14Free Subtraction Worksheets for Kindergarten, From Pictures to Numbers

Fourteen free subtraction worksheets for kindergarten, in the order a child is ready for them: crossing out real pictures first, then ten frames, story problems and dice, then counting back on a number line and a hopscotch path, and finally pages where the numbers stand on their own. Every problem stays within 10, which is exactly what the kindergarten standard asks for, and most of the pictures are there to count rather than just to decorate.

In this roundup

The full list

  1. Bake Shop Kindergarten Subtraction Worksheet
  2. Space Picture Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten
  3. Pizza Ten Frame Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten
  4. Subtraction Story Problems Worksheet for Kindergarten
  5. Circle the Answer Kindergarten Subtraction Worksheet
  6. Roll the Dice Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten
  7. Number Line Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten
  8. Hopscotch Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten
  9. Trace and Take Away Kindergarten Subtraction Worksheet
  10. Puppy Match Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten
  11. Gumball Color by Answer Kindergarten Subtraction Worksheet
  12. Lily Pad Path Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten
  13. Cut and Paste Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten
  14. Vertical Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten
01

Bake Shop Kindergarten Subtraction Worksheet

Take away · 15 minutes · Kindergarten
Bake Shop Kindergarten Subtraction Worksheet worksheet preview

Six boxes of cupcakes, cookies, donuts and other treats. The child crosses out the ones that get eaten, writes how many are left, and then colors the page.

Why it comes first Crossing out real things is what subtraction means before it is anything else. Every other page in this set builds on this picture.
02

Space Picture Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten

Take away · 10 minutes · Kindergarten
Space Picture Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten worksheet preview

Six rows of rockets, stars, planets, aliens, moons and flying saucers to cross out and count, with two rows starting from a full 10.

Worth pointing out 10 − 7 and 10 − 3 are an early look at the pairs that make ten, which will matter a great deal in first grade.
03

Pizza Ten Frame Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten

Ten frames · 10 minutes · Kindergarten
Pizza Ten Frame Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten worksheet preview

Six ten frames filled with pepperoni. Cross out the pieces taken away and write how many are left.

Why it works A ten frame shows a number at a glance: a full row is five and a full frame is ten, so a child starts to see amounts instead of counting every piece.
04

Subtraction Story Problems Worksheet for Kindergarten

Story problems · 15 minutes · Kindergarten
Subtraction Story Problems Worksheet for Kindergarten worksheet preview

Four short stories about ducks, birds, squirrels and balloons at the park, each with pictures to cross out and a box for the answer.

How to use it Read the stories aloud while the child does the math. The sentences repeat the same pattern, so an early reader may soon take over.
05

Circle the Answer Kindergarten Subtraction Worksheet

Choose the answer · 10 minutes · Kindergarten
Circle the Answer Kindergarten Subtraction Worksheet worksheet preview

Six camping problems with pictures to count and three answers to choose from for each one.

Good for A child who is new to the minus sign. Picking from three answers is lighter than writing one, and the pictures are there as a backup.
06

Roll the Dice Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten

Dice · 10 minutes · Kindergarten
Roll the Dice Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten worksheet preview

Six pairs of dice faces to count, write as a subtraction problem and solve, with the first one done as an example.

Try this Once the page is done, hand over a real pair of dice. Roll, write the bigger number first, and subtract, and the worksheet becomes a game.
07

Number Line Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten

Count back · 10 minutes · Kindergarten
Number Line Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten worksheet preview

A 0 to 10 number line with a kangaroo showing how to hop back, and eight problems to solve the same way.

Use it when A child is ready to stop crossing out pictures. The hops keep the counting visible while the objects disappear.
08

Hopscotch Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten

Count back · 10 minutes · Kindergarten
Hopscotch Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten worksheet preview

A hopscotch path from 10 down to 0. Start on the first number, hop back, and write where you land.

Why it helps Each number sits in its own square, so there are no gaps to miscount, which makes a number path easier than a number line for many young children.
09

Trace and Take Away Kindergarten Subtraction Worksheet

Numbers only · 15 minutes · Kindergarten
Trace and Take Away Kindergarten Subtraction Worksheet worksheet preview

Eight subtraction problems in dotted numbers on handwriting lines, to trace and then solve.

Why it is here It is the first page with no pictures to count, and tracing the whole problem slows a child down enough to read every part of it.
10

Puppy Match Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten

Match up · 10 minutes · Kindergarten
Puppy Match Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten worksheet preview

Six puppies holding subtraction problems. Draw a line from each puppy to the bone with its answer.

Worth knowing Every answer is on the page and each bone is used once, so a child who gets stuck can skip ahead and come back when fewer bones are left.
11

Gumball Color by Answer Kindergarten Subtraction Worksheet

Color by answer · 15 minutes · Kindergarten
Gumball Color by Answer Kindergarten Subtraction Worksheet worksheet preview

Twelve gumballs in a gumball machine to solve and color using a four-color key.

Why it works Every answer is 1, 2, 3 or 4, so a gumball with no matching crayon is a built-in signal to count again.
12

Lily Pad Path Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten

Find the path · 15 minutes · Kindergarten
Lily Pad Path Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten worksheet preview

Nineteen lily pads with subtraction problems. Color every pad that equals 3 to help the frog get home.

Talk about 4 − 1, 6 − 3 and 3 − 0 all make 3. Noticing that different problems share an answer is real number sense, and a broken path means a pad needs another look.
13

Cut and Paste Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten

Cut and paste · 20 minutes · Kindergarten
Cut and Paste Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten worksheet preview

Eight construction themed problems with answer boxes, and a strip of number tiles to cut out and glue in place.

Use it when Practice needs to feel like a project. There is exactly one tile per problem, so a leftover tile that fits nowhere means something needs checking.
14

Vertical Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten

Vertical practice · 10 minutes · Kindergarten
Vertical Subtraction Worksheet for Kindergarten worksheet preview

Twelve subtraction problems within 10, stacked one number above the other with a box for each answer.

Why it ends the set Stacked problems are how subtraction is written for the rest of school. Meeting the format with small numbers makes it familiar before it gets harder.

One more thing.

If your kids finish a unit and you're not sure what to do next, my honest advice: don't move on yet. Spend a week mixing these in as warm-ups. Fluency isn't a unit, it's a habit, and the sheet that builds it is usually the one they ask to do again.

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