Subtraction usually arrives in UKG a few weeks after addition, and many children find it trickier. Adding feels natural because things get bigger; taking away asks a child to imagine something disappearing and count what is left. The good news is that a good subtraction worksheet for UKG does not need to start with the minus sign at all. It starts with stories, fingers and real things that can be taken away.
Print-ready worksheets for this topic
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Below you will find a simple teaching order for UKG maths subtraction, story sums you can act out at home or in class, how to use crossing out and counting back, the one mistake almost every child makes, and 30 practice questions within 10 with answers.
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Quick answer: To teach subtraction to a UKG child:
- Act it out: 5 birds on a wire, 2 fly away. How many are left?
- Cross out: draw 5 circles, cross out 2, count only the ones not crossed.
- Count back: start at 5 and hop back 2 on a number line: 4, 3.
- Then the sign: write 5 − 2 = 3 and read it as “5 take away 2 is 3”.
- Stay within 10 until your child is confident.
Before you begin: is your child ready?
Children are usually ready for take away when they can count a group of objects to 10 without skipping or double-counting, recognise numbers 0 to 10, and say the number that comes just before another. If “just before” is still shaky, spend a few days on our before and after numbers ideas first, because counting back depends on it.
It also helps if your child has met addition. If not, our guide to addition for UKG is a good starting point, and you can teach the two side by side.
Step 1: take away for kids with stories
Story sums give subtraction a meaning. Use toys, fruit or your fingers, and act each story out before asking the question.
- 5 birds sit on a wire. 2 fly away. How many birds are left? (3)
- Amma puts 6 laddoos on a plate. Riya eats 1. How many are left? (5)
- There are 4 balloons. 1 goes pop. How many are left? (3)
- 7 ducks swim in a pond. 3 walk out. How many are still swimming? (4)
- Kabir has 8 marbles. He gives 2 to his friend. How many does he have now? (6)
- 10 children are playing. 4 go home. How many are still playing? (6)
Let your child physically remove the toys. The words “left”, “now” and “still” are clues that we are taking away, so say them clearly.
Step 2: picture subtraction worksheet method (crossing out)
Once acting out is easy, move to paper. Draw the starting number of simple pictures (circles, apples, stars) and cross out the ones being taken away.
- Draw 6 apples.
- Read the sum: “6 take away 2.”
- Cross out 2 apples with one neat line each.
- Count only the apples with no line: 4.
- Write 4 in the answer box.
The most common mistake: counting the crossed ones
Many UKG children cross out correctly and then count every apple, including the crossed ones, and write 6. Others count only the crossed ones and write 2. A few fixes that work:
- Ask your child to put a finger on each crossed picture and say “gone” before counting.
- Count the left-over pictures by colouring each one as you count it.
- Ask, “Is the answer bigger or smaller than the number we started with?” In take away within 10, it is never bigger.
Step 3: counting back on a number line
Draw a number line from 0 to 10 on a long strip of paper, or use chalk on the floor so your child can hop on it. For 7 − 3, stand on 7 and take 3 hops back, saying each number you land on: 6, 5, 4. The answer is where you stop: 4.
The trap here is counting the starting number as the first hop. Remind your child that the first hop takes you off the 7, so the first number you say is 6.
Step 4: introducing the minus sign
Only now bring in the symbols. Write 5 − 2 = 3 and read it in different ways: “5 take away 2 is 3”, “5 minus 2 equals 3”. Point to each part: the first number is what we start with, the − sign means take away, the second number is how many go, and the = sign means “is the same as”.
| Words | Picture idea | Number sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 5 birds, 2 fly away | 5 birds, cross out 2 | 5 − 2 = 3 |
| 8 marbles, give away 2 | 8 circles, cross out 2 | 8 − 2 = 6 |
| 4 balloons, 4 go pop | 4 balloons, cross out all | 4 − 4 = 0 |
| 6 mangoes, none eaten | 6 mangoes, cross out none | 6 − 0 = 6 |
Zero rows like the last two are worth doing on purpose. Taking away everything leaves 0, and taking away nothing leaves the same number.
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30 subtraction practice questions for UKG (within 10)
Use picture drawing or a number line for the first set, then let your child try the rest with fingers or in their head. Answers follow each set.
