Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Robot Repair Sums: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 2
- ForYear 2
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Robot Repair Sums is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7). Children fix the robot by solving eight sums. Some sums add and some subtract, and all of them use two digit numbers. Children choose their own method and write the answer. 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 help to fix a robot by solving eight number sums. Some sums add and some subtract. Each one uses two digit numbers, and several add or take away a whole number of tens or a single digit. Every question is numbered and has space for the answer. Children pick their own method, such as a number line, tens and ones, or a 100 square, and write what they find.
- 34 + 20
- 27 + 8
- 36 + 25
- 45 + 30
- 68 - 30
- 74 - 6
- 52 - 19
- 83 - 27
A worked example
91 minus 38
This question is not on the sheet. It shows two ways a child could work.
Method 1: take away too much, then give back- Take away 40 first, because 40 is an easy jump from 91: 91 minus 40 = 51.
- But 38 is 2 less than 40, so we took away 2 too many.
- Give the 2 back: 51 + 2 = 53.
- Start at 38. Jump 2 to reach 40.
- Jump 50 to reach 90.
- Jump 1 to reach 91.
- Add the jumps: 2 + 50 + 1 = 53.
Ways to work out two digit sums
Number line
Draw a line and mark the starting number. To add, jump forward in tens, then in ones. To subtract, jump back the same way. Writing each jump above the line helps children keep track.
Tens and ones
Split each number into tens and ones. Deal with the tens, then the ones, then put the parts back together. Ten sticks and single counters show this clearly.
100 square
On a standard 100 square, moving down one row adds ten and moving one square right adds one. Moving up takes ten away and moving left takes one away. Children can trace their path with a finger.
Make a tens jump
When the ones would cross a ten, jump to the next ten first and then add the rest. This is called bridging through ten. It turns a hard jump into two easy ones.
Why use a robot for number practice?
Children in Year 2 often love robots. They know them from films, toys and books, so a robot repair story gives the sums a reason. Fixing something feels like a real job. It encourages children to keep going until every sum is done and the robot is mended.
Adding and subtracting two digit numbers is a big step in Year 2. Children move from counting in ones to using what they know about tens and ones. Letting them choose a method builds flexible thinking. A child who can solve a sum two ways is more likely to spot a wrong answer.
Robot facts for curious children
- The word robot comes from a Czech word meaning forced work.
- Robots follow instructions called a program. People write the program.
- Many factories use robot arms to lift and join parts.
- Some robots use sensors to notice what is around them.
- Robot vacuum cleaners can move around a room on their own.
Skills and curriculum link
- Adding two digit numbers
- Subtracting two digit numbers
- Mental methods
- Tens and ones
- Choosing a method
- Checking answers
Number ideas that help
- Adding tensWhen you add a whole number of tens, the ones digit stays the same. Only the tens change. Counting in tens from a starting number is a good warm up.
- Taking away tensTaking away a whole number of tens works the same way. Count back in tens and watch the ones stay still.
- Near tensA number close to a ten, such as one less or two more than a ten, is easy to adjust. Use the nearby ten, then correct the difference.
- Checking with the oppositeAddition and subtraction undo each other. After a subtraction, add the answer to the smaller number and see if you return to where you started.
Key words
- AddPut two amounts together to find the total.
- SubtractTake one amount away from another to find what is left.
- Tens and onesThe two parts of a two digit number. 52 is 5 tens and 2 ones.
- Number lineA line of numbers in order. You jump along it to add or subtract.
- 100 squareA grid of the numbers from 1 to 100 in rows of ten.
- PartitionSplit a number into parts, such as tens and ones.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the first question together. Ask your child which method they would like to try.
- Let them choose a number line, tens and ones, or a 100 square. Then they write the answer in the space.
- Check with page 2. Ask, "How did you work that out?" The thinking matters as much as the answer.
- Come back another day and try the sums that felt tricky. Repeating a familiar sheet builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Build each number with ten sticks and single counters. For a sum such as adding, put the two numbers together and count the tens, then the ones. For taking away, remove the tens first and then the ones. Start with the sums that use whole tens.
To stretch confident children
Ask your child to make up three new robot sums that have the same answer as one on the sheet. They can mix adding and subtracting. Then swap with a friend or grown-up, solve each other's sums and check them.
Make it a game
Play robot repair shop. One person is the customer and writes a two digit sum on a scrap of paper. The other is the repairer and solves it with a number line. Swap roles. Score a point for each correct answer.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child subtracts the smaller digit from the larger in each column. With 62 minus 14, they write 52 because 6 minus 1 is 5 and 4 minus 2 is 2.
Try thisBuild 62 with ten sticks and counters. Show that you cannot take 4 ones from 2 ones, so you must open up a ten. Try counting back on a number line to see that the answer is smaller.
Watch forA child adds the ones and tens separately but writes both results side by side. With 29 + 15, they write 314.
Try thisSay the tens and ones out loud. 9 ones plus 5 ones is 14 ones, which is 1 ten and 4 ones. Add that ten to the other tens.
Watch forA child jumps the wrong amount on a number line. They jump 2 when asked to add 20.
Try thisDraw tens as long jumps and ones as short jumps. Say each jump out loud, such as "twenty is two tens", and check that the jump matches.
Talk about it
- Which method did you choose, and why?
- Can you solve that sum a different way?
- Which sum looked tricky, and what made it easier?
- How could you check your answer is right?
- Does your answer seem too big or too small? How do you know?
- What would you change if the number was ten more?
Take it off the page
Build a cardboard robot
Collect boxes and tubes. Build a robot together. Write a two digit number on each part, then add up the parts to find a total for the whole robot.
Robot commands
One person is the robot and the other gives instructions. Use steps forwards and backwards, and count the steps in tens and ones. It is a good way to practise counting back.
Straws and bands
Bundle ten straws with an elastic band to make a ten. Use bundles and single straws to build two digit numbers, then add or take away.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first sum, then let them lead. Short sessions work well. If they get stuck, build the numbers with counters and ask what they notice. Praise the method they chose, not only the 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, so it works for mixed ability groups. Ask children to explain their method to a partner.
Home educators
Print it once and use it again for brothers, sisters or revision. It pairs well with number lines, counters and everyday talk about tens and ones. Let your child choose the method and talk through the thinking together.
Where this fits in the maths journey
Before this sheet, children add and subtract within 20, count in tens, and learn that a two digit number is made of tens and ones. They also begin to see that addition and subtraction are linked.
After this, children move on to adding and subtracting with larger numbers, including three digit numbers in Year 3. The mental methods practised here, such as splitting into tens and ones and jumping on a number line, are the foundation for written methods.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Robot Repair Sums for?
It is written for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. It suits children who are learning to add and subtract two digit numbers and can already count in tens.
- What will children practise?
Children add and subtract two digit numbers using tens and ones. They also practise mental methods and choose between a number line, tens and ones, or a 100 square.
- How do I use it?
Print both pages. Give page 1 to your child and keep page 2. Let them pick a method for each sum, write the answer, then check together using the answers on page 2.
- What if it feels too hard?
Use ten sticks and single counters to build each number. Handle the tens first, then the ones. Start with sums that use whole tens and come back to the others 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 black and white printing works well.
- 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.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it works for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Children read, think and write by hand, with no device needed.
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.