Math games for 2nd grade

2nd grade math games to play online or print

Looking for math games for 2nd grade, printable or online? 2nd grade is the year when children move from facts to bigger numbers. The 2nd grade math games on this page cover the arithmetic of the year: addition facts to 20 until they are automatic, adding and subtracting within 100, regrouping and the first times tables (2, 5 and 10) that lead to multiplication. Every game is free and online, the grade mix doubles as a fun math quiz for second graders, and every skill also comes as a printable worksheet - plus a printable "Race to 100" board game for two players, good for a rainy afternoon or a math center in class.

What 2nd graders learn in math

By the end of 2nd grade the Common Core expects children to know all sums of two one-digit numbers from memory and to add and subtract within 100 fluently. They also add and subtract within 1,000 using place value, which is where regrouping (carrying and borrowing) comes in. They tell odd from even, use arrays like 3 rows of 5, read and write numbers to 1,000, and skip-count by 5s, 10s and 100s. Outside arithmetic they measure in inches and centimeters, count money, tell time to the nearest five minutes and split shapes into halves, thirds and fourths. The list above links each topic to its game where there is one.

In England

A 2nd grader (age 7-8) is the age of a Year 3 pupil in England, where children learn the 3, 4 and 8 times tables and the column method for addition and subtraction; the printable sheets also make good Year 3 maths homework.

Free 2nd grade math games for the classroom

In class, the grade mix works well on the whiteboard in projector mode: the four answers are numbered, pupils call out a number, and Team A and Team B collect points. For centers, print the "Race to 100" board and the regrouping sheets in four versions so neighbors can't copy. A share link sends the same game home for practice, with no pupil accounts. The printed sheets come with an answer key on the last page, so early finishers can check their own work while you help the others.

Practice at home

Ten minutes of a game and a few problems on paper is plenty. If addition facts to 20 are still slow, spend a week on the within 20 speed test before moving on: fast facts make regrouping much easier. Mental math for 2nd grade happens on the way, too: "The sign says 35 miles, we've done 18 - how many are left?" (17, with regrouping.) Coins are just as good: two quarters and a dime are 60 cents, and the change from a dollar is 40 cents.