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Christmas Number Bonds to 10: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 1
- ForYear 1
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Christmas Number Bonds to 10 is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6). Each question tells children how many presents are in a stocking. They work out how many more make 10 and write the missing number. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch idea 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 meet a set of numbered questions, each with space for the answer. Every question is a short Christmas story about a stocking that already has some presents in it. The child decides how many more presents are needed to make 10 and writes that number down. The starting numbers change from question to question, so children practise a range of pairs rather than just one or two.
- A stocking has 6 presents. How many more make 10?
- A stocking has 3 presents. How many more make 10?
- A stocking has 8 presents. How many more make 10?
- A stocking has 5 presents. How many more make 10?
- A stocking has 1 present. How many more make 10?
- A stocking has 7 presents. How many more make 10?
- A stocking has 4 presents. How many more make 10?
- A stocking has 9 presents. How many more make 10?
How the sheet builds number bond recall
Picture the stocking
Each question gives a small story. Children imagine the presents already in the stocking and think about how many more are needed to fill it to ten.
Find the missing part
Children know the whole is 10 and one part is given. Finding the other part is the heart of a number bond.
Say it aloud
Reading each question aloud and saying the pair out loud helps the numbers stick. Hearing the pair helps as much as seeing it.
Repeat for speed
Coming back to the sheet on another day turns careful working out into quick recall. Fast recall is the real aim.
Why learn number bonds to 10?
Number bonds are pairs of numbers that add to the same total. Bonds to 10 are often the first set Year 1 children learn well, because 10 is such an important number in our counting system. Knowing them by heart makes later adding and taking away quicker. It also helps children see that a number can be split into two parts and put back together.
Christmas gives the pairs a story. A stocking holds some presents, and children picture how many more are needed to reach ten. A story gives each number a meaning, so children think about parts and a whole rather than guessing. Repeated, playful practice helps the pairs move into memory, so children can say them quickly and without counting.
Christmas facts to share
- Christmas Day is on 25 December every year.
- The day before Christmas Day is called Christmas Eve.
- Many children in the UK hang up a stocking on Christmas Eve.
- Stockings are often hung near a fireplace or at the end of a bed.
- Christmas is celebrated in many countries around the world, and families have their own traditions.
Skills and curriculum link
- Number bonds to 10
- Adding
- Recall
- Missing number thinking
- Number sense
- Reading number questions
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 1 |
What children will be able to do
- I can remember pairs that make 10.
- I can fill in the missing number.
- I can say my pairs quickly.
Ideas that help with pairs to 10
- Two parts make a wholeA number bond splits 10 into two parts. If you know one part and the whole, the other part is what is missing.
- Use your fingersTen fingers show the whole. Fold some down and the rest show the other part. Children can see a pair straight away.
- Count up to 10Start at the number in the stocking and count on until you reach 10. The numbers you say are the extra presents.
- Look for patternsWhen one part gets bigger, the other part gets smaller. Spotting this helps children check whether an answer makes sense.
Key words
- Number bondTwo numbers that add together to make a given total.
- PairTwo numbers that go together.
- TotalThe amount you get when you add. Here the total is always 10.
- Missing numberThe number you have to find to finish the sum.
- RecallRemembering a fact quickly without working it out.
- Part and wholeThe whole is the full amount. The parts are the smaller amounts that make it.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read each question aloud and let your child write the missing number.
- Work through the activity together the first time. Talk about each choice.
- Check against the notes on page 2 and the answers.
- Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Use 10 buttons or small toys. Put them in a row, then cover some with a cup. Ask your child to look at what they can see and work out how many are hidden. Lift the cup to check. Try a few questions this way before writing any numbers.
To stretch confident children
Ask for the pairs in reverse, using take away. Say 10 take away a number and ask what is left. Then ask your child to explain how the take away fact and the number bond are linked. Finally, ask them to say all the pairs that make 10 without looking.
Make it a game
Hold 10 coins or buttons. Put some in your open hand and show your child. Hide the rest in your closed hand. Your child says how many are hidden. Open your hand to check. Then swap roles so your child hides some and you work it out.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child writes the number from the question again instead of finding the missing one.
Try thisAsk, "How many are in the stocking now, and how many do we need altogether?" Use buttons to show the starting amount, then add more until there are ten.
Watch forA child counts from 1 and says a number that is too big.
Try thisShow that you start counting at the number already in the stocking. Put that many counters down, then count only the new ones as you add them.
Watch forA child gives an answer that makes more than 10 in total.
Try thisAsk them to add the two numbers back together to check. If the total is not 10, try again with counters or fingers.
Talk about it
- How many presents are in the stocking at the start, and how many do we want at the end?
- How did you work out the missing number?
- Can you show me the pair on your fingers?
- What happens to the missing number when the stocking starts with more presents?
- Which pairs do you know straight away, and which ones need thinking time?
- Can you make up your own stocking question for me to answer?
Take it off the page
Wrap ten presents
Use ten small objects or toys and some scraps of paper. Wrap some in one colour and the rest in another. Say how many of each colour make 10.
Bauble pairs
Count out ten baubles or paper circles. Hang some on a branch or string and keep the rest in a bowl. Ask how many are still in the bowl.
Pair hunt
Make ten paper stockings or cards. Write a number on half of them and ask your child to find the pair that makes 10 for each one.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first question, then let them lead. Use objects at home if they are stuck. Praise effort and the way they think, not only the right answer.
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.
Home educators
Pair it with everyday number talk, counting games and outdoor play. Because it is free to print, you can use it again for brothers and sisters or for revision a few weeks later.
Where number bonds to 10 fit in
Before this, children count objects, say numbers in order and compare small amounts. They also learn that a number can be split into two parts. This sheet builds on that by asking them to recall pairs that make 10.
After this, children use their bonds to 10 to add by making ten, to learn subtraction facts and to work with larger numbers. Secure recall now makes later adding and taking away much easier.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- What goes with 4 to make 10?
- How do you know the pair is right?
- Which pair do you still need to practise?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Christmas Number Bonds to 10 for?
It is written for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6), in Key Stage 1. Children in Reception who are confident with small numbers may enjoy it with an adult, and older children can use it for revision.
- What will children practise?
They practise recalling pairs of numbers that make 10. Each question gives one part, and the child finds the missing part. This supports the addition and subtraction strand of the Year 1 maths curriculum in England.
- How do I use it?
Print both pages and give page 1 to your child. Read each question aloud and let them write the missing number. Work through it together the first time, then check against the answers on page 2.
- What if it feels too hard?
Use 10 buttons or small toys and hide some under a cup. Your child can see how many are left and work out how many are hidden. Page 2 has more help for children who find it hard.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision, and use plain A4 paper in black and white.
- Is it suitable for teachers to use in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has help and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
- How long does it take?
It depends on the child. Let them work at their own pace and take a break if they tire. Page 2 has help for children who find it hard and a stretch idea for confident children.
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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.