Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Pancake Day Maths: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 2
- ForYear 2
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Pancake Day Maths is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7). Children use pancake stories to practise adding, taking away, sharing into equal groups, simple times tables and finding half. 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 read short pancake stories and write an answer in the space provided. The stories cover sharing pancakes between plates, adding up how many each child eats, taking away strawberries or pancakes that are eaten, finding groups of lemon slices and finding half of a number of pancakes. Each story is a small, everyday problem, so children can picture it, draw it or act it out with counters before they write.
- 12 pancakes are shared between 2 plates. How many on each plate?
- Sam eats 4 pancakes. Lola eats 3. How many in all?
- There are 20 strawberries. 10 are eaten. How many are left?
- There are 15 pancakes. 5 are eaten. How many are left?
- 4 children each get 2 lemon slices. How many slices?
- What is half of 16 pancakes?
A worked example
There are 17 pancakes. 8 are eaten. How many are left?
This example uses different numbers from the sheet. It shows two ways a child can work out a take away story.
Method 1: take away to ten first- Start with 17 and split the 8 into 7 and 1.
- Take away 7 first: 17 take away 7 is 10.
- Now take away the last 1: 10 take away 1 is 9.
- Start at 8, the number that was eaten.
- Count up to the next ten: 8 to 10 is a jump of 2.
- Then count on to 17: 10 to 17 is a jump of 7. Add the jumps: 2 and 7 make 9.
How the sheet builds skills
Sharing into equal groups
Children share a number of pancakes between plates so that every plate gets the same. This is the start of division, and it works best with counters or drawings.
Equal groups and times tables
When each child gets the same number of slices, children can add the same number again and again. This shows where times tables come from.
Adding and taking away
Stories about pancakes eaten and pancakes left give a reason to add or take away. Children choose the operation by picturing what happens in the story.
Why use Pancake Day for maths?
Pancake Day is the popular name for Shrove Tuesday. It falls on the day before Lent begins, so the date changes from year to year. In the UK, many families make pancakes at home that evening. Traditional toppings include lemon and sugar, but children often choose fruit, chocolate spread or syrup. Because it is a food most children know well, it makes an easy setting for number stories.
Story problems work best when children can picture the story. Pancakes on plates and fruit on top give each number a meaning. Sharing is something children do at mealtimes, so equal groups feel natural. Taking away is easy to see when food is eaten. Pictures and counters help children choose the right operation, and they make it easier to check whether an answer makes sense.
Cooking is for adults. If you make real pancakes, an adult does all the work with the hot pan, the hob and the flipping. Children can count toppings once the pancakes are cooked and have cooled. Check for food allergies before anyone eats.
Pancake Day facts
- Pancake Day is also called Shrove Tuesday.
- It comes the day before Lent begins.
- The date of Pancake Day changes each year.
- Pancakes are usually made from flour, eggs and milk.
- Some towns in the UK hold pancake races on the day.
Skills and curriculum link
- Adding
- Taking away
- Sharing equally
- Finding half
- Simple times tables
- Word problems
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 |
| National Curriculum (England) | Maths | Multiplication and division | Year 2 |
What children will be able to do
- I can add and take away in pancake stories.
- I can share pancakes into equal groups.
- I can use times tables to count pancakes.
Ideas that help with these questions
- Equal groupsSharing fairly means every group ends up with the same amount. Dealing items out one at a time, like cards, is a good way to check.
- Take awayTaking away means finding what is left. Children can count back, or cover items with a hand and count what remains.
- Adding in any orderTwo amounts can be added in either order and the total stays the same. Starting with the bigger number can make counting on quicker.
- HalfHalf means one of two equal parts. If the two parts are not the same size, they are not halves.
Key words
- ShareSplit something into groups so that each group gets the same amount.
- Equal groupsGroups that all have the same number in them.
- EachEvery one of them. It tells you every group gets the same.
- TotalHow many there are altogether when you add.
- Take awayRemove some to find out how many are left.
- HalfOne of two equal parts of something.
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. Ask your child to picture the story before they write anything.
- Let them choose how to work. Counters, drawings and fingers are all fine.
- Check together using page 2. Ask, "How did you work that out?" The thinking matters as much as the answer.
- Come back another day and try the questions that felt tricky again. Repeating a familiar sheet builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Act out each story with counters, buttons or dried pasta as pretend pancakes. Use paper circles as plates. Move the counters as the story happens, then count. Try a few questions at a time and come back to the rest on another day.
To stretch confident children
Write your own pancake word problem and swap it with a friend or grown-up to solve. Try to include sharing, adding or taking away. Can you write one that uses an equal groups story, such as the same number of toppings on each pancake?
Make it a game
Make pancakes with a grown-up, who does all the cooking and handles the hot pan. Once they are cooked and cooled, count the toppings together. Make up your own sums, such as how many pieces of fruit are on all the plates.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child adds when the story asks them to take away, because they see two numbers and add them.
Try thisAsk, "Are there more pancakes or fewer at the end?" Act it out with counters so they see the pile getting smaller.
Watch forWhen sharing, a child gives some plates more than others.
Try thisDeal the pancakes out one at a time, like cards, so each plate gets one in turn. Then check that every plate matches.
Watch forIn an "each" story, a child adds the two numbers in the question instead of making groups.
Try thisDraw the groups. Draw one plate for each child, put the same number on each plate, then count everything.
Talk about it
- Which question did you picture most clearly in your head?
- How can you tell when a story needs adding and when it needs taking away?
- What does it mean to share fairly?
- Can you think of a time at home when you shared food equally?
- How would you check your answer a different way?
- What is your favourite pancake topping, and how could we count it?
Take it off the page
Counter plates
Use buttons or dried pasta as pretend pancakes and paper plates as plates. Share them out, add more, take some away and say each story aloud.
Topping tally
After a pancake meal, make a tally chart of everyone's favourite topping. Count each row and talk about which has the most and which has the fewest.
Draw a pancake story
Draw a pile of pancakes and some toppings. Write a number sentence underneath to match your picture and read it to a grown-up.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first question, then let them lead. Short bursts work well. If they get stuck, ask them to draw the story or use counters. Praise the thinking, not only the answer.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework task or table activity, perhaps in the week of Shrove Tuesday. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider maths plan. It pairs well with real cooking, which an adult leads, and with counting everyday objects. You can print it again for brothers and sisters or for revision a few weeks later.
Where this fits in children's learning
Before this sheet, children count, learn number facts and add and take away with small numbers. They also meet sharing in everyday life, such as dividing snacks between friends. Counters and drawings are the usual first tools.
After this sheet, children go on to learn more of their times tables and to use division facts alongside them. They also meet fractions in more depth. Adding and taking away with bigger numbers continues through Key Stage 1 and into Key Stage 2.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- How many pancakes would there be if each plate had two?
- How did you share the pancakes fairly?
- Which sum did you find tricky, and why?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Pancake Day Maths for?
It is written for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. Year 1 children who are confident with number may manage some questions with help, and Year 3 children could use it as revision.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or a later revision session without needing to buy anything.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Colour printing is not needed, so you can save ink and still use the sheet in the same way.
- What is on page 2?
Page 2 is for the grown-up. It has notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard, a stretch idea and the answers. Keep it separate until your child has finished.
- What if it feels too hard?
Use counters or real objects to act out each story. Buttons, pasta or paper circles work well. Try a few questions at a time and come back to the rest another day.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. It works as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
- Is it suitable 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 cooking led by an adult, counting toppings and everyday talk.
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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.