Symbol Math with Body Parts: Solve Each Expression

Trade pictures for numbers, then solve — that is the rhythm of this math worksheet with Body Parts. The key at the top assigns each symbol a single-digit value, and the rest of the page is a set of add-and-subtract expressions built from those symbols. The child reads an expression, replaces each picture of Body Parts with the number it stands for, and then evaluates: adding where there is a plus, taking away where there is a minus, working steadily toward the total. Results can reach about forty, so the child is adding and subtracting within numbers that genuinely belong to Grade 2. This blend of a simple key and multi-term sentences is a lovely way to practise substitution and two-step calculation, with the Body Parts keeping the whole page warm and inviting.

Here the expressions are a little longer, with four symbols to substitute before the child evaluates. Reading the key for the Body Parts, swapping each value in, and then adding and subtracting in turn keeps the child working with several numbers at once. It is exactly the multi-term solving that Grade 2 arithmetic is meant to strengthen.

If your child enjoys this math worksheet with Body Parts, there is plenty more to solve, at a pace that feels right. You can print the worksheet as a PDF to work on paper, or play the interactive version online, always free and with no sign-up. There are no timers and no scores: each child substitutes, adds, and subtracts in their own time, with warmth and no shame about a tricky problem. When this is easy, try a symbol math worksheet with Body Parts that uses longer expressions, or solve the same key with a fresh set of pictures. You can also browse every math worksheet to keep the adding and subtracting going, steadily and at your child's own pace.