Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Fish Adding Colour by Sum: Free Printable Game for Reception
- ForReception
- StageEarly Years
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Fish Adding Colour by Sum is a free printable maths game for Reception (ages 4 to 5). Children add small numbers to make totals up to 10, then use a colour key to colour the fish. It needs only a pencil and some colours, and it works well as a shared activity with a grown-up.
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. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2 for yourself, as it has notes on using the sheet, help ideas and a stretch task. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children add small numbers together and use each total to decide how to colour the fish. A colour key on the sheet tells them which colour goes with which total, so they have to read it carefully and match what they find. They can count on fingers or use counters for each sum. It is best to do the first sums together, then let your child take the lead.
Why practise adding to 10?
In the Early Years Foundation Stage, number is one of the main parts of maths. Children learn that numbers can be put together to make bigger numbers, and that a total can be made from two smaller parts. Adding to 10 is a key step because ten is the number our whole counting system is built around. Short, playful practice helps these ideas feel familiar.
Colouring by sum gives children a reason to get each answer right. The picture only works if they add carefully and then read the key. That links number work with looking closely and following instructions. It also gives a grown-up an easy way to see how a child is thinking, because the colouring shows the choices they made.
Fish facts to share
- Fish live in water, in rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea.
- Most fish breathe underwater using gills.
- Fins help fish to swim and steer.
- Many fish are covered in small scales.
- Goldfish are a kind of fish that people often keep in ponds or tanks.
Skills and curriculum link
- Adding to 10
- Number bonds
- Following a key
- Counting on
- Careful colouring
Ideas that help with adding
- Counting onStart with the bigger number and count on the smaller one. Say the numbers out loud and use fingers to keep track.
- CountersMake two groups of counters, one for each number. Push them together and count the whole lot. Touch each counter once.
- Number bondsA number bond is two numbers that join to make a total. Children who know some bonds by heart find adding faster.
- Reading a keyA key links a total to a colour. Put a finger on the row you need, say the number and colour together, then colour.
Key words
- AddPut two amounts together to find how many there are altogether.
- TotalThe number you get when you add. It is also called the sum.
- SumAn adding question, such as two numbers with a plus sign between them.
- Number bondTwo numbers that join together to make a bigger number.
- KeyA guide on the sheet that shows which colour to use for each answer.
- CountersSmall objects such as buttons or pasta shapes that you can move about to help you count.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes for you.
- Look at the fish and the colour key together. Ask your child what they think they will need to do.
- Count on fingers or counters for each sum. Then check the total in the colour key before colouring.
- Work through the first sums together and talk about each choice. Then let your child carry on.
- Come back to the sheet another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Do the first few sums together and let your child do the rest. Use counters in two small groups for each sum, and push them together to count. Point to the colour key as you go, and say each number and colour aloud.
To stretch confident children
Ask your child to make up three sums of their own that make 10. They can write them down, show them with counters, or draw them. Then they can check each other's sums by counting.
Make it a game
Colour a second fish yourself on squared paper, using your own sums. Ask your child to check your colouring against the key. Make one deliberate mistake and see if they spot it. Then swap, and let them be the one who sets the puzzle.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child counts the objects wrongly, so the total is one too big or too small.
Try thisUse counters and touch each one once as you count. Move each counter to a new pile as it is counted, so none is counted twice.
Watch forA child picks the wrong colour from the key.
Try thisPut a finger under the right row of the key. Say the total and the colour out loud together before colouring.
Watch forA child writes the two starting numbers but no total.
Try thisSay the sum as a sentence, such as "this and this make how many?" Then write the total before moving to the colouring.
Talk about it
- How did you work out that sum?
- Did you use your fingers, counters or something else?
- Can you find a total that is bigger than the one you just did?
- How did you know which colour to use?
- Can you think of two numbers that would make 10?
- Which part of the fish was your favourite to colour?
Take it off the page
Fish pond counting
Draw a pond on paper. Cut out small paper fish in two colours. Place some of each colour in the pond, then count how many fish there are altogether.
Snack sums
Use two kinds of dry snack, such as raisins and cereal pieces, to make small sums on a plate. Count the total, then tidy up by eating them.
Ten frame fish
Draw a grid of ten boxes. Draw fish in some boxes with one colour and in others with another colour. Say how many of each, and how many altogether.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child for the first few sums, then let them lead. Short sessions work best. Praise careful counting and talk about how they worked things out, not just whether the colouring looks right.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups, and the skills list helps you match it to your planning.
Home educators
Pair this with everyday counting, such as fish fingers, shoes or toys. Print it again for brothers and sisters, or come back to it a few weeks later to see how confident your child has become.
Where this fits in maths
Before this sheet, children count objects, learn the order of numbers and begin to see that a group can be split into smaller parts. Counting to 10 with confidence and matching a number to a set of objects are good foundations.
After this sheet, children can move on to more number bonds, adding with totals beyond 10, and taking away. In Year 1 they meet addition and subtraction written with symbols, and the early practice here helps with that move.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Fish Adding Colour by Sum for?
It is written for Reception, which is ages 4 to 5, in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Younger children may enjoy it with lots of help, and older children can use the stretch idea.
- What will children practise?
They practise adding two small numbers to make totals up to 10. They also practise number bonds, counting on and following a colour key, which links the answer to the colouring.
- How do I use it?
Print both pages and give page 1 to your child. Let them count on fingers or counters for each sum, then check the colour key. Do the first few together. Keep page 2 for the grown-up.
- What if it feels too hard?
Do the first few sums together and let your child do the rest. Use counters so they can see each number as a small group. Stop when they tire, and come back another day.
- 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 you can use it as often as you like.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper, a pencil and some colours. That makes it useful for quiet time, rainy days, holidays or a calm moment before bed, with no tablet or computer needed.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Your child adds the colour with pencils or crayons, which is part of the activity.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.