Author
Mhairi Sim
Published
July 2025
Key takeaways
Year 2 is such a fun and important time for kids as they start to really grow in confidence with their maths skills. They’ve already picked up so much in Foundation and Year 1, and now they’re ready to stretch themselves a bit more with new challenges.
Of course, those new ideas can feel tricky at first, which is why it helps to make maths feel relaxed and enjoyable. Kids learn best when they’re curious and having fun, so turning lessons into games and hands-on activities is a great way to take the pressure off and keep them engaged.
Whether you’re teaching a class or helping your child at home, having a few go-to Year 2 maths activities up your sleeve can make a huge difference. Not only will they help kids practise key skills, but they’ll also build their confidence and love for learning.
Here are some simple, creative activities to try that make maths a positive and exciting part of every day!
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Maths is a tricky subject for some, but hands-on, game-based learning is a real winner. Here is our list of tried-and-tested Year 2 maths activities that teach and reinforce key maths concepts, broken down by skill!
Kids learn best when they’re having fun – it’s a scientific fact! Studies have found that gamified learning increases learners’ motivation and ability to take in and retain information! This is where hands-on and game-based learning activities come in. Here are some creative ways to make Year 2 maths exciting for your kiddos:
1. Peas in a pod (addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication)
Using small cards or PostIt notes, create matching pairs with maths equations and answers on corresponding cards. Shuffle the cards and give one to each learner. The goal is for them to move around the room and try to find the person who has the card that corresponds to theirs!
2. Maths bingo (number)
There are lots of ways to play maths bingo! Create or print ready-made bingo cards with numerical answers (e.g. 15, 52, 30) and read out questions that target whichever subject you’d like. For example;
3. Food fractions
Using paper plates and pens, or coloured cards, scissors and glue, have your kids create some pizzas with all their favourite toppings. In groups, have your kiddos cut their pizzas up into different fractions – have some create halves, quarters, thirds, sixths, and so on. Then, let your students compare their fractions and see what they notice about which ones are equivalent.
4. Maths charades
Create cards with some maths vocabulary or problems on them (e.g. ‘triangle’, ‘multiples of 3’, ‘right angle’, ‘the number 6’). Players act out or describe the term on their card without saying the exact phrase, while the other children guess! This game is a great way to encourage problem-solving and communication skills while revising some maths concepts!
5. Times table card flip
Using a standard deck of cards, children will take turns to flip two cards over and multiply the two numbers. Be warned, this can get quite competitive as a team game, but it is a super fun way to practice the tricky times tables that our kiddos will tackle this year!
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Putting maths into practice in real-world contexts and having kids physically get involved with their learning are ideal ways to make maths more engaging. Here are some exciting ideas for both indoor and outdoor maths activities:
Place problems or maths questions around the classroom or your home and set your learners on a hunt for some treasure! For every correct answer they give, they’ll get another clue that’ll lead them to the next clue. You can do this activity for any maths topic – I particularly love this activity as an end-of-term maths revision activity to consolidate the past few weeks’ learning.
In recent years, a wealth of resources has become accessible online, including downloadable, printable activities and digital resources. Here are some examples you can use with Year 2 learners at school or home:
All of the activities we’ve included here are designed to support Year 2 maths and help kids feel confident as they take on new challenges.
Games like “Maths Bingo” and “Number Card Flip” are great for practising addition and subtraction, while also starting to build an understanding of multiplication and division. They’re quick, fun, and perfect for boosting number fluency.
Taking maths outside with activities like measuring the perimeter of playground spaces or going on a “Shape Hunt” makes learning feel more like an adventure. It helps kids see how maths connects to the real world, which is exciting and motivating.
Hands-on activities like “Food Fractions” let children explore fractions and equivalence in a way they can actually see and touch. Games such as maths charades or scavenger hunts help them work together, solve problems, and build communication skills — all while having fun.
By mixing structured lessons with playful, creative experiences, kids get to be active and engaged while strengthening their maths skills. Making maths enjoyable now sets them up with confidence and a genuine love of learning that will carry through the years.
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