Free printable · Numbers & maths
Take Away Lab: subtraction within 10
Start with a group, take some away and count what remains.
Download free PDF 17 pagesA4 PDF · 0.3 MB · No sign-up needed
A good starting pointFor children who count within ten securely. Use physical groups before written equations. Age is a guide; choose tasks by readiness.
Subtraction becomes visible when the child changes a group. In Take Away Lab, filled dots represent the starting counters. Your child crosses out the taken amount and counts the uncrossed dots to find what is left.
The pack links that action to an equation, quantity choices and drawing. A reusable mat offers the same idea with loose counters: move the taken counters aside and count only those remaining in the start group.
Open the pack
What’s inside the PDF
- Eleven focus pages covering starting quantities from 0 to 10, with six tasks each.
- Twelve mixed equations and six already-crossed quantity models for review.
- A reusable take-away mat, ten counters and repeated number cards.
- A grown-up guide and all answers: 17 A4 pages in total.
Try it together
How to use this activity
Count the starting group
Count the filled dots before changing anything. Empty frame squares are spaces, not counters.
Take away the stated amount
Cross out that many dots on a focus worksheet. On the reusable mat, move that many counters from the start side to the take-away side.
Count what remains
Count only the dots without crosses, or the counters still on the start side. Complete the equation and read it aloud.
Change the model
Try a drawing task or mixed equation. On the crossed-out review page the removal is already shown; read that model instead of crossing out more dots.
Make it fit your child
A gentler start
Use a small group and physically move one counter away. Let your child count what remains while you record the equation.
Ready for another step?
Give a mixed equation without a focus title. Ask your child to make a matching model and explain the starting amount, the taken amount and the remainder.
Look before you print
Actual pages from the pack
A selection from the 17-page PDF.
Open a page to see it larger.
Paper, pencil, ready
Printing and using the pages
Download the PDF, open it in a PDF viewer and choose A4 paper at 100% or “actual size”. Print only the pages you want to use. Check the preview before printing; keep colour cues visible when a selected task depends on them.
Regular paper works for the worksheets. For reusable loose cards, light card can be easier to handle if your printer supports it. Keep any cutout pieces at the printed scale so they fit their mat. A grown-up should handle preparation and cutting.
These original BundleBrain pages are free for personal and classroom use. Share a link to this activity page so other families can find the instructions and download their own copy. Please do not resell or re-upload the PDF.
Good to know
A couple of questions
Do children cross out the dots themselves?
Yes on the focus pages. A separate mixed review shows already-crossed models for reading.
Should we count both groups on the mat for the answer?
Count only the counters left on the start side. The moved group shows what was taken away, not the subtraction answer.
Your next little learning moment
Ready to try Take Away Lab: subtraction within 10?
Print a page, sit together and start small.
Free PDF · 0.3 MB · No account needed
