Addition Puzzle

The Ministry is migrating nzmaths content to Tāhurangi.           
Relevant and up-to-date teaching resources are being moved to Tāhūrangi (tahurangi.education.govt.nz). 
When all identified resources have been successfully moved, this website will close. We expect this to be in June 2024. 
e-ako maths, e-ako Pāngarau, and e-ako PLD 360 will continue to be available. 

For more information visit https://tahurangi.education.govt.nz/updates-to-nzmaths

Purpose:

You can help your child to recall the addition basic facts.

What you need:

Puzzle Board (PDF, 26KB). You can print this or make your own.

What to do:

Cut out the puzzle and give the pieces to your child.
Ask your child to arrange the pieces back into the 3 by 3 grid so that sides of the touching pieces match. 
For example, 9 + 3 needs to match 12.
Two hints you may wish to give your child:
  1. When the puzzle is complete none of the pieces will be orientated so the numbers are upside down.
  2. The piece with 2 blank sides can go in the top left corner of the puzzle.

What to expect your child to do:

To use their addition basic facts to solve the puzzle.

Variation:

Make your own puzzle. Puzzles where every fact has a different answer are easier to solve.

He Kupu Māori:

porotēteke
upside down
pangahono
jigsaw puzzle
hono (a)
join
tāpiri (hia)
add
tāpiritanga
addition
otinga
result/answer

He Whakawhitinga Kōrero:

  • He rite tēnei ki te pangahono. (This is like a jigsaw puzzle.)
  • E iwa ngā kāri hei honohono māu. (There are nine cards for you to put together.)
  • Honoa ngā kāri kia hāngai tonu ia tāpiritanga ki te otinga e tika ana. (Put the cards together so that each addition aligns with its answer.)
  • Hei tauira, me hāngai tonu te tāpiritanga o te iwa me te toru ki te tekau mā rua. (For example, the addition 9 + 3 should align with a 12.)
  • Tāpirihia te rua me te whitu, ka hia? (Add 2 and 7. How many is that?)
  • Ko te kāri e wātea ana ētahi taha e rua, koia te kāri tīmatanga – me whakatakoto ki te kokonga runga mauī. (The card with two blank sides is the starting card – it should go in the upper left hand corner.)
  • Kāore he tuhinga porotēteke i ngā kāri. (None of the writing appears upside down.)

Download a file of this activity:

PDF (216KB)