Addition & Subtraction Pairs
Work out each card, then match the addition to the subtraction that has the same answer — tap one card, then its match, and watch the pair link. Every round has two answers to find. Aligned to Common Core 1.OA.D.7 — understanding that addition and subtraction expressions can be equal.
Work out each card, then match the addition to the subtraction that has the same answer — tap one card, then its match, and watch the pair link. Every round has two answers to find. Aligned to Common Core 1.OA.D.7 — understanding that addition and subtraction expressions can be equal.
About this activity
Addition and subtraction are closely linked, and this free activity helps children feel that link by hunting for expressions that land on the same answer. Each card shows a small sum or take-away with its answer hidden — like 2 + 3 or 6 − 1 — and the child works each one out, then pairs the addition with the subtraction that comes to the same number. Tapping one card and then its match draws a line between them, so equal values are connected on the screen.
Because the answers aren't printed on the cards, children have to actually do the arithmetic to find a match — there's no shortcut. Every round has two different answers to find, so each addition has exactly one subtraction partner. Discovering that 2 + 3 and 6 − 1 are both 5, while 3 + 4 and 9 − 2 are both 7, quietly builds the big idea behind the equal sign: two different-looking expressions can be worth the very same amount.
The activity is aligned to Common Core 1.OA.D.7 — understanding the meaning of the equal sign and recognising when addition and subtraction expressions are equal. It plays right in the browser on tablets, phones, and classroom computers, with nothing to install and no account to set up. There is no timer and no score; children work, check, and try again as often as they like, with warm, encouraging feedback every step of the way.
What's inside this activity
- Designed for Grade 1 learners (ages about 5 to 9)
- Common Core strand: Operations & Algebraic Thinking
- Aligned to Common Core standard 1.OA.D.7
How to play
Children read the prompt and look at the groups of objects on the screen.
They combine, separate, or choose to answer the question.
A friendly check shows when they are right, with a relaxed chance to try again.
What your child practices
- Putting groups together and taking them apart to find how many
- Seeing different ways to make the same number
- Solving simple word-problem situations with pictures and counters
- Reasoning about quantities up to
Learning goals
Add and subtract within small numbers using objects and pictures.
Understand addition as putting together and subtraction as taking apart — the idea behind Common Core 1.OA.D.7.
Develop the flexible number sense that fluent mental math is built on.
Frequently asked questions
- What does the Addition & Subtraction Pairs activity teach?
- Addition & Subtraction Pairs is a free interactive activity for Grade 1, focused on Operations & Algebraic Thinking. Children play it right in the browser — no printing, login, or setup required.
- Is Addition & Subtraction Pairs free to use?
- Yes. Addition & Subtraction Pairs is completely free, with no signup and no paywall, on any tablet, laptop, or classroom whiteboard.
- Which ages is this activity for?
- It is designed for Grade 1 (Operations & Algebraic Thinking) and works well for whole-class, small-group, or independent practice.