
• The card with the highest total wins all the cards. If 2 players have the same answer, they play each other again.
• The winner is last player left in, once all the others have lost all their cards.

13.  Addition and subtraction game: guess my number

In this game, children use information available to them to work out their mystery number. This is a fun way to practise missing number addition and subtraction.

• 3 players – 2 playing and 1 leading
• A set of 1-10 digit cards
• Lay the 10 cards face down on the table.
• Each player selects a card and without looking at it, holds it to their forehead, so the other player can see it.
• The child chosen to lead the game calls out a statement about the 2 cards, such as ‘the 2 numbers added together equal…’ 
• Each child has to look at their partner’s card to work out what their own number must be.
• The winner is the first one to call out the correct number.

14.  Shapes game: what shape am I?

In year 2, children learn to identify and describe the properties of 2D shapes and 3D shapes. This game is good for practising this and can be played as either a 2D or a 3D shape game.

What you will need to play?

• Pictures of 2D or 3D shapes for children who need them.
• Each player chooses a shape and writes 5 statements about their shape. 
• The aim of the game is to be the person who asks the least number of questions to work out the other player’s shape.
• Players need to make their first statements vague, to encourage the other player to ask more questions. E.g. ‘My shape is 2D’, ‘my shape has 3 sides’, ‘my shape has 6 faces’ etc.. 
• After a player receives a statement on the mystery shape, they can choose to make a guess, or ask for another statement. If they guess correctly after the first statement, they get the full 5 points. If they guess after two statements, they get 4 points, and so on…
• If they make a guess and it is incorrect, they receive 0 points for that round.
• The aim of the game is to be the player with the most points at the end of the game.

15.  Maths dice game: ten sided dice rounding game

This simple Ks1 maths game helps children to understand the concept of rounding up and down.

• A 10-sided dice
• Players take it in turns to throw the 10-sided dice.
• One player has the rounding down numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 10 (which represents 0). The other player has the round up numbers 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
• Take it in turns to throw the dice. If it lands on one of the rounding down numbers, that player scores a point. If it lands on one of the rounding up numbers, the other player scores a point.

16.  Maths fractions game: snap

In year 2, children learn to recognise the fractions 1/3, 1/4, 1/2,  2/4 and 3/4. This game is a fun way of practising this.

• A set of fraction cards (see downloadable resource pack)

• Shuffle the cards and share out between the 2 players.
• Each player places their pile of cards face down on the table.
• Players take it in turns to turn over a card. If 2 consecutive cards have a matching fraction and picture, the first player to put their hand on the pile and shout ‘snap’ wins all the cards.
• Players then begin again. The winner is the last person to lose all their cards.

More useful year 2 resources: Year 2 Curriculum Toolkit

Mental maths games KS1 

Mental maths games are great for building fluency. Many of these games need minimal or no resources and are quick and easy to set up. They can be played at any point during the maths lesson, or as a filler activity at any point in the school day.

17.  Addition war

By the end of KS1, children should be able to use and recall addition and subtraction facts to 20. This game is a fun way of practising this skill, with the speed element enabling children to work on fluency.

• A set of playing cards with the picture cards removed (Ace is worth 1)

• Share between the 2 players, so they make 2 piles, face down on the table.
• At the same time, both players turn over a card from their pile and place it in the middle of the table.
• The aim of the game is to add both numbers together and be the first to call out the answer.
• The first person to call out the correct answer gets to keep the cards.
• The winner at the end of the game, is the person who has collected the most cards.

18.  Times tables game bang bang

This is a fun KS1 maths game for practising times tables (in this case the 5 times table). It can be adapted to suit other times tables or mental maths skills, such as addition and subtraction of numbers to 20 or number bonds to 10 or to 20.

• 2 players at a time, but a whole class game.
• 2 players stand at the front of the classroom back to back, cowboy shootout style.
• The teacher, or the game leader calls out a number. Players have to work out how many groups of 5 are needed to make that number. For example, if the teacher calls out ‘40’, the players need to call out 8 as there are 8 groups of 5s in 40; 8 x 5 = 40
• The first player to turn, face their opponent, shout ‘bang bang’ and give the answer wins the round.
• Another member of the class then comes out to the front as ‘the challenger’.
• The winner is the last person standing once time runs out. 

