Subtraction Bowling (with FREEbie!)

Math Activity - Subtraction Bowling
Photo Source: What the Teacher Wants

If you're on the hunt for a simple idea for practicing subtraction, look no further! Rachelle over at What the Teacher Wants posted a wonderful activity called Subtraction Bowling. It's sure to keep your kiddos engaged while they practice and it even includes the needed worksheet as a FREEbie!

You'll Need:

10 Dixie cups

A small soft ball (tennis ball, bouncy ball)

Recording worksheet

Pencils

To begin, have your kiddos set up the dixie cups like a set of bowling pins (divide your class into pairs for the activity). The activity then follows like this:

  • Student 1 rolls the ball into the set of "pins" and records the number he knocked down on his sheet.
  • Student 1 uses a method of subtraction to figure out how many pins are left standing (the students will have to keep each other honest to ensure they are not simply counting how many pins are still standing).
  • Student 1 records the solution on his sheet.
  • Student 1 counts the number of pins still standing to check his work.
  • Student 2 repeats the same process. Allow students to play until they have each practiced 10-12 times.
Recording Worksheet for Subtraction Bowling
Photo Source: What the Teacher Wants

What a fun way to get your class practicing their subtraction skills! To grab the FREE printable worksheet, head over to What the Teacher Wants!