Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Percentage Sweet Shop Match: Free Printable Game for Year 5
- ForYear 5
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Percentage Sweet Shop Match is a free printable maths game for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10). Children match each percentage to the fraction that has the same value. The sweet shop theme gives the numbers a picture, so "out of 100" feels real and not just a rule to remember.
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 through a sweet shop matching game. They look at each percentage and find the fraction that matches it. To do this they need to know what the per cent symbol means and how percentages and fractions describe the same part of a whole. They can talk through each choice with a partner, then check their matches against the notes on page 2.
A worked example
A jar holds 100 sweets. 30 of them are lemon. What percentage is lemon, and what fraction is that?
This example uses different numbers from the sheet. It shows two ways children can think.
Method 1: write it out of 100- 30 out of 100 sweets is 30%.
- As a fraction, 30 out of 100 is 30/100.
- Divide the top and the bottom by 10. 30 ÷ 10 = 3 and 100 ÷ 10 = 10.
- The fraction is now 3/10. Its value has not changed.
- Lay out 100 sweets in 10 rows of 10.
- 30 sweets fill 3 whole rows.
- 3 rows out of 10 rows is 3/10.
- So 30% and 3/10 are the same amount.
Ways to build the idea
Start with a jar of 100
Draw a big jar and fill it with 100 dots or counters. Say that every sweet is 1 out of 100, or 1%. Ask your child to point to groups of sweets and say what percentage they show.
Use a hundred square
Colour in part of a squared grid of 100 boxes. Count the coloured boxes to get the percentage. Then ask what fraction of the whole grid is coloured.
Group the sweets
Share the jar into equal groups, such as groups of 10 or groups of 50. Ask how many groups there are, then how many of them are coloured or taken. This links fractions of a whole to percentages.
Say it three ways
For each match, say it aloud as a percentage, a fraction and a sentence, such as "out of every 100 sweets". Saying it helps children to see that all three describe the same amount.
Why link percentages and fractions?
Percentages, fractions and decimals are three ways of writing a part of a whole. A percentage is always out of 100. A fraction can be out of any number of equal parts. Children who see these as one idea in different forms find later maths much easier, from shopping offers to reading charts.
Sweets are a friendly way into this. Children already share, count and compare them, so they can picture a jar, a bag or a tray being split into equal parts. A match game helps because children must decide whether two things have the same value, and give a reason for it.
Year 5 children are not asked to work out every percentage. They learn the most common equivalents and recognise them quickly. Knowing these well gives them a base for working out others later.
Skills and curriculum link
- Percentages
- Fractions
- Matching equivalents
- Reasoning
- Number sense
Helpful ideas for grown ups
- Per cent means out of 100The word comes from the idea of "for each hundred". If a child knows this, they can work out what a percentage means for themselves.
- Same value, different formA percentage and a fraction can look very different but name the same amount. Ask your child to explain why they match.
- Fractions can be rewrittenA fraction can be written with different numbers on the top and bottom and still have the same value. Hundredths are a handy form to link to percentages.
- Simplifying keeps the valueDividing the top and bottom of a fraction by the same number makes it simpler, but the amount stays exactly the same.
Key words
- Per centOut of every 100. The symbol is %.
- PercentageA part of a whole written out of 100, using the % symbol.
- FractionA part of a whole, written as one number over another.
- EquivalentHaving the same value, even if it is written in a different way.
- NumeratorThe top number of a fraction. It shows how many parts we have.
- DenominatorThe bottom number of a fraction. It shows how many equal parts make the whole.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has notes for you.
- Say that per cent means out of 100. Picture a jar of 100 sweets and ask how many sweets are 25%.
- Work through the first match together. Talk about each choice and ask your child why it fits.
- Let your child continue, then check against the notes on page 2. Ask, "How did you know?"
- Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Let your child count out 100 small objects, such as buttons or pasta shapes, and split them into groups of 10 or 25. They can then see what part of the whole each group is. Work on a few matches at a time.
To stretch confident children
Ask for the decimal for each pair too, such as 0.5 and 0.25. Then ask your child to explain how the decimal, the fraction and the percentage all describe the same amount of one sweet jar.
Make it a game
Play shop. Ask for 20% of a jar of 50 sweets and see if they count out 10. Take turns being shopkeeper and customer. Swap roles, and ask for a different percentage each time.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child writes the percentage number on the bottom of the fraction, so 7% becomes 1/7.
Try thisGo back to the jar of 100. Say, "7 out of 100." Write that as a fraction with 100 on the bottom.
Watch forA child thinks a bigger bottom number means a bigger fraction.
Try thisFold a paper strip into 2 equal parts and another into 10. Compare one part of each. Smaller parts mean a smaller piece.
Watch forA child matches by spotting similar looking digits and not by value.
Try thisAsk them to picture the jar of 100 and count out the sweets for each choice. Check that both show the same amount.
Talk about it
- What does per cent mean? Can you explain it using a jar of sweets?
- How did you know which fraction matched this percentage?
- Why do two different looking numbers sometimes mean the same amount?
- Where might you see a percentage in a real shop?
- Which match was the easiest? Which was the trickiest, and why?
- Can you think of a way to check that a match is right?
Take it off the page
Sweet jar drawing
Draw a large jar on squared paper and fill it with 100 small sweets. Colour in groups to show different parts of the jar. Write the percentage and the fraction next to each group.
Paper strip fractions
Fold strips of paper into equal parts, such as halves, quarters and tenths. Label each part with its fraction. Then write the matching percentage on the back.
Counter shop
Use buttons or counters as pretend sweets. One person asks for a percentage of a pile. The shopkeeper counts out the right number and says the matching fraction.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first match, then let them lead. Ask them to explain each choice in their own words. Keep the session short and stop while they are still enjoying it.
Teachers
Use it as a starter or plenary after teaching percentage and fraction equivalents. It also works as an early finisher task or a table game. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider maths plan and pair it with real shopping or cooking talk. Because it is free, you can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision later on.
Where this fits in maths
Before this, children meet fractions such as halves, quarters and tenths, and learn about hundredths. They also begin to link tenths and hundredths to decimals. This sheet builds on that and adds the per cent symbol.
After this, children in Year 6 recall and use the links between simple fractions, decimals and percentages. They work with them more flexibly, and use them to solve problems. Secure matching now makes that step easier.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Percentage Sweet Shop Match for?
It is written for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10), in Key Stage 2. Younger children may enjoy it with help, and older children can use it as revision or take on the decimal stretch idea.
- What will children practise?
Children practise recognising the per cent symbol and matching percentages to fractions with the same value. This follows the Year 5 strand on percentages, fractions and their equivalents in the National Curriculum for England.
- How do I use it?
Print both pages and give page 1 to your child. Explain that per cent means out of 100. Work through the first match together, then let them continue and check with the notes on page 2.
- What if it feels too hard?
Slow down and make it hands on. Let your child count out 100 small objects and split them into groups of 10 or 25. Work on a few matches at a time and come back later.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters, other pupils or revision, and it prints well in black and white.
- Can teachers use it 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 support and stretch ideas.
- How long does it take?
Every child works at their own pace, so there is no set time. Stop when interest fades and come back another day. Repeating a familiar sheet builds confidence.
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.