19.  Maths, paper, scissors

This is a KS1 maths game that requires no set-up and is great for building fluency with addition and subtraction facts.

• 2 players 
• Both players stand facing each other.
• Similar to the traditional game of ‘paper, scissors, stone’, players hold one hand out in front but this time call out ‘maths, paper, scissors’. On ‘scissors’, they hold out any number of fingers.
• Players then have to race to add together the number of fingers they are holding out to the number of fingers the other player is holding out.
• The winner is the first player to call out the total.
• This can be adapted by having both children using 2 hands, to make larger numbers. 
• The game can also be played as a subtraction game, subtracting the smallest from the biggest number.

20.  The yes / no mental maths game

This is another quick and easy KS1 maths game to set up and can again be played at any time, when there’s a spare few minutes. 

What you need to play:

• 2 or more players. 
• One player thinks of a number between 0 and 20.
• The aim for the other player (or the rest of the class, if playing as a whole class) is to ask questions to work out the number.
• The questions can only have the answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
• For example, the number could be ‘16’. Children can ask questions such as, ‘is it an even number?’, ‘is it greater than 10?’ ‘Is it less than 18?’ 
• The winner is the player to have worked out the mystery number with the fewest number of questions asked. 

21.  Number bond bingo

This is another fun KS1 mental maths game which gets children practising number bonds to 10 and to 20. It is a good game for playing as a whole class.

• 3 or more players (can be played as a whole class)
• A piece of paper and pen for each player
• Choose one person to be the leader of the game. In a whole class situation, this could be the teacher.
• Children write down 5 numbers (under 10 if practising number bonds to 10, or under 20 if pracising number bonds to 20)
• The leader of the game then calls out numbers (under 10 or under 20). 
• If a number is called out and players have the number which will make it a number bond to 10 or to 20, they cross out that number. E.g: If the teacher calls out ‘7’ and player with the number ‘3’ on their board can cross it out, or ‘13’ if they are playing number bonds to 20.
• The winner is the first person to cross out all their numbers and shout ‘bingo’ 

22.  Target 50

This is another KS1 mental maths game which is quick and easy to set up and great for practising addition fact fluency.

• 2 or more players (can be played as a whole class)
• A dice 
• Pen and paper
• Split the class into 2 teams
• The teacher rolls the dice (this can be a digital dice online) and team 1 adds up the numbers thrown. The teacher continues rolling until either a ‘1’ is thrown or until the teams tells them to ‘bank’ the total so far.
• The first team to reach 50 is the winning team.

More mental maths resources

• 33 Mental Maths Strategies Every Child Should Know
• Nail Your Number Facts
• What Are Number Bonds?

Problem solving games KS1 

Problem solving games are a great way for children to deepen their mathematical understanding. These games require children to think strategically and to approach problems in different ways. 

23.  Addition turnover

This KS1 maths game is great for developing addition skills, whilst encouraging children to think strategically.

• 1 or 2 players
• A pack of cards (2 – 10 cards only)
• This game can be played individually or against a partner.
• Shuffle the cards and lay 18 cards out in front, at 3 rows of 6.
• Throw 2 dice and add the numbers together.
• Turn over the playing cards to match the total on the dice. For example, if a 5 and 4 are thrown, the player needs to turn over cards which total 9. This could be 1 or more cards.
• The other player then does the same.
• The aim of the game is to be the player with the most cards once all the cards have been cleared.
• Players need to think tactically when playing, using the combination of cards which enables them to remove the most cards in one go.

