Math Games for Kids: Ever felt like math lessons are just a never-ending cycle of “What is $10 – 4$?” or “What is $5 \times 3$?” It’s time to flip the script! “If This is the Answer…” is the ultimate “reverse” math game that turns students into the teachers. Instead of hunting for a single result, kids are given the destination first and must build the road to get there. It’s a brilliant way to spark creativity, as there isn’t just one right path—there are infinite possibilities waiting to be discovered.
Whether you are working with KS1 learners just discovering the magic of number bonds or KS2 pros diving into fractions and square numbers, this game scales perfectly to any skill level. For younger children, the number 10 might lead to $7 + 3$; for older kids, that same 10 could be the result of $\sqrt{100}$ or $(50 \div 10) + 5$. This flexibility makes it a powerhouse for the classroom or the kitchen table, encouraging kids to dig deep into their “maths toolbox” to find the most impressive way to reach the target.
To take the excitement even further, “If This is the Answer…” works brilliantly as a high-energy group competition. By introducing a timer or a “points for complexity” system, you can transform a quiet study session into a buzzing brainstorm. You might award one point for a simple addition, but five points for an equation that uses three different operations or a sneaky fraction. This gamified approach pushes KS2 students to move beyond their comfort zone and experiment with the advanced concepts they’ve been learning, all while trying to outwit their friends or siblings.
Finally, this game serves as a fantastic “warm-up” for the brain before tackling more formal assessments. Because it is open-ended, it helps kids develop mathematical stamina—the ability to keep trying different combinations until they find one that fits. It shifts the mindset from “I can’t do this” to “How else can I do this?” By the time they finish a round of “If This is the Answer…”, their minds are primed, their confidence is high, and they’re ready to see math not as a chore, but as a giant, solvable puzzle.
The ‘If This is the Answer, What is the Question?’ approach flips traditional maths teaching. Instead of presenting children with a calculation to solve, you give them the answer and ask them to work backwards. This single change transforms maths from a passive exercise into active thinking.
When a teacher writes “10” on the board and asks, “If this is the answer, what could the question be?”, children immediately start exploring possibilities. A Year 1 child might suggest “5 + 5” or “8 + 2”. A Year 6 child could propose “(100 ÷ 10) × 1” or “The square root of 100”. The same answer generates vastly different mathematical thinking depending on where each child sits in their learning.
This matters because the UK National Curriculum emphasises problem-solving and reasoning alongside calculation skills. The Department for Education expects children to “solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication.” Working backwards from answers directly addresses this requirement.
Traditional maths worksheets often create a narrow path: see the question, apply the method, find the answer. Children can follow this path without truly understanding what the numbers represent or how operations relate to each other. The reverse approach forces understanding.
Consider the difference. A worksheet might ask: “What is 6 + 4?” The child recalls that adding these numbers gives 10. They write the answer and move on. Learning happens, but it’s limited.
The reverse question—”If the answer is 10, what is the question?”—requires different thinking. The child must understand that:
Children learn maths properly when they can explain relationships between numbers, not just perform calculations,” explains Michelle Connolly. “The ‘If This is the Answer?’ game builds that explanatory thinking naturally.”
Educational researchers describe effective tasks as having a “low floor and high ceiling”. This means every child can access the activity (low floor) while the most confident mathematicians still find a challenge (high ceiling).
The ‘If This is the Answer?’ game perfectly demonstrates this principle. Give any primary class the answer “12” and watch what happens:
Early Key Stage 1 responses:
Later Key Stage 2 responses:
Every child contributes successfully. Nobody sits excluded from the activity because it’s “too hard”. Meanwhile, high-attaining mathematicians stretch themselves without the teacher creating separate worksheets.
LearningMole’s educational videos demonstrate this progression visually, showing how the same answer generates different thinking across year groups. Teachers can use these resources during whole-class teaching or for children working independently.
Success with this game depends on good setup and clear progression. Here’s how to implement it effectively in classrooms and at home.
