Here are all of the key maths skills we will be developing throughout the year, which you may wish to practise at home!

Everyday maths (KS2)

Maths can be found in all sorts of areas at home! Here are some ways you might like to try and incorporate maths into your daily routines. 

Games with household items

• Countdown: Using a deck of cards (aces and picture cards can be 1 or 10), deal out six cards. Set a timer and a target number. The goal is to use any of the four basic operations (+, –, ×, ÷) to reach the target number using the numbers on the cards.
• Multiplication bingo: Create bingo cards with multiples of a chosen times table. Call out multiplication problems from that table, and have players cross off the answers on their cards.
• Place value battle: With two or more players, draw a place value grid (e.g., thousands, hundreds, tens, ones). Using digit cards from 0–9, take turns drawing a card and placing the digit in one of the columns. The goal is to create the largest number possible.
• Estimation jar: Fill a clear jar with a number of items like pebbles, sweets, or coins. Have everyone guess the quantity. Afterwards, practise grouping the items into 5s or 10s to count them and check the estimate. 

Practical, real-world maths

• Budgeting: Give your child a small budget for a shopping trip. Have them calculate the total cost of items, compare prices, and work out any change needed.
• Cooking and baking: Involve your child in the kitchen by measuring ingredients, adjusting recipe quantities (e.g., doubling or halving), and setting timers.
• Travel and time: When travelling, have your child work out journey times, read maps, or calculate the distance to a destination. Use a clock or stopwatch to time tasks like getting ready for school and keep track of the duration.
• Sports statistics: If your child enjoys sports, encourage them to calculate batting averages, keep score, or analyse team statistics. 

Outdoor maths challenges

• Measure the garden: Use rulers or tape measures to find the length, width, and perimeter of different objects in the garden. You can also calculate the area of different patches of ground.
• Nature scavenger hunt: Search for different angles and shapes in nature, such as a right angle in a tree branch or a hexagon in a honeycomb pattern. You can also graph the types of mini-beasts you find.
• Fill the jars: Take a variety of containers and measuring jugs outside. Challenge your child to find the volume of as many containers as possible by filling them with water. 

Online games and resources

• Twinkl Go!: This website offers a wide variety of interactive KS2 maths games, including Arithmagic, Pizza Fractions, and Times Table Press the Button.
• BBC Bitesize: The "Guardians: Defenders of Mathematica" game allows children aged 7–11 to practise their maths skills, including fractions, algebra, and ratio.
• Mathsframe: This site features over 200 interactive maths games linked to the UK curriculum, with new games added regularly.
• Math Playground: A wide selection of free maths games sorted by grade level, covering topics like geometry, fractions, and decimals
• Times Table Rock Stars: Use your login to practise all your times table and division facts – you can even compete against others and earn coins to customise your avatar!

Arithmetic Skills

You may also like to have a go at some of the arithmetic questions below to develop your child's key maths skills!