Free subtraction game for kids
Catch the rubber duck with the right difference. Four levels, from taking away within 5 to two-digit subtraction with borrowing.
Subtraction Duck Pond
Pick a level
10 ducks a round · no sign-up · nothing is saved
Subtraction Duck Pond
Catch the duck with the answer!
Filling the duck pond…
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Round complete!
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Free to play · no sign-up · no ads · sound starts only after you tap
How to play
- Pick a level. Each level matches a grade, from the very first facts to two-digit numbers.
- Read the problem on the sign. In the easiest problems, dots under the numbers let your child count to the answer.
- Tap the duck with the answer. The fishing hook swings in and reels it out of the pond.
- Missed one? Try again. The duck slips back into the water with a gentle “So close!”. After two misses the right duck glows.
- Finish a round of 10 to earn up to three stars, then play again or move up a level.
What it practices
| Level | Grades | Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Within 5 | Pre-K–K | Taking away within 5 fluently (K.OA.A.5). Crossed-out dots show what was taken away. |
| Within 10 | K–1st | Subtraction facts within 10 (1.OA.C.6), the partners of the addition facts your child already knows. |
| Within 20 | 1st–2nd | Teen problems like 14 − 6 that cross ten, solved by counting back to 10 or thinking addition (1.OA.C.6, 2.OA.B.2). |
| Within 100 | 2nd–3rd | Two-digit subtraction using place value, with and without borrowing (2.NBT.B.5). Answers are never negative. |
Tips for parents
- Turn subtraction into a missing-number addition: 13 − 5 is “5 plus what makes 13?” Kids who know their addition facts already know their subtraction facts.
- For teen facts, go back to ten first: 14 − 6 is 14 − 4 − 2, which is 10 − 2, so 8.
- Watch for the classic borrowing mistake. If your child answers 45 for 63 − 28, they took 3 away from 8 instead of borrowing a ten. Use coins or base-ten blocks to show trading one ten for ten ones.
- Ask your child to check an answer by adding back: if 63 − 28 = 35, then 35 + 28 should make 63.
Frequently asked questions
What age is this subtraction game for?
Children from about 4 to 9. Within 5 suits preschool and kindergarten, within 10 kindergarten and 1st grade, within 20 1st and 2nd grade, and within 100 2nd and 3rd grade.
Will my child see negative numbers?
No. Every problem starts with the bigger number, so the answer is always zero or more, the way subtraction is taught in the early grades.
Why does the game show crossed-out dots?
In the two easiest levels each problem is also drawn as dots with the taken-away ones crossed out, so children can count what is left. The pictures disappear in the harder levels.
Is the subtraction game free?
Yes. It runs in your browser with no sign-up and no ads, and nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
My child keeps making borrowing mistakes. What helps?
Slow down with real objects: ten dimes and pennies, or bundles of ten straws. Our guide to subtraction with regrouping walks through it step by step.
Is there more in the Mathing app?
Yes. The Mathing app for iPhone and iPad has five booth games, 20 subtraction levels inside a full math carnival, plush prizes and a report that shows which facts need more practice.