Step 1: Choose an Appropriate Starting Answer
Select a number that matches your children’s current learning. For Year 1, single-digit numbers or early teens work well. Year 6 children can handle decimals, fractions, or larger whole numbers.
Starting suggestions:
Step 2: Display the Answer Clearly
Write the answer in a prominent spot—centre of the whiteboard, a large number on paper at home, or on a tablet screen. Make it impossible to miss.
Step 3: Give Thinking Time
Don’t rush to collect answers. Silent thinking time (30-60 seconds) allows all children to formulate at least one response. This particularly supports children who process more slowly or need time to build confidence before sharing.
Step 4: Gather Initial Responses
Start collecting questions. Write them down where everyone can see them. This validates all contributions and shows the variety of possible approaches.
Once children grasp the basic idea, deepen their mathematical thinking by introducing constraints or specific requirements.
The Operation Challenge
Specify which operation children must use in their question:
This forces children to work with operations they might otherwise avoid, strengthening skills across all four operations.
The Multi-Step Extension
Require questions that use more than one operation:
This builds understanding of operation order (BODMAS/BIDMAS) and creates more complex mathematical thinking.
The Real-World Connection
Ask for questions that relate to real situations:
This demonstrates that maths exists outside textbooks and helps children see practical applications.
The Constraint Game
Set specific rules that limit what children can use:
These constraints push children into unfamiliar territory and prevent them from staying in their comfort zones.
The beauty of this game lies in its natural differentiation, but teachers can add specific scaffolds for children who need them.
For children who struggle:
For children with SEND:
For EAL learners:
For high-attaining mathematicians:
LearningMole’s video resources show these differentiation strategies in action, demonstrating how the same basic game adapts for different learning needs.
The ‘If This is the Answer?’ game directly supports National Curriculum objectives throughout primary school. Understanding these connections helps teachers use the game strategically.
Year 1 Mathematics:
How the game addresses these: When children create questions for answers like 10 or 15, they’re actively working with number bonds. They discover that 7 + 3 = 10 and 10 – 3 = 7 represent the same mathematical relationship. This is precisely the “related facts” understanding the curriculum requires.
Year 2 Mathematics:
How the game addresses these: Setting an answer like 10 and asking for multiplication questions helps children recall “2 × 5” and “10 × 1. When they suggest both “6 + 4” and “4 + 6” as answers to 10, they’re discovering commutativity. The game naturally reveals inverse relationships as children move between “8 + 2 = 10” and “10 – 2 = 8”.
Year 3 & 4 Mathematics:
How the game addresses these: The ‘If This is the Answer?’ format is essentially a missing number problem where all numbers are missing except the answer. Setting answers like 0.5 or 0.25 requires children to work with decimal equivalents (½ = 0.5, ¼ = 0.25), directly supporting this objective.
Year 5 & 6 Mathematics:
How the game addresses these: Upper KS2 children can create questions that deliberately require BODMAS/BIDMAS application, such as “(5 + 3) × 2 = 16”. Measurement answers (1 metre, 1000 millimetres) prompt conversion thinking.
Every National Curriculum year group includes aims for reasoning and problem-solving. The ‘If This is the Answer?’ game addresses these aims directly because:
This positions the game as far more than a time-filler. Used regularly, it builds precisely the mathematical thinking the curriculum values.
The game works equally well in formal classroom settings and informal home learning. Here’s how to maximise its effectiveness in each context.
As a Lesson Starter (5-10 minutes): Write an answer on the board as children enter. By the time the lesson officially begins, most children have already thought of several questions. This settles the class, activates mathematical thinking, and creates an inclusive start where everyone can contribute.
As a Main Activity (20-30 minutes): Structure a full lesson around increasingly complex answers:
As a Plenary (5 minutes): End a calculation-heavy lesson by giving children the final answer from one of the questions they solved. “You worked out that 45 + 28 = 73. Now, if 73 is the answer, what other questions could we ask?” This reinforces learning and shows connections.
As Assessment: Give an answer and ask children to create:
This quickly reveals who understands each operation and who needs more support.
