Easy, Low Prep Subtraction Game for Kids in 1st Grade
I love using games to build number sense, addition and subtraction strategies, and other math skills. This is the start of a series of blog posts on primary math games I love to use in my first grade classroom. The first math game I’m highlighting is a subtraction game for kids that we use right at the beginning of the year: On and Off.
I’ve played this game since the first year I taught first grade. It’s simple. The absolute easiest game to prep. The kids instantly love it. And it’s a powerful tool for teaching ways to make ten or combinations of any number in a meaningful way.
Materials You Need to Play On and Off
When I say a game is low prep, I mean it! Everything you need to play this subtraction game is already in your classroom or at home–I guarantee it!
- Cup – any cup! Clear or not, plastic or paper. Literally any cup you have will work!
- 2-sided counters
- a mat – a piece of cardstock or paper, or a placemat
Are you playing this game at home? You don’t have to have 2-sided counters! Use beans, pasta, buttons, legos. Anything that will fit inside a small cup and engage your kids will work!
How To Play On and Off
I love this subtraction game for kids because it’s so simple. Just put a handful of 2-sided counters into a plastic cup.
Then, kids will hold the cup above the mat and spill the counters out.
Finally, count up the counters that spilled on the mat and the ones that spilled off the mat. Then, add the on and off counters to find the total.
But, wait, I’ve been calling this a SUBTRACTION game? Well, thanks to related facts, this game can be used with an addition focus or a subtraction focus.
For Addition: Dump the counters, add the counters on and the counters off the mat to find the total in the cup. You could even have kids vary the number of counters they start with in the cup so they don’t know the total. Or keep the same total (like 10) in the cup so they can practice ways to make 10.
For Subtraction: Keep the same number of counters in the cup each round. Spill the counters. Count the counters on the mat and then figure out how many should be off the mat using subtraction. (“I had 10 counters in the cup. 3 spilled on the mat, how many spilled off the mat?”)
Why Should I Play On and Off?
On and Off is a subtraction game for kids that focuses on combinations. It is a visual way for kids to see how numbers can be decomposed and how to build combinations of numbers.
And if you have kids at home, use the same number of counters every time, so that they will quickly discover that there are multiple ways to build the same number–or multiple combinations of the same number. And that leads to more flexible thinking in their math word problem-solving!
Play this math game together as whole group, then let kids partner up to practice, and then use it for a math center rotation for your hands-on time during guided math workshop!
Differentiating On and Off
Another reason why I love this subtraction game for kids is because it’s super easy to differentiate!
For my lowest kids, I put 10 (or fewer) counters in their bag to grab from. That way, when they grab a handful, they grab no more than 10.
For my on grade level kids, I put 20 counters in the bag.
For my above grade level kids, I can put even more counters in the bag. Or, I can also add a second mat for them to do 3 addends!
I love the flexibility with this subtraction game! You can find a recording sheet for this and all of my Guided Math Workshop plans here! Or try the first 10 days first grade math lesson plans for free first!
