Subtraction Within 20 Games for Kids
Subtraction within 20 requires bridging through ten — the hardest operation of early elementary math. Games turn a tough topic into engaging practice.
Game 1 — Store with change
Play money up to $20. An item costs $12, paid with $20 — how much change? Subtraction with real meaning motivates better than abstract problems.
Game 2 — Backward jumps
A number path from 0 to 20 on the floor. The child stands on a number, states a subtraction problem, and jumps backward the right number of spaces. Checks where they landed.
Game 3 — Balloons
17 balloons drawn on a page. Read a story: "8 balloons flew away." The child crosses out 8 and counts what is left. A visual for subtraction.
Game 4 — Number family cards
Cards with number family triangles (say, 8, 9, 17). The child draws a card and builds a subtraction problem from it. Whoever solves faster keeps the card.
Game 5 — Race to zero
Start at 20. Take turns rolling a die and subtracting the roll. First to land exactly on zero wins. Going below zero burns the turn.
Game 6 — Guess my number
"I thought of a number. I subtracted 7 and got 5. What was my number?" A reverse problem that trains the link between addition and subtraction.
15-8=7 · 13-6=7 · 17-9=8 · 14-7=7 · 16-8=8
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