Picture Subtraction Worksheet – Free Printable PDF
This free picture subtraction worksheet makes taking away something a child can actually see. Each of the six rows shows a group of objects with some already crossed out — tomatoes, stars, fish, pinwheels, leaves and hearts — and the child simply counts what is left and writes it in the box. The sums are 7−3, 8−2, 9−4, 10−5, 8−6 and 9−3. Print it instantly — no login, no payment, no sign-up required.
- 📚 GRADE LEVEL → Nursery – LKG – 1st – 2nd
- 👶 AGE GROUP → 3–7 Years
- 📐 PAGE SIZE → A4 Size
- 🎯 DIFFICULTY → Beginner
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More about this worksheet
About This Free Picture Subtraction Worksheet for Kids
This free picture subtraction worksheet fits one addition activity onto a single printable page. A name and date line runs across the top, a coloured title band names the activity, and one line of instructions sits beneath it. At Kidzolearn, every worksheet is 100% free to download and print — no login, no subscription, no payment required.
Six rows fill the page. Each row shows a group of objects stacked on two levels with some of them already crossed through, the sum printed alongside, and a dashed answer box at the end. The problems are 7 − 3 with tomatoes, 8 − 2 with stars, 9 − 4 with fish, 10 − 5 with balls, 8 − 6 with leaves and 9 − 3 with hearts. Every starting number stays within ten.
The crossing out is already done. Your child does not have to decide what to remove — they only count what is left, which makes this the gentlest possible way into subtraction. The instruction on the sheet says exactly that: count what is not crossed out. Ask your child to count the whole group first, then the crossed ones, then what remains. Seeing all three numbers in one picture is what makes the minus sign mean something. For more early maths in the same style, see our number worksheets for kindergarten, and the full library sits on our free printable worksheets for kids.
What your child will learn from this worksheet
One page, one method, and several things being practised at the same time:
- See a subtraction sum as a real group with part of it removed
- Count only the objects that are not crossed out to find the answer
- Understand what the minus sign means without needing it explained twice
- Solve six sums within 10 — 7−3, 8−2, 9−4, 10−5, 8−6 and 9−3
- Connect a picture story to its written number sentence
These are the early number objectives set in LKG, UKG, Reception, Year 1 and Grade 1. Subtraction rests on secure counting, so if any of these feel slow, our tracing lines worksheets for preschool are the place to rebuild that foundation before pushing on.
Who is this worksheet best for?
This free picture subtraction worksheet is perfect for:
- Kindergarten and Grade 1 children aged 5 to 7 years meeting subtraction for the first time
- Preschool and Kindergarten classroom maths centres and small-group teaching
- UK Reception and Year 1 KS1 children working on taking away within 10
- Homeschooling parents introducing subtraction gently before written sums
Browse the complete collection of Free Subtraction Worksheets for Kids on Kidzolearn for more free subtraction printables.
How to download and print this free worksheet
Click the “Download Free Worksheet” button on this page — the PDF downloads instantly with no sign-up or email required. Print on standard A4 paper for the best experience. Once your child no longer needs the pictures, move on to the Addition Worksheet for written practice in the same range.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Kidzolearn worksheets really free?
Yes! Every worksheet on Kidzolearn is 100% free — no subscription, no login and no payment required at any time. Simply click the download button, save the PDF and print it instantly at home or in the classroom.
At what age should children start using this picture subtraction worksheet?
Most children are ready from around age five, once they can count a group of ten objects reliably and have already met addition. Subtraction sits on top of both of those — a child who is still unsure of counting, or who has not yet seen what adding does, will find taking away confusing rather than difficult. Say the story out loud together before anything is written down.
Why is subtraction harder for children than addition?
Addition combines two groups the child can see; subtraction asks them to hold a whole in mind while imagining part of it gone. That is a bigger leap than it looks. Crossing the objects out on the page does the imagining for them, which is exactly why a picture subtraction worksheet is the right first step rather than a sheet of bare number sentences.
Is picture subtraction part of the official early years curriculum?
Yes. Taking away within ten is a named objective in early years maths almost everywhere. Indian schools cover it across UKG and Grade 1; the UK sets it in the EYFS early learning goals and Year 1 of KS1; the US covers it in Kindergarten and Grade 1, including representing subtraction with objects, fingers and drawings before written equations. Every one of those frameworks puts counting and addition first, which is why our reading comprehension worksheets cover the counting work that sits underneath all of this.
Can I use these worksheet at home?
Absolutely! This worksheet is completely free to download and print at home. All you need is a printer and a pencil — no cost, no sign-up and no login required. You can print it as many times as your child needs.