A few months ago, I shared a blog post containing a few of our favorite resources for learning and practicing addition. At that time, I promised to share some more resources when we started working on subtraction. Well…I’m happy to announce that the day has finally arrived! It’s time to share some of our favorite Preschool Math – Springtime Subtraction math activities!
There are so many fantastic (and typically free) printables out there for early education. And the best part is that you can usually find them in a wide array of popular themes. Since it’s springtime, and we’ve been busy celebrating all things flowers and bugs, it was only appropriate to stick with our theme when it came to learning all about subtraction! π
Bug Subtraction Cards – from The Kindergarten Connection
If you caught our Preschool Math – Learning Addition post a few months ago, then you already know that we found some fun Counting Bear Addition Cards over on The Kindergarten Connection. Needless to say, Alex’s website was the very first place that I went looking, when I started searching for Spring-themed subtraction printables. And these super cute Bug Subtraction Cards fit the bill perfectly!
Since these subtraction cards are so adorable, I knew that I would want to utilize them on more than one occasion, so I decided to laminate them with my favorite Avery Self-Adhesive Laminating Sheets. And then all you need is a dry-erase marker!
Have your kiddos start by counting all of the dots on a bug, and then have them write the answer in the first box in the equation. Now, have them count how many dots are crossed out (or have a line through them) – that number is written in the second box in the equation. To reach the correct answer to the subtraction equation, all they need to do is count how many dots are remaining (i.e. how many dots there are without a line drawn through them). And that number gets written in the last (third) box of the equation. Ta Da!
Spring Subtraction Printable – from Planes and Balloons
This simple Spring subtraction printable came in a Spring Kindergarten Worksheets Pack, from Planes and Balloons. Kristina put together a fantastic packet of Spring-themed activities that our little nugget has thoroughly enjoyed completing. Aside from some Spring addition and subtraction worksheets, there are also printables for practicing sight words, counting and place value, teen numbers, beginning and ending sounds, etc.
The concept behind the Spring subtraction sheet is very similar to the bug subtraction cards, except that the first number in each equation is already filled in on this particular worksheet. So, all your kiddos need to do is count how many of each item is crossed out, and write that number in the middle of the equation. To reach the final answer, your little one will need to count how many of each item is remaining (i.e. how many are not crossed out). Have them write their answer at the end of the equation.
Spring Flower Subtraction Mat – from The Kindergarten Connection
This Spring flower subtraction mat is yet another free printable from the ever-amazing Alex, over at The Kindergarten Connection. And it actually comes in a handy Spring Flower Math Mats set – for practicing both addition and subtraction! We like to use little manipulatives when we are learning with these math mats, and our mini flower erasers (from the Target Dollar Spot) worked perfectly.
For this subtraction activity, I typically give our daughter a number to start with (or she sometimes comes up with her own). She writes that number in the first box of the equation, and then places that many mini flower erasers on the flower math mat. We then choose a number that is equal to, or less than, our original number, and she writes that number in the second box of the equation. Then she removes that number of mini flower erasers from the math mat. All that’s left to do is count how many mini flower erasers are remaining, and write that number in the last box of the equation. I decided to laminate these flower math mats as well, so that our little nugget can just erase the equation and start all over again!
Ladybug Subtraction
As you likely know by now, I get loads of sensory bin inspiration from Katy @prekwolfpack…but she also shares a ton of other amazing ideas and activities on her Instagram feed. And she’s become pretty popular for the various butcher paper activities that she sets up for her students. I knew that our little nugget would love the opportunity to use some colorful dot stickers, so working off of Katy’s brilliant examples, I created a Butterfly Addition butcher paper activity (that I shared on Instagram earlier this month). It was such a big hit with our daughter, that I decided to create this Ladybug Subtraction activity as well!
All you need is a large sheet of white butcher/craft paper, colorful dot stickers, and a marker (or two). Grab a marker and start drawing several large ladybugs on the sheet of butcher paper. Make sure not to add the ladybug’s dots – that is what the stickers are for – but feel free to add some antennae. π Now, write a simple subtraction equation inside the head of each ladybug. Spread the butcher paper out on a flat surface and hand your little one the dot stickers, as well as a marker.
It is a lot easier for early learners to visualize the equation…so our little nugget would look at the first number in each equation, and draw that many circles next to the ladybug. She would then glance at the second number in the equation, and cross out that many dots. Next, she would count how many dots (that were not crossed out) were remaining to discover the answer to the equation. She wrote her answers in the little space on each ladybug where the wings separate. Once she had her answer written down, she would then apply the same number of dot stickers to each ladybug. And I’m very happy to report that she thoroughly enjoyed this multi-faceted math activity!
What are a few of your go-to websites for preschool/kindergarten learning printables and activities? I would love to hear your recommendations in the comments below!