24.  Number 4 in a row

This KS1 problem solving game enables children to practise their addition and subtraction skills and encourages them to think tactically, not only about their own counters but also about those of their partner’s

• A 6 by 6 grid containing the numbers 2 to 12 (see downloadable resource pack)

• The first player throws the 2 dice and adds the 2 numbers together. They then place a counter or colour in a square containing that number.
• The 2 nd  player does the same, placing a different coloured counter on the grid, or colouring in with a different colour.
• The aim of the game is to be the first player to cover 4 squares in a row (horizontally, vertically or diagonally).
• Children aren’t only thinking about how to make a line of 4 themselves. They also need to think about blocking the other player from making a row of 4.

Looking for more fun games to boost pupils’ learning? Look out for our top 25 maths games you can do at home, 26 KS2 maths games as well as our favourite times tables games and place value games .

Hopefully this blog has given you some ideas for games you could play in your classroom. Most are easy to adapt, to suit any age or the topic you are covering. Don’t just adapt the maths games yourself. Give children the opportunity to adapt and think up their own rules too.

Download your free KS1 Maths Games Printable Resource Pack here!

If you want to engage children more fully with maths, Third Space Learning’s online maths lessons provide one to one support that’s personalised to children’s needs. Tutors make lessons fun, and match the interests and previous maths experience of the child being taught.

DO YOU HAVE STUDENTS WHO NEED MORE SUPPORT IN MATHS?

Every week Third Space Learning’s specialist school tutors support thousands of students across hundreds of schools with weekly online 1 to 1 maths lessons designed to plug gaps and boost progress.

Since 2013 these personalised one to one lessons have helped over 150,000 primary and secondary students become more confident, able mathematicians.

Learn how the tutoring integrates with your SEF and Ofsted planning or request a personalised quote for your school to speak to us about your school’s needs and how we can help.

Related articles

The Best Free Multiplication Games To Play At KS1 & KS2 For Classroom Engagement

9 Coronation Maths Activities For Schools: Coronation Fun For KS1 and KS2 

18 Brilliant Mental Maths Games To Build Number Fluency, Speed And Stamina In KS1 & KS2 

The 24 Best Free KS3 Maths Games For Engagement At School and Home

FREE 12 Maths Club Activities for Primary Schools (Years 1 to 6)

A collection of games and activities to make maths enjoyable in a primary school maths club!

Minimal resources are needed for each activity.

Privacy Overview

Cookie Consent

We use cookies to help provide a better website experience for you, and help us to understand how people use our website. Our partners will also collect data and use cookies for ad personalisation and measurement.

Clicking "Accept" will allow us and our partners to use cookies, learn more in our cookie policy or to change your cookie preferences, click "Manage".

To find out more about cookies and the types of cookies we are setting please visit our cookie policy .

If you'd prefer that certain types of cookie are not saved on your browser when visiting our website, use the toggles below to adjust those preferences and click "Save choices".

Strictly Necessary

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and without them you would not be able to reliably use the website. For example, logging into your account or completing forms.

Analytics Cookies

A series of cookies that collect anonymised data on how users interact with our website. This anonymous data helps us improve the website with a focus on its users, for example, ensuring the most popular content is easier to access.

View associated providers +

Marketing Cookies

These cookies track your online activity to help advertisers deliver more relevant and personalised advertising or to limit how many times you see an ad. These cookies can share that information with other organisations or advertisers.

Or search by topic

Number and algebra

• The Number System and Place Value
• Calculations and Numerical Methods
• Fractions, Decimals, Percentages, Ratio and Proportion
• Properties of Numbers
• Patterns, Sequences and Structure
• Algebraic expressions, equations and formulae
• Coordinates, Functions and Graphs

Geometry and measure

• Angles, Polygons, and Geometrical Proof
• 3D Geometry, Shape and Space
• Measuring and calculating with units
• Transformations and constructions
• Pythagoras and Trigonometry
• Vectors and Matrices

Probability and statistics

• Handling, Processing and Representing Data
• Probability

Working mathematically

• Thinking mathematically
• Mathematical mindsets
• Cross-curricular contexts
• Physical and digital manipulatives

For younger learners

• Early Years Foundation Stage

Advanced mathematics

• Decision Mathematics and Combinatorics
• Advanced Probability and Statistics

Working Backwards at KS1

Starting from the end sounds rather strange, but in fact can be a very useful problem-solving skill.  These activities lend themselves to being tackled in this way.

