Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Scale It Up Stir Fry: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 8
- ForYear 8
- StageKey Stage 3
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Scale It Up Stir Fry is a free printable worksheet for Year 8 (ages 12 to 13). Children complete a recipe card for different group sizes, then work out what the ingredients cost. It is a practical piece of proportional thinking that fits Design and technology at Key Stage 3. 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 fill in a recipe table with a row for each ingredient and columns for different group sizes. They work out how much of each ingredient a larger or smaller group needs. Then they move on to numbered questions about cost, using prices per 100 g, such as the price of noodles. There is space under each question to show working and write an answer.
- Ingredient
- For 4
- For 2
- For 5
- For 30
- Noodles cost 40p per 100 g. Find the cost of the noodles for 5 people.
A worked example with a different recipe
A rice dish for 6 people uses 450 g of rice. How much rice is needed for 10 people? What does it cost at 20p per 100 g?
This is a different recipe with different numbers. It shows two ways to scale, then a costing step.
Method 1: find one portion- Divide by the number of people: 450 ÷ 6 = 75 g for one person.
- Multiply by the new group size: 75 × 10 = 750 g.
- 450 g is for 6 people. Split 6 into 3 lots of 2, so 450 ÷ 3 = 150 g is enough for 2 people.
- 10 people is 5 lots of 2 people: 150 × 5 = 750 g.
- 750 g is 7.5 lots of 100 g.
- 7.5 × 20p = 150p, which is £1.50.
Why scale a recipe?
Scaling a recipe means changing every quantity by the same factor so the dish keeps the same balance. This is proportion. If the group is twice as big, every ingredient doubles. Children often meet it in food lessons, where a recipe written for one number of people must feed a different number. Finding the amount for one person first is a reliable way to scale to any group size.
Costing adds a second layer. Shops show prices for a set weight or pack, so children must turn grams into the price of what they actually use. Real cooks also think about rounding. Some items can only be bought in whole packs or bottles. Seasoning and cooking times also do not always scale in a straight line, so a cook tastes and adjusts.
If you cook the recipe, an adult does all the chopping with knives and all the work at the hob, including hot pans and oil. Children can read the recipe card, weigh dry ingredients and wash vegetables. Check for allergies before cooking, as stir fry sauces and noodles can contain common allergens.
Stir fry and shopping facts
- Stir frying is a quick way to cook small pieces of food in a hot pan, often a wok, while stirring all the time.
- The wok comes from China and is shaped so food can be tossed and moved around easily.
- Cooks in school kitchens and restaurants scale recipes up when they need to feed many people.
- Many UK shop shelf labels show a price per 100 g or per kilogram, so shoppers can compare products of different sizes.
- Some foods can only be bought in whole packs or bottles, so you may pay for more than you use.
Skills and curriculum link
- Scaling quantities
- Multiplying decimals
- Working with money
- Dividing to find one portion
- Budgeting for a group
- Checking answers make sense
Ideas to help you support your child
- Find one portionFinding the amount for one person is a flexible first step. From there, any group size is a multiplication.
- Halve and doubleDoubling and halving are quick ways to move between neighbouring group sizes. Ask which sizes link this way.
- Pence and poundsCosts are easier in pence, then converted to pounds at the end. Remind children that 100p makes £1.
- Estimate firstAsk for a rough answer before any calculation. A good estimate helps spot slips such as a misplaced decimal point.
Key words
- ScaleTo change all the amounts in a recipe by the same factor.
- ProportionA fair share. Quantities stay in the same relationship as the amounts get bigger or smaller.
- PortionThe amount of food for one person.
- Unit costThe price for a set amount, such as the price for 100 g.
- QuantityHow much of something there is, such as a weight.
- BudgetA plan for how much money you will spend.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Cook the recipe first if you can, with an adult doing the knife and hob work. Then read the recipe card together.
- Fill in the table. Ask your child to explain how they got from one group size to another.
- Move on to the cost questions. A calculator can be used only to check working, not to replace it.
- Check with the answers on page 2 and return another day to redo anything that felt tricky.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Start with the smaller group sizes and use halving. Then find the amount for one person and build up by multiplying. Write each step down. For costs, turn the weight into lots of 100 g first. Try a few rows, then take a break.
To stretch confident children
Work out the cost of one portion at each group size. Explain why it stays the same, except where whole bottles have to be bought. Then plan a different dish for a group of your choice and cost it.
Make it a game
Pairs race to fill the table. The team with the most correct rows in five minutes wins. Swap tables and mark each other's work using page 2, then explain any row that went wrong.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child adds the same extra amount to every ingredient instead of multiplying. For example, a recipe for 3 using 150 g becomes 156 g for 9.
Try thisFind one portion first. 150 ÷ 3 = 50 g, so 9 portions is 50 × 9 = 450 g. Scaling is multiplying, not adding.
Watch forA child multiplies the price by the grams and gets a huge answer, because the price is for 100 g.
Try thisTurn the weight into lots of 100 g first. Then multiply the number of lots by the price.
Watch forA child writes 150p as £150 when changing money.
Try thisRemind them that 100p is £1. So 150p is £1.50. Say the units out loud each time.
Talk about it
- How can you check a scaled quantity without a calculator?
- Why is it useful to find the amount for one person first?
- Which ingredients might not scale in a straight line, and why?
- How would you decide what to buy if an item only comes in a whole pack?
- What would you change if the budget was cut?
- Where else do people scale amounts up or down in everyday life?
Take it off the page
Unit price hunt
Look at packaging in the kitchen cupboard. Find the weight and the price of two similar items. Work out which is cheaper per 100 g.
Scale a drink
Choose a squash or smoothie mix. Write the recipe for one person, then for a family party. Work out how much of each ingredient you would need.
Plan a shop
Write a list for a meal for a group of friends. Estimate the cost of each item and add up a total budget.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child for the first row, then let them lead. Ask them to explain their method rather than just give an answer. If you cook the recipe, you do the knife and hob work and they read the card and weigh.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, homework or early finisher task in food lessons. It links to the cooking strand of Design and technology and to ratio and proportion in maths. Page 2 offers support and stretch for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a food or maths unit. It pairs well with a real cook, a supermarket trip to compare prices, or a family budget discussion. You can reuse it for brothers and sisters or for revision.
Where this fits in learning
Before this sheet, children need confident multiplication and division, including with decimals, and a sound grasp of money in pence and pounds. They also benefit from meeting simple fractions such as halves.
After it, children can move on to wider ratio and proportion problems, best value comparisons and costing a full menu. These skills support food projects and later work on percentages and budgeting.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Scale It Up Stir Fry for?
It is written for Year 8 (ages 12 to 13), in Key Stage 3. It suits children who are comfortable multiplying and dividing and want practice using these skills in a real food context.
- What will children practise?
They practise scaling quantities for different group sizes and costing ingredients using a stir fry recipe. This includes multiplying decimals, working with money and budgeting for a group.
- Do we have to cook the recipe?
No, but cooking it first makes the numbers more real. If you do cook, an adult does all the knife work and everything at the hob. Children can read the card and weigh ingredients.
- Can children use a calculator?
Yes, but only to check working. The aim is to practise the method, so ask children to show each step on the page first and use the calculator afterwards to confirm.
- What if it feels too hard?
Start with the smaller group sizes and use halving. Then find the amount for one person and build up by multiplying. Page 2 has help ideas that break the task into smaller steps.
- Is Scale It Up Stir Fry 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 includes support and stretch ideas.
- Is it free, and do I need colour printing?
Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. Black and white on plain A4 paper works well. Print both pages and keep page 2 for the grown up.
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.