Subtraction Worksheet: Count and Subtract for Preschoolers
This worksheet introduces basic subtraction by having children count a starting group of objects, remove or cross out a specified number, and count what remains to find the answer. For ages 4-5, grounding subtraction in physical counting rather than abstract numbers alone helps children understand that subtraction means 'taking away' a quantity, not just manipulating symbols.
Part of the pack
Month 6: Holistic early learning activities | Ages 5-6
This is page 15 of the pack. Ages 5-6 · KindergartenAges 5-6 · Year 1Ages 5-6 · UKGAges 5-6
Made for your child
Taking away within 10, made for your child
A maths pack with your child's name in it: pictures that explain, practice at three levels, puzzles and story sums about them. Print a new set whenever they finish.
Make a maths packFree preview · free for members
Curriculum
- Subtraction > Subtraction Basics
How to use this worksheet
Look at the first group of objects together and count them aloud to establish the starting total. Read the subtraction instruction, noting how many objects need to be taken away, and have your child cross out or mark that number of objects in the picture. Have your child count the objects that remain uncrossed and write that number as the answer in the box provided. Continue through each remaining subtraction problem the same way, counting the starting group, crossing out, and counting what's left.
Materials needed
- Pencil
- Eraser
Extension activities
- 1Use real snacks like crackers or grapes to act out subtraction, eating a few and counting what remains.
- 2Create subtraction problems using toys, removing a few from a group and counting the total left over.
- 3Draw your own subtraction picture, showing a starting group and crossing some out to find the answer.
- 4Practice subtraction with fingers, starting with a number held up and folding some down to represent taking away.
- 5Play a simple game where you start with a small pile of objects and take turns removing one, counting aloud how many remain.
Written by
Hemsweta Jain · Teacher Cheena
MBA and Early Childhood Educator, teaching since 2014 · Founder of RaisoActive, Mumbai
Every RaisoActive worksheet is designed and checked by the founder before publishing.
Published · Last reviewed
More from Month 6: Holistic early learning activities | Ages 5-6
Parts of a Plant Worksheet: Identify and Label!
Ages 3-5 · Preschool–Pre-KAges 3-5 · Nursery–ReceptionAges 3-5 · Nursery–LKGAges 3-5
Labeling the root, stem, leaf, flower, and fruit of a plant teaches children ages 3-5 that living things are made of distinct parts that each serve a purpose, an early foundation for life science. The cut-and-paste labeling format requires children to match a written or pictured label to the correct location on a plant diagram, strengthening both vocabulary and visual mapping skills. Understanding plant anatomy also gives children language to describe the gardens, parks, and plants they encounter in daily life.
Learn the Sight Word 'Want' Worksheet for Preschoolers
Ages 3-5 · Preschool–Pre-KAges 3-5 · Nursery–ReceptionAges 3-5 · Nursery–LKGAges 3-5
The word 'want' doesn't sound out easily using regular phonics rules, which is exactly why children ages 3-5 need to memorize it by sight as a whole word — a core early reading strategy for high-frequency words. This worksheet builds that sight-word memory through several different tasks: tracing, finding the word among distractors, filling it into a sentence, and reassembling its letters, giving repeated exposure in varied formats rather than one repetitive drill. Mastering common sight words like 'want' dramatically speeds up early reading fluency since these words appear constantly in beginning books.
Addition Fun: Counting and Adding Worksheet for Kids
Ages 4-6 · Pre-K–KindergartenAges 4-6 · Reception–Year 1Ages 4-6 · LKG–UKGAges 4-6
This worksheet builds foundational addition skills by having children count two separate groups of objects and then combine those counts to find a total sum. For ages 4-6, grounding addition in physical counting of pictured objects, rather than abstract numbers alone, helps children understand that addition means putting two groups together to make a bigger group.
Preposition 'In' Worksheet: Fill-in-the-Blanks Fun!
Ages 4-6 · Pre-K–KindergartenAges 4-6 · Reception–Year 1Ages 4-6 · LKG–UKGAges 4-6
This worksheet introduces the preposition 'in' as a specific positional word describing something located inside another object, building both grammar knowledge and spatial vocabulary. For ages 4-6, understanding prepositions like 'in' is essential for constructing clear, descriptive sentences and following spatial directions in everyday life.
Sentence Matching Worksheet for Early Readers
Ages 4-5 · Pre-KAges 4-5 · ReceptionAges 4-5 · LKGAges 4-5
Matching a written sentence to the picture it describes asks children ages 4-5 to read for meaning rather than just decode individual words, an important step up from single-word reading toward true reading comprehension. This worksheet also builds fine motor and organizational skills through cutting and placing the sentence in the correct spot. Successfully pairing text with image confirms that a child understands what they're reading, not just that they can sound out letters.
I Like Sentences Worksheet: Cut, Paste, and Write!
Ages 4-5 · Pre-KAges 4-5 · ReceptionAges 4-5 · LKGAges 4-5
This worksheet builds early sentence construction and fine motor skills together, having children cut out a picture and word cards, paste them into a simple 'I like ___' sentence frame, and then copy the full sentence in their own writing. For ages 4-5, physically assembling a sentence from separate word pieces before writing it independently helps children understand that sentences are built from individual words in a specific order.
Pl Blend Words Worksheet for Preschoolers
Ages 4-6 · Pre-K–KindergartenAges 4-6 · Reception–Year 1Ages 4-6 · LKG–UKGAges 4-6
This worksheet targets the 'pl' consonant blend, helping children recognize and read words like 'play,' 'plane,' and 'plant' where two consonant sounds combine at the start of a word. For ages 4-6, mastering blends is a key phonics milestone that comes after single letter sounds, since blending two consonants together requires more advanced sound segmentation skills.
