Get Ahead & Have Fun: 3 Kindergarten Subtraction Games for Your Child

Are you looking for ways to help your child get ahead in kindergarten subtraction? With the help of these kindergarten subtraction games, you can help your child get an edge in crucial kindergarten math concepts so he will start off his education in the right direction.

1. Pick That Fruit

Draw a tree and a bucket on a piece of paper. Place a number of craft puff balls on the first tree. Then, have your child roll a dice until he gets a number that is smaller than the number of fruit balls on the tree. Have your child “pick” the fruit and put it in the bucket, then count the number of fruits left on the tree. Then, rephrase this as a subtraction problem.

So, if you start with six fruits, and your child rolls a five, he will remove five fruits into the bucket. Ask how many are left, and he will count one. Then, you will say “So, six minus five equals one.” Repeat as long as your kindergartener is interested in the game.

2. Play Grocery Store

Spending money is a great way to practice subtraction. Grab some fake money, preferably $10 bills and lower, and enjoy playing grocery store. Have your child do the subtraction, and make sure the problems are simple and do not involve any cents. The more you play this kindergarten subtraction games, the more she will learn, and the more fun you will have together.

3. Bears in a Cave

Take some small bear counters (Teddy Grahams work great!) and place them on the table. Grab a paper bowl and cut a U-shaped opening to make it resemble a cave. Tell your child that some of the bears are going to go into the cave to hibernate. Have him cover a select number of bears, then solve the problem to see how many are left.

So, if you start with 8 bears, and your child covers 3 with the cave, your child will learn that 8 minus 3 is 5.  Practice with a variety of number combinations, and don’t forget to have some fun sitting down and playing pretend with your little bears. After all, practicing kindergarten subtraction has to be enjoyable!

Practicing these kindergarten subtraction games with your young learner will help them get ahead. Subtraction is an advanced skill in kindergarten and will not be fully mastered until first grade. If you want further help in getting your child ahead, consider Thinkster Math, the powerful tablet-based math learning system customized for your child by a dedicated teacher. The program will help your child succeed and learn to love math by making it fun, engaging and convenient to practice.