Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Christmas Addition Sheet: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 2
- ForYear 2
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Christmas Addition Sheet is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7). Children add a two digit number to a one digit or two digit number and write each answer on the line. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children work down page 1 and add the two numbers in each numbered question. They write the answer on the line. Some sums add a two digit number and a one digit number. Others add two two digit numbers. Children can use a number line, counters or blocks to check. The sums help them practise tens, ones and number facts.
- 23 + 14 =
- 31 + 25 =
- 42 + 17 =
- 36 + 8 =
- 54 + 27 =
- 45 + 38 =
- 62 + 29 =
- 18 + 74 =
A worked example with different numbers
47 + 35 =
This example uses different numbers from the sheet. It shows two ways children can work.
Method 1: split into tens and ones- Split 47 into 40 and 7. Split 35 into 30 and 5.
- Add the tens: 40 + 30 = 70.
- Add the ones: 7 + 5 = 12.
- Put the parts together: 70 + 12 = 82.
- Start at 47 on a number line.
- Jump 30 to add the tens of 35: 47 + 30 = 77.
- Jump 5 to add the ones: 77 + 5 = 82.
Why use Christmas for addition?
Christmas is celebrated in December, and by Year 2 most children know it well. They see cards, decorations and advent calendars, and they count down the days. A topic that feels familiar and cheerful makes children more willing to sit down and practise, even when the sums take some thinking.
Adding two digit numbers is a key step in Year 2 maths. Children need to understand that a number like 36 is made of tens and ones. When they add, they combine tens with tens and ones with ones, and sometimes the ones make a new ten. Short, repeated practice helps this feel natural.
Christmas facts for curious children
- Christmas Day falls on 25 December every year.
- Many families in the UK send Christmas cards to friends and relatives.
- An advent calendar helps children count down the days before Christmas.
- Many people in the UK pull Christmas crackers at their Christmas meal.
- Evergreen trees keep their leaves all year, which is one reason they are popular as Christmas trees.
Skills and curriculum link
- Adding two digit numbers
- Place value
- Number facts
- Counting on
- Checking answers
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum (England) | Maths | Addition and subtraction | Year 2 |
What children will be able to do
- I can add two digit numbers.
- I can work out what a story is asking me to add.
- I can check my answer by adding in a different order.
Ideas that make adding easier
- Tens and onesEvery two digit number has tens and ones. Add the tens together and the ones together, then combine the two results.
- Count on in tensAdding a whole number of tens is quick. Jump along a number line or hundred square in tens, then add the ones.
- Order does not matterAdding in a different order gives the same total. Children can use this to check an answer or to start with the bigger number.
- Make a tenWhen the ones add up to more than ten, one of them makes a new ten. Notice this and add the extra ten to the tens.
Key words
- AddPut two amounts together to find the total.
- TotalThe answer when you add. It is also called the sum.
- Tens and onesThe two parts of a two digit number. In 52, the 5 shows tens and the 2 shows ones.
- Place valueThe value of a digit depends on where it sits in the number.
- PartitionSplit a number into parts, such as tens and ones.
- Number lineA line of numbers in order. Children jump along it to count on.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the instructions together: add the two numbers and write each answer on the line.
- Work through the first sum together. Ask your child how they plan to add it.
- Let them continue alone, using a number line, counters or blocks if they want to check.
- Mark with page 2 together. Ask how they found each answer, then come back another day to repeat the sums that felt tricky.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Start with the first four sums. Let your child use blocks or a hundred square to count on. Encourage them to say the tens and ones out loud. Praise the thinking as well as the answer, then try the rest another day.
To stretch confident children
Ask your child to make up three new sums with an answer of exactly 100. They can swap with a friend and check each other's. Challenge them to find sums where both numbers are two digit numbers.
Make it a game
Roll two dice twice to make two two digit numbers, using the first roll as the tens and the second as the ones. Add them together. Play with a partner, and the player with the higher total scores a point.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child adds the tens and the ones but forgets that the ones can make a new ten, so the answer is a ten too small.
Try thisUse blocks. Swap ten ones for one ten rod, then count the tens again. For example, 28 + 5 makes 13 ones, which is one ten and 3 ones.
Watch forA child writes the tens total and the ones total side by side, such as 70 and 12 becoming 7012.
Try thisSay the parts as amounts, not digits. Seventy and twelve is 70 + 12. Add them to find one total.
Watch forA child adds a one digit number to the tens digit instead of the ones digit.
Try thisUnderline the ones digit in the big number. Only the ones are added to the ones. Use a place value chart to line them up.
Take it off the page
Christmas card sums
Write two numbers on a folded paper card. Swap cards with a family member and add the numbers inside. Draw a picture on the front.
Tens and ones bundles
Use lolly sticks or straws. Bundle ten together with an elastic band to make a tens bundle. Build two numbers and add the bundles and the single sticks.
Advent number hunt
Look at an advent calendar or a calendar. Pick two dates, add the numbers together and say the answer aloud.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child for the first sum, then let them lead. Short sessions work best. If they get stuck, offer blocks or a hundred square and ask them to explain what they see.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups, and the answers for quick marking.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider maths plan or for revision. It is free to print again for brothers and sisters. Pair it with real counting and adding in everyday life.
Where this skill fits
Before this sheet, children in Year 1 learn to add within 20 and to count in tens. Early in Year 2 they learn that a two digit number is made of tens and ones, and they practise adding ones or tens to a two digit number. This sheet brings those ideas together.
After this sheet, children keep practising addition with a wider range of numbers, including sums where the ones make a new ten. In Year 3 they move on to adding numbers with up to three digits and begin to use written column addition.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- How did you decide what to add in the story?
- Which method did you use to add the tens and ones?
- How can you tell your answer is sensible?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Christmas Addition Sheet for?
It is written for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. It suits children who are adding two digit numbers and want more practice, and it can also support confident Year 1 children or children who need extra help in Year 3.
- What will children practise?
Children practise adding a two digit number to a one digit or two digit number. They use place value, number facts and counting on. They can check their answers with a number line, counters or blocks.
- What if it feels too hard?
Start with the first four sums and let your child use blocks or a hundred square to count on. Say the tens and ones out loud. Come back to the rest another day when they feel more confident.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision whenever you like. Black and white printing on plain A4 paper works well.
- Is it suitable for teachers to use in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, supply resource, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has the answers and ideas for support and stretch.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it suits quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Writing answers by hand gives children's eyes a rest from screens and encourages them to talk about their thinking.
- Can I use it for home education?
Yes. Home educators and tutors can use it on its own or as part of a wider maths plan. It pairs well with real life counting, books and outdoor play, and it is free to print again for revision.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.