Free Addition and Subtraction Games for K–2

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Dice Addition is a free interactive math game designed for Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade students who are developing early addition skills — specifically the critical transition from counting all to counting on. The game is built around the natural developmental progression children move through when learning to add, and includes two levels that meet students exactly where they are.

Level 1 meets children where they are. Young learners naturally default to counting all — starting back at one and counting every single dot. This is completely normal, especially in Kindergarten and early First Grade, and should be honored rather than rushed. Level 1 allows students to do exactly that. Both dice are fully visible, all dots can be counted, and the game asks each question one step at a time — first dice, second dice, then the total — building confidence and reinforcing one-to-one correspondence before moving forward.

Level 2 scaffolds the shift to counting on. Rather than hiding the first number entirely, the dice transforms into a numeral — the dots disappear and the number takes their place. The student can no longer drop back to one and count all the dots. They are gently but firmly required to hold that starting number in their head and count on from it using the second dice. The game also ensures the larger number always comes first, which aligns with research showing that starting from the bigger addend is the most efficient and natural entry point into the counting on strategy.

Dice Addition is particularly well suited for students still relying on the counting all strategy who are ready to be gently moved toward the more efficient counting on strategy. Within an MTSS framework, this game works well as a Tier 1 whole-class introduction on a smartboard or as a targeted Tier 2 tool for small groups identified through a diagnostic assessment as needing support with early addition. Paraprofessionals and intervention specialists will find Level 1 and Level 2 easy to use without any prep or training.

Start with Level 1 for any student who is still counting every object from one. Use it on a smartboard with the whole class and let students call out their counts together — this normalizes the counting all stage and builds confidence before introducing Level 2. Once students are reliably counting on from the smaller number, move them to Level 2, which removes the dots from the first dice and forces students to hold the starting number in their heads. For progress monitoring, note whether students self-correct when they accidentally count back from one — this is a reliable indicator that the counting on strategy is beginning to take hold. 

This game is designed to help students in Kindergarten through Grade 2 move past one of the most common early math habits: counting from one. Rather than reconstructing every problem from scratch, students practice holding a number in mind and counting forward or backward from it — building the more advanced strategies that underpin strong number sense and early arithmetic fluency.

In Count On mode, the larger number is intentionally hidden first so students are encouraged to begin with that quantity and count on the smaller addend. The visual design is intentional throughout — counters appear one at a time to support one-to-one correspondence, covering the larger addend first encourages students to begin counting from that number rather than recounting everything from one, and the reveal at the end allows teachers to verify the answer by having students count all the counters together.

In Counting Back mode, students see a total and then watch a small number slide away. This mirrors the mental action of starting with the whole and counting backward, supporting children's reasoning about subtraction and number relationships. Subtraction problems are intentionally limited to four or fewer removals, making backward counting manageable for students who are just beginning to build confidence with the strategy.

The goal of the game is simple but powerful — it helps students move from counting objects to thinking about numbers and their relationships, which is foundational for strong number sense and later success in arithmetic. Works on a smartboard for whole class instruction or on individual devices for independent practice. No login, no download, no prep required.

Cookie Thief helps students in Kindergarten and Grade 1 understand subtraction through a simple and meaningful story context. Cookies are placed in a jar — then a sneaky thief comes along and steals some. Students must figure out how many remain. This narrative frame is not just for engagement — it reflects how research suggests young children best develop early subtraction understanding. The animated thief and cookie jar context keep engagement high while the mathematical work stays focused and purposeful.

Students practice the counting back strategy by starting at the total number of cookies and counting backward for each cookie the thief steals. To support this thinking, a number line is provided at the bottom of the screen so students can track their backward jumps visually as they subtract. The game is intentionally limited to small removal quantities — no more than four cookies stolen at a time — making backward counting manageable for Kindergarten and Grade 1 students who are just beginning to build confidence with the strategy.

This game works on a smartboard for whole class instruction or on individual devices for independent practice. No login, no download, no prep required.