This collection is one of our Primary Curriculum collections - tasks that are grouped by topic.

Tables Teaser

How will you work out which numbers have been used to create this multiplication square?

What Was in the Box?

This big box adds something to any number that goes into it. If you know the numbers that come out, what addition might be going on in the box?

Number Lines

A resource to try once children are familiar with number lines, and they have begun to use them for addition. It could be a good way to talk about subtraction. Leah and Tom each have a number line. Can you work out where their counters will land?

Secret Number

Annie and Ben are playing a game with a calculator. What was Annie's secret number?

Starfish Spotting

How many starfish could there be on the beach, and how many children, if I can see 28 arms?

The Tall Tower

As you come down the ladders of the Tall Tower you collect useful spells. Which way should you go to collect the most spells?

Stop the Clock

This is a game for two players. Can you find out how to be the first to get to 12 o'clock?

Growing Garlic

Ben and his mum are planting garlic. Can you find out how many cloves of garlic they might have had?

Can you work out how to win this game of Nim? Does it matter if you go first or second?

Doing and Undoing

An investigation looking at doing and undoing mathematical operations focusing on doubling, halving, adding and subtracting.

Junior Frogs

Have a go at this well-known challenge. Can you swap the frogs and toads in as few slides and jumps as possible?

Resources you can trust

• Show all (106)
• (-) Primary (101)

Subject categories

• All subject categories (257)
• Maths (101)
• (-) Problem solving (101)
• All number resources (6)
• Geometry (6)
• 2-D shapes (4)
• Measurement (4)
• Algebra (2)
• Calculation (2)
• Festivals and celebrations (2)
• Fractions (2)
• Fractions, decimals and percentages (2)
• Multiplication and division (2)
• Ratio and proportion (2)
• Statistics (2)
• Topical and seasonal (2)
• Algebra (1)
• BIDMAS (Order of operations) (1)
• Christmas (1)
• Percentages (1)
• Straight line graphs (1)
• (-) All key stages (23)

Resource type

• Worksheet (59)
• Student activity (53)
• Differentiated (14)
• Starter/Plenary (12)
• Game/quiz (6)
• Homework (6)
• Complete lesson (4)
• Teaching pack (4)
• Assessment (2)
• Revision (2)
• Self-assessment (2)
• Teaching ideas (2)

Problem solving

Resources to teach problem solving skills

This collection of teaching resources aims to help children develop maths problem solving skills. It features word problems, maths challenges, problem-solving questions and a variety of worksheets and problem solving activities to help your primary school learners develop the problem solving strategies for real life contexts.

Why teach problem solving skills?

Problem solving is a skill that involves a variety of mathematical skills that will help children in real life. From addition and subtraction to fractions, decimals and percentages, we need problem-solving strategies to solve day-to-day problems involving time, money and measurement. Problem solving is an integral strand of the KS2 maths curriculum and children will be tested on their problem-solving skills in their SATs and onwards.

Have you seen our teaching packs for problem solving in maths?

If you’re teaching upper key stage 2, you may like our problem-solving teaching packs: Problem solving - number and Problem solving – measurement, geometry and statistics . Both packs comprise scaffolded word problems and differentiated activities based upon the relevant problem-solving objectives in the national curriculum. Or you may prefer Challenging maths , packed with maths mastery style questions, word problems and games to enrich your maths lessons and turn your year 5/6 class into true problem solvers!

Search results

• International
• Schools directory
• Resources Jobs Schools directory News Search

FREE KS1 Problem Solving - Maths - Home learning

Subject: Mathematics

Age range: 5-7

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

KS1 problem solving - Number and shape and space problems. A colourful resource that can be adapted. Ideal for home learning during school closures. Answers provided!

Creative Commons "Sharealike"

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

This resource hasn't been reviewed yet

To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have downloaded this resource can review it

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource: