Learning subtraction can be tricky and take lots of practice to master. But working on subtraction can also be fun, and I love having super simple math games on hand to teach it! So let’s turn those toys into fun learning manipulatives with this creative, hands-on LEGO® Subtraction Game for Kindergarten! It is one your students will love and you will definitely want in your bag of tricks!
*Pair with our Subtraction Centers and Activities for Pre-K & Kindergarten!
LEGO® Subtraction Game for Kindergarten
Strengthen subtraction skills in a super fun way with this engaging and effective subtraction game for Kindergarten! LEGO® pieces can be used for so much more than just building (which is also an important and creative skill). I just knew that with the simple twist of adding plastic building blocks, my students would be thrilled to start subtracting. I love this game because of its simplicity!
The only supplies you need are:
How to Play
This subtraction game is best played with a partner, although you could play it with a small group of students too, as the object of the game is to see who can get rid of all of their blocks first!
Depending on the level of your child or students, you can use any number of blocks. With my Kindergarteners I started with 10 blocks each, as our focus is subtraction within 10.
First, stack up your tower of 10. Then, roll the dice. Take off that number of blocks, and then count how many you have left. I give each of my students a small basket to place their pieces when they have been removed to help us stay organized.
After each student’s turn, we practice saying the equation out loud. For example, “I had 10 bricks. I took off 2, and now I have 8.” You could even have them write equations for each roll to extend the learning!
Keep rolling and removing blocks until there are none left. The first person to unstack them all is the winner!
More LEGO® Learning Fun
Ready for some more super fun learning activities? Check out these amazing ideas from some fabulous kid bloggers.
- LEGO Addition Mat for Greater Than/Less Than from Life Over C’s
- Duplo Lego Geoboard from Still Playing School
- Duplo Consonant Blends Activity from Learning 2 Walk
- Educational Playtime with Duplo – Sorting, Estimating and Building from Crafty Mama in ME
- LEGO DUPLO Sight Word Towers from Powerful Mothering
- Slippery Lego Duplo Fine Motor Practice from Best Toys 4 Toddlers
- Penguin Ice Cube Counting With LEGO from Preschool Powol Packets
- Word Building with LEGOS from Sugar Aunts
- Hands-on Science: Creating a Water Cycle Project using LEGO from Edventures with Kids
- Lego Tower Subtraction Race from The Kindergarten Connection
- Lego: 5 reasons you should use it with your kids from The Usual Mayhem
- Dumping Lego Colour Match Activity from Teach me Mommy
- Lego Heart Marble Maze from Lemon Lime Adventures
- Feed the Duplo Alien from Adventures of Adam
- How To Create A Duplo Block Painting from Raising Little Superheroes
- Letter Sequencing with Lego Duplo from School Time Snippets
- Lego ordering, days of the week from In The Playroom
- Dental Flossing with Duplo from Sugar, Spice and Glitter
- LEGO Math Ten Frame Games from Lalymom
- 20 Halloween Books for Kids - October 8, 2021
- Candy Corn Roll and Color Games - October 8, 2021
- Fall Themed Activities and Centers for Pre-K & Kindergarten - October 7, 2021
Summer Emergent Reader
LOVE simple games that are fun and educational!
Isn’t it amazing what fun you can have with some bricks and a dice!
What a simple but fun learning activity!
I love this activity! Quick question — When it gets to the end of the game, how do you handle it if they roll a bigger number than the amount of legos they have left? Ex. 3 legos left but the roll a 6 so they can’t take 6 away. Do they skip their turn?
Hi Jamie! So sorry for the slower response to this – That is a fabulous question!
Yes, if they roll a number bigger than what they have left, they skip their turn. This gives the game an interesting twist because the object is to lose all of your tower first, but it really make it tricky as you get less legos! 🙂 I like how that really solidifies the idea for them though that the beginning number must be larger in order to successfully make a subtraction equation.
Hope that makes sense and that your kids love the game!
I like that twist to the game so at the end there is they excitement of trying to get the right dice roll 🙂
What a great idea. I’m always looking for hands on activities for learning. I’ve gotten really good things from you. Thanks