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Number Bonds to 20: A Ladybird Meadow Maths Game

Number Bonds to 20: A Ladybird Meadow Maths Game

Learn number bonds to 20 and the subtraction facts that go with them, by flipping counters, balancing scales and building number sentences.

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What you'll learn

  • Number bonds: pairs of numbers that make each number up to 10
  • Number bonds for numbers up to 20, such as 13 + 7 = 20
  • How to use a number bond to find related subtraction facts
  • That the equals sign means 'is the same as'
  • How to read and write number sentences using +, − and =
  • How to find a missing part with a ten frame or part-whole model

Chapter by chapter

  1. Plus, minus and equals: reading number sentences Free to try

    Year 1 maths · 1

  2. Number bonds within 10: parts and wholes

    Year 1 maths · 2

  3. Subtraction facts from number bonds

    Year 1 maths · 2 Year 1 maths · 1

  4. Number bonds within 20

    Year 1 maths · 2

  5. Writing number sentences with +, − and =

    Year 1 maths · 1 Year 1 maths · 2

  6. Number bonds challenge (10 questions)

What the chapters cover in the national curriculum in England:

  1. Year 1 maths: Read, write and interpret mathematical statements involving addition (+), subtraction (−) and equals (=) signs
  2. Year 1 maths: Represent and use number bonds and related subtraction facts within 20

About this adventure

Number Bonds to 20 is an interactive maths game that teaches children aged 5–7 number bonds within 20, the subtraction facts that go with them, and how to read and write number sentences with +, − and =. It follows Year 1 maths in the national curriculum in England.

Dotty the ladybird guides each step out loud. Children flip red and yellow counters on ten frames, move spots between a ladybird's wings and fill in part-whole models, where the whole sits at the top and the two parts below. A balance scale shows that the equals sign means 'is the same as', and a fact family house shows how 7 + 3 = 10 also gives 10 − 3 = 7.

Questions use tapping, card building and a number pad for typed answers, with gentle hints after a mistake. Optional warm-ups refresh counting and teen numbers, and a final challenge checks everything.

Questions and answers

What are number bonds?

Number bonds are pairs of numbers that add together to make a whole number, such as 7 and 3, which make 10. Children often show them with a part-whole model, with the whole at the top and the two parts below.

How do number bonds help with subtraction?

Every number bond also gives subtraction facts. If 7 + 3 = 10, then 10 − 3 = 7 and 10 − 7 = 3. Together with 3 + 7 = 10, these four number sentences make a fact family.

What does the equals sign mean in maths?

The equals sign means 'is the same as': both sides have the same value. Many children think it means 'the answer comes next', so the game uses a balance scale and sentences like 10 = 6 + 4 to show it can go at either end.

What age is this number bonds game for?

It is designed for children aged 5 to 7 and matches Year 1 maths in the national curriculum in England. Older children who are still learning their bonds to 20 can also use it for extra practice.

How long does the game take and what does it include?

Playing everything takes about 50 minutes, and each chapter can be played on its own. There are five narrated chapters with hands-on activities, two short optional warm-ups, and a 10-question challenge with typed and multiple-choice answers.

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