Tiny Explorers · Ages 2 to 4
Caterpillar Crunch
Tap the caterpillar numbers in counting order to build number recognition for ages 2 to 4.
5 levels+40 XP
ProgressNot started
5 levels · BeginnerPlay
Tiny Explorers · Ages 2 to 4
All Tiny Explorers gamesTake Away Teddy Picnic
Work out how many teddies are left when some go home, building take away within 10 for ages 2 to 4.
Drag dropTake away teddies and count what is left~8 min per level5 levelsAll devices
- Free · no account required
- COPPA compliant
- +10 XP per level
- 5 levels
- Plays on all devices
- Curriculum-aligned
The learning journey
Every activity is one step. Here is where this one fits.
- Play(you are here)Learn the idea in a game
- PractiseLock it in on paper
- ReviewCome back and keep it sharp
- MasterTake on a harder challenge
- AchieveEarn a certificate
About Take Away Teddy Picnic
Take Away Teddy Picnic gives subtraction its earliest and friendliest shape: some teddies were at the picnic, some have gone home, and the question is simply how many are still there. Each card tells one short story — five teddies, two go home — and the child drags or taps it into the group showing how many are left. Framing subtraction as a story rather than as a written sum matters at this age, because a child who cannot yet read a minus sign can follow perfectly well what happens when friends leave a picnic, and understanding has to come before notation rather than the other way around. The wording is deliberate too. British and Australian classrooms say take away where American material says subtract, and children taught one phrase should meet that phrase on screen; the game says take away throughout for exactly that reason. Every story is built so at least one teddy always remains, which keeps the answers concrete and avoids the harder idea of zero before a child is ready for it. The answer groups on the board are generated from the stories themselves, so there is never an empty group offered as a trap. Numbers stay within ten at every level. Cards can be dragged with a finger or a mouse, or selected and placed by tap and keyboard alone, and each placement is announced to screen readers. There is no sign-up, no advertising to children, and progress stays on the device.
Where to go next
Chosen by the skills this activity practises.
Next — more of the same skill
Printable worksheets for this skill
A hand for grown-ups
- Before you start
- Objects to take away make subtraction concrete — start with a small pile they can physically remove from.
- While they work
- For "8 − 3", some children count back and some count up from 3 to 8. Both are correct; let them use whichever they find easier.
- Afterwards
- Talk about "how many are left" and "how many more" in real situations — they are the same idea wearing different words.
- Watch out for
- Subtracting the smaller digit from the larger out of habit in column sums (e.g. 41 − 8 giving 47). Point back to which number is on top.
- Away from the screen
- Eat some of a snack pile and ask how many are left. Spend pretend money and work out the change.
How to play
A question appears on screen
A maths question is shown in large text at the centre of the play area. A timer bar begins counting down from 90 seconds.
Choose the correct answer
Answer options