Taking away

Ages 3 to 5 Read and do together · about 10 minutes

Read together

Five grapes. I eat two. How many are left?

Count what is left. Three!

Do it

1. Use five safe, large things, such as blocks or toy cars.
2. Take two away and hide them. Count what is left.
3. Tell a story: “Five birds on a tree. Two fly away. How many are left?”
4. Act it out with toys and then try different numbers.

Talk about it

• How many were there at the start?
• How many are left?

For the grown-up

Taking away is the other side of adding. Use things you can see and touch, and stay with small numbers. Do not use whole grapes with young children; they are a choking hazard.

Mark as done

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Where this comes from

This is a play and practice activity with no factual claims to source.

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.