Parts of a Plant Crossword Puzzle Worksheet for Kids
Ages 3-5 · Preschool–Pre-KAges 3-5 · Nursery–ReceptionAges 3-5 · Nursery–LKGAges 3-5
This worksheet introduces basic plant biology vocabulary, flower, leaf, stem, root, and fruit, by having children use picture clues to complete a crossword puzzle. For ages 3-5, connecting a picture of a specific plant part to its written name builds early science vocabulary alongside letter and spelling recognition through the crossword format.
Related worksheets
Subtraction Worksheet: Count and Subtract for Preschoolers
Ages 4-5 · Pre-KAges 4-5 · ReceptionAges 4-5 · LKGAges 4-5
Counting a group of pictured objects and then subtracting a stated number introduces children ages 4-5 to the concept that a quantity can decrease, building on their counting skills to form an early foundation for subtraction. Working from a visual group of objects, rather than abstract numbers alone, lets children physically cross out or count away items, which matches how young children naturally understand 'taking away.' This concrete, visual approach to subtraction sets up a much smoother transition to number-only subtraction problems later.
Subtraction Fun: Count and Subtract with Hands and Objects!
Ages 4-6 · Pre-K–KindergartenAges 4-6 · Reception–Year 1Ages 4-6 · LKG–UKGAges 4-6
This worksheet introduces basic subtraction by having children count a starting group of objects and then 'take away' a smaller amount indicated by the minus sign, connecting the abstract concept of subtraction to something they can see and count. For four- to six-year-olds, visualizing subtraction as physically removing objects from a group — rather than just manipulating numbers — makes the concept concrete before they move to solving subtraction problems with numbers alone.
Subtraction Worksheet: Counting and Subtracting for Preschoolers
Ages 4-5 · Pre-KAges 4-5 · ReceptionAges 4-5 · LKGAges 4-5
This worksheet introduces children ages 4-5 to the concept of subtraction as 'taking away' by having them count a group of objects, cross out the number indicated, and write how many remain. Building this concrete, visual understanding of subtraction before introducing abstract number sentences helps children grasp what the minus sign actually means rather than just memorizing a procedure.
Subtraction Fun: Counting Fingers Worksheet for Kids
Ages 4-5 · Pre-KAges 4-5 · ReceptionAges 4-5 · LKGAges 4-5
Children ages 4-5 use their own fingers as a built-in counting tool to practice subtraction, connecting an abstract number sentence to something they can physically see and touch. This bridges the gap between counting objects and solving take-away problems with numbers alone.
Subtraction Worksheet: Count and Subtract!
Ages 4-5 · Pre-KAges 4-5 · ReceptionAges 4-5 · LKGAges 4-5
This worksheet gives children ages 4-5 hands-on practice with subtraction as 'taking away' from a visible group, helping them understand that a number decreases when items are removed rather than treating subtraction as an abstract symbol on paper. Counting the starting group and then physically crossing out or covering objects before writing the difference builds the concrete number sense that later supports mental subtraction.
Subtraction Game Worksheet for Kids: Fun Math Practice!
Ages 4-6 · Pre-K–KindergartenAges 4-6 · Reception–Year 1Ages 4-6 · LKG–UKGAges 4-6
This board-game style worksheet gives children ages 4-6 repeated, low-pressure practice solving subtraction problems as they move along a path with ladders and slides. Framing subtraction as a game keeps motivation high while children build fluency taking away from small numbers and reading the results instantly. The ladders and slides also add a playful lesson in following game rules and consequences.
Subtraction Fun: Candy and Treats Worksheet for Kids!
Ages 4-6 · Pre-K–KindergartenAges 4-6 · Reception–Year 1Ages 4-6 · LKG–UKGAges 4-6
This worksheet gives children ages 4-6 concrete practice with subtraction by counting pictured candies and treats, then taking away a stated amount to find the difference. Using a visually appealing, countable context like candy makes the abstract idea of 'taking away' easier to grasp than numbers alone, helping children build the one-to-one counting and comparison skills that subtraction depends on.
3-Digit Subtraction Worksheet for Kids
Ages 5-7 · Kindergarten–Grade 1Ages 5-7 · Year 1–Year 2Ages 5-7 · UKG–Class 1Ages 5-7
Subtracting three-digit numbers introduces children to borrowing, or regrouping, across place value columns, a more demanding skill than simple subtraction since it requires understanding that a ten can be 'broken' into ones when a column doesn't have enough to subtract from. For ages five to seven, this worksheet builds the procedural foundation for confident multi-digit subtraction going forward.
Guides for this topic
Number Formation Rhymes 0–9 and How to Fix Reversals
Original number formation rhymes for 0–9, the correct stroke order for each digit, why 3, 5 and 7 get reversed most often, and multisensory fixes that work.
Documenting Learning Without Drowning in Data: A Practical Guide for Parents and Teachers
Learn practical ways to document your child's learning without overwhelm. Simple portfolios, observation tips, and printable trackers for ages 1-8.
Coding Activities for Preschoolers: Building Tomorrow's Thinkers Today
Discover 15+ unplugged and screen-based coding activities for preschoolers that build sequencing, logic, and problem-solving skills through play. NEP 2020 aligned.
Reviews
Every worksheet for ages 4–5, no watermark
Members download the full library of 1,000+ worksheets and every activity pack without watermarks or daily limits. One year costs ₹999 in India or $20 elsewhere.
See membership plansOr download any worksheet free with a watermark (5 a day).