Set A: draw and cross out
- 5 − 2 = ___
- 4 − 1 = ___
- 6 − 3 = ___
- 7 − 2 = ___
- 8 − 4 = ___
- 9 − 5 = ___
- 10 − 3 = ___
- 3 − 3 = ___
- 6 − 0 = ___
- 10 − 5 = ___
Answers: 1) 3 2) 3 3) 3 4) 5 5) 4 6) 4 7) 7 8) 0 9) 6 10) 5
Set B: count back on a number line
- 9 − 2 = ___
- 8 − 1 = ___
- 7 − 4 = ___
- 5 − 5 = ___
- 10 − 8 = ___
- 6 − 2 = ___
- 9 − 6 = ___
- 8 − 3 = ___
- 7 − 6 = ___
- 10 − 1 = ___
Answers: 11) 7 12) 7 13) 3 14) 0 15) 2 16) 4 17) 3 18) 5 19) 1 20) 9
Set C: try it on your own
- 4 − 2 = ___
- 9 − 4 = ___
- 8 − 6 = ___
- 10 − 7 = ___
- 5 − 3 = ___
- 7 − 0 = ___
- 6 − 5 = ___
- 9 − 9 = ___
- 10 − 4 = ___
- 8 − 5 = ___
Answers: 21) 2 22) 5 23) 2 24) 3 25) 2 26) 7 27) 1 28) 0 29) 6 30) 3
Prefer ready-to-print pages?
UKG Worksheets PDF – Tiny Brain Snacks Starter Pack (46 Pages) – A4 PDF, instant download. ₹149 ₹299
Subtraction games for kindergarten
Laddoo shop
Put up to 10 paper laddoos on a plate. Your child is the customer and “buys” some. Ask how many are left in the shop. Swap roles.
Hide and count
Show 7 buttons, then hide some under a cup. Your child counts the ones still showing and works out how many are hidden. This builds an early sense of missing numbers.
Skittles
Line up 10 empty plastic bottles. Roll a ball. Count how many fell and how many are still standing, and say the take away sentence together.
Finger take away
Hold up 8 fingers. Fold down 3. How many are still up? Fingers are the best free maths tool there is.
How to teach subtraction to UKG: a two-week plan
| Days | Focus | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Take away stories | Act out with toys, no writing |
| 3–4 | Crossing out | Set A with drawn pictures |
| 5–6 | Counting back | Floor number line, Set B |
| 7–8 | The − sign | Write number sentences for stories |
| 9–10 | Zero and mixed practice | Set C, laddoo shop game |
Keep each session to about 10 minutes and stop while your child is still enjoying it. If they get stuck, go back one step rather than repeating the same page. For the year’s other number topics, see our overview of maths worksheets for UKG.
What comes after UKG subtraction?
In Class 1, children usually move to subtraction within 20, then two-digit subtraction without borrowing, and word problems with longer sentences. Our guide to subtraction worksheets for Class 1 shows what that next step looks like, so you know what you are building towards.
Printable subtraction worksheet for UKG
If you would like ready-made pages for the whole UKG year, our UKG Worksheets PDF Starter Pack has 46 A4 pages covering phonics, CVC word families, sight words, numbers to 50, and addition and subtraction to 10. It is a simple, print-at-home pack for daily practice alongside school.
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Not sure yet? Try the free UKG worksheets sample: 3 real pages plus the cover and contents page, free at checkout with your name and email, no payment needed. The UKG pack is also one of the 20 original packs in our Complete Worksheet Library bundle (₹699).
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Frequently asked questions
When do children learn subtraction in UKG?
Many schools introduce simple take away in UKG after children can count objects to 10 and have started addition. The exact timing varies by school, so check your child’s syllabus or ask the class teacher.
How do I explain take away to a 5-year-old?
Use a story with real objects. Put 5 toys on the table, take 2 away and ask how many are left. Act it out several times before writing any numbers or the minus sign.
Why does my child count the crossed-out pictures?
Children often count every picture they see. Ask them to touch each crossed picture and say gone, then colour each left-over picture as they count it. This makes it clear which pictures are still there.
Should UKG children do subtraction beyond 10?
Most UKG practice stays within 10. Once your child is confident within 10, short games with numbers to 20 are fine, but there is no need to rush, as Class 1 usually builds on this.
What is in the UKG Worksheets Starter Pack?
The UKG Worksheets PDF Starter Pack has 46 printable A4 pages covering phonics, CVC word families, sight words, numbers to 50, and addition and subtraction to 10.
