Show the Operation — Add & Subtract on a Ten Frame
Represent addition and subtraction on a ten-frame with counters. For "3 + 2", place 3 counters then 2 more in a second colour to see the two parts make 5; for "5 − 2", start with 5 and take 2 away. Aligned to Common Core K.OA.A.1 — represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, and drawings.
Represent addition and subtraction on a ten-frame with counters. For "3 + 2", place 3 counters then 2 more in a second colour to see the two parts make 5; for "5 − 2", start with 5 and take 2 away. Aligned to Common Core K.OA.A.1 — represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, and drawings.
About this activity
This free, interactive activity gives children hands-on practice with early addition and subtraction ideas, working with quantities up to . It plays straight in the browser on any device, with nothing to install and no login.
It is aligned to Common Core K.OA.A.1 in the Operations & Algebraic Thinking strand. Feedback is immediate and encouraging, and there is no timer or score — children can think things through at their own pace.
What's inside this activity
- Designed for Grade K learners (ages about 5 to 9)
- Common Core strand: Operations & Algebraic Thinking
- Aligned to Common Core standard K.OA.A.1
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 K.OA.A.1.
Develop the flexible number sense that fluent mental math is built on.
Frequently asked questions
- What does the Show the Operation — Add & Subtract on a Ten Frame activity teach?
- Show the Operation — Add & Subtract on a Ten Frame is a free interactive activity for Kindergarten, focused on Operations & Algebraic Thinking. Children play it right in the browser — no printing, login, or setup required.
- Is Show the Operation — Add & Subtract on a Ten Frame free to use?
- Yes. Show the Operation — Add & Subtract on a Ten Frame 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 Kindergarten (Operations & Algebraic Thinking) and works well for whole-class, small-group, or independent practice.