For Intervention Groups: Use the game to build confidence in children who struggle with maths:
Parents can use this game without any special resources or mathematical expertise.
During Daily Routines:
While preparing meals:
During car journeys:
At bedtime:
Supporting Homework:
When children bring home maths homework, flip some questions:
This doubles the mathematical thinking from the same homework sheet.
Building Number Confidence:
For children who worry about maths, this game removes the fear of “getting it wrong”. There are dozens of correct answers. The child who suggests “5 + 5 = 10” is just as correct as the child who suggests “2 × 5 = 10”. Both children experience success.
“Parents don’t need to become maths teachers,” notes Michelle Connolly. “They just need to show interest and celebrate their children’s thinking. This game makes that easy.”
LearningMole provides curriculum-aligned video resources that demonstrate the ‘If This is the Answer?’ approach with clear visual examples. These videos work well for:
Whole-Class Teaching: Display the video during the lesson introduction to show children how the game works. Pause at key points to discuss what’s happening.
Independent Learning: Children can watch videos individually or in small groups, seeing multiple examples of question creation before attempting their own.
Home Learning: Parents can watch with their children to understand the approach, then practise together using household numbers and situations.
Revision and Reinforcement: Videos provide consistent explanations that children can revisit when they need reminders about how different operations work.
With over 3,300 educational resources aligned to the UK National Curriculum, LearningMole supports both teachers planning lessons and parents helping with home learning. The video format makes mathematical concepts visible, which particularly helps children who learn better visually than through written explanations alone.
The ‘If This is the Answer?’ principle extends beyond pure mathematics.
Science:
History:
Geography:
These connections show children that reverse thinking applies across all learning, not just in maths lessons.
Once children master the basic game, try these variations to maintain interest and deepen thinking.
Provide the answer and a deliberately wrong question:
Children must identify the error and correct it. This builds critical evaluation skills and requires them to prove their thinking.
Use geometric answers instead of numbers:
Focus specifically on time:
Use measurement answers:
Particularly valuable for upper KS2:
For confident Year 6 mathematicians:
Keep a running list of the most interesting or unusual questions children create. This serves several purposes:
When children suggest mathematically incorrect questions, don’t simply mark them wrong. Ask: “Can anyone explain what happened here?” or “How could we adjust this to make it work?”
For example, if a child suggests “5 + 6 = 10” (incorrect), discuss what answer this question actually gives (11) and what question would give 10 (4 + 6 or 5 + 5).
Record children’s strategies:
This explicit acknowledgement of different approaches validates varied mathematical thinking.
Don’t rush to complex answers or unusual operations. Spend time with accessible numbers until all children feel confident. The goal is thinking, not speed.
If your class is working on multiplication, use answers that lend themselves to multiplication questions. If they’re learning about fractions, choose fractional answers. This reinforces current teaching without creating extra workload.
Ask children to explain how they created their question: “I knew 6 + 6 was 12, so I thought about what other pairs make 12.” This verbalisation strengthens understanding.
The game provides rich assessment information without formal testing.
Operation understanding:
Number sense:
Problem-solving approach:
Confidence indicators:
This information guides future teaching far more effectively than a score on a worksheet.
Take photographs of whiteboard collections, keep examples of written questions children create, or note particularly impressive thinking in assessment records. These provide evidence for parents and internal monitoring.
The ‘If This is the Answer?’ game represents everything effective primary maths teaching should be: accessible for all, challenging for the confident, and focused on understanding rather than just procedures.
LearningMole’s educational videos bring this approach to life with clear visual demonstrations that help both teachers and children see mathematical thinking in action. Whether you’re planning whole-class lessons, supporting small intervention groups, or helping your own children with home learning, our curriculum-aligned resources make quality maths teaching achievable.
With subscription access to our complete library of teaching videos and resources, you’ll find materials covering every National Curriculum objective from EYFS through Key Stage 2. Our content is designed by experienced educators who understand real classrooms and real children.
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