Subtraction Within 10 Games for Kids
Practice subtraction within 10 with free MathHero adventure games for kids. Take 3 away from 7 and 4 are left: 7 − 3 = 4. Play all 45 subtraction facts without 0, or tick only the ones your child needs, like −1 and −2. No account, no download, no ads.
- All 45 facts within 10
- Pick −1 to −9
- Kindergarten-Grade 1 · ages 5-7
- Free in the browser
- No account, no download
- No ads
- Phone, tablet and computer
Pick a Subtraction Within 10 Game to Play
All facts from −1 to −9 are ticked to begin with. Untick some to practice only those.
Practice Another Subtraction Skill
Try a bigger range on the subtraction games page, or practice the addition facts and number pairs that help with taking away.
Get MathHero: The Full Adventure
Keep practicing in the MathHero app: a story-driven math game for ages 5-10, from first addition to division.
- Step-by-step learning program: Addition & Subtraction up to 10 adds new facts a little at a time
- Custom Practice: addition and subtraction up to 10, 20, 100 or 1,000
- Typed answers or multiple choice, in Easy, Medium or Hard mode
Free at 5 levels a day, with no ads and nothing locked.
How to Learn Subtraction Within 10
Subtraction to 10 starts with taking away things your child can see. Move from objects to counting back, then use familiar addition facts to find the answer without counting every time.
Take away real objects
Put out 7 counters. Take 3 away and count the 4 still on the table: 7 − 3 = 4. Say the whole story aloud: “Seven, take away three, leaves four.” For a child starting subtraction within 5, use smaller groups first, such as 4 − 1 and 5 − 2, before moving up to 10.
Count back for −1, −2 and −3
Subtracting 1 gives the number just before: 6 − 1 = 5. To work out 8 − 3, start at 8 and count back three times: 7, 6, 5. A number line makes the steps visible.
Think addition when the numbers are close
For 9 − 7, ask “What goes with 7 to make 9?” Since 7 + 2 = 9, the answer is 2. That is quicker than counting back seven steps. The three numbers give related facts: 7 + 2 = 9, 2 + 7 = 9, 9 − 7 = 2 and 9 − 2 = 7. Our addition to 10 games practice the same number combinations.
Subtract from 10 with number bonds
If 3 and 7 make 10, then 10 − 3 = 7 and 10 − 7 = 3. Learn the pairs 1 and 9, 2 and 8, 3 and 7, 4 and 6, and 5 and 5. The highlighted column in the chart shows all nine subtraction-from-10 facts. Try the number bonds games to practice finding the missing part.
Understand zero too
Taking everything away leaves nothing: 7 − 7 = 0. Taking nothing away leaves the starting amount unchanged: 7 − 0 = 7. These rules matter, even though the games on this page use only facts with a positive answer and never ask a child to subtract 0.
Two common mistakes
- Counting the starting number as a step. For 8 − 3, saying “8, 7, 6” gives the wrong answer, 6. Start on 8, then make three moves: 7, 6, 5.
- Swapping the numbers. 8 − 3 and 3 − 8 are different problems. Subtraction does not work both ways around like addition. Start with the first number and take away the second; the games here always start with the larger number.
Single-digit subtraction uses starting numbers up to 9. This page also includes 10, so your child practices the pairs that make 10. When these facts feel familiar, move on to our subtraction within 20 games. For practice away from a screen, try our counting activities.
Subtraction Facts Within 10
Find the starting number across the top and the number to take away on the left. Column 7 and row −3 meet at 4: 7 − 3 = 4. Each filled cell is one fact, for a total of 45, and each row is one tile in the games.
| Take away | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | From 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| −1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| −2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| −3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||
| −4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |||
| −5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||||
| −6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||||
| −7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||
| −8 | 1 | 2 | |||||||
| −9 | 1 |
Highlighted: subtraction from 10. Blank cells would give 0 or a negative answer, so they are outside this practice set. The −1 row has 9 facts, the −2 row has 8, and so on down to 10 − 9 = 1.
What Grade Learns Subtraction Within 10?
Subtraction within 10 is a kindergarten and 1st grade skill in the US, usually at ages 5-7. Kindergarten standard K.OA.A.2 covers subtraction within 10 using objects or drawings, while K.OA.A.5 asks for fluency within 5. In Grade 1, standard 1.OA.C.6 expects fluency within 10 as children also add and subtract within 20. The goal is understanding first, followed by accurate, familiar facts.
In England, children recall number bonds up to 5, including subtraction facts, by the end of Reception, and Year 1 includes number bonds and related subtraction facts within 20. Practice within 10 sits between the two.
- Age
- 5-7
- US grade
- K-1
- Standard
- K.OA.A.5, 1.OA.C.6
- England
- Reception-Year 1
Learn Subtraction Within 10 with the MathHero App
How is the MathHero app different from the online games on this page?
The online games on this page are mini-games for short practice sessions on subtraction within 10. The MathHero app is a full math adventure with step-by-step learning programs, rewards for your hero and saved progress for each child. If your child enjoys these mini-games, try the app: you can play 5 levels a day for free, with no ads and nothing locked.
What Parents Say About the MathHero App
Verbatim from public App Store and Google Play reviews of the MathHero app, with spelling as written. Rated 4.7 on Google Play (48.2K reviews) and 4.6 on the App Store (12K ratings), checked .
“Very easy to use! My 1st grader gets excited about math facts and begs to play!”
“This is a fun game for kids from 1st grade and higher to practice the important basic mental calculations. There are settings to accomodate both slow and fast learners. My daughter enjoys slaying the funny monsters!”
“I love this app for my kids mastering their math facts. They have addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They have the option to do slow or regular speed, which I like being able to choose slow to make it less stressful for my child.”
Subtraction Within 10 Games: Common Questions
What are some good games to practice subtraction within 10?
What are the subtraction facts within 10?
What is single-digit subtraction?
How can my child learn subtraction within 10?
What is 7 − 7?
What grade learns subtraction within 10?
Can my child practice only −1 and −2?
Are the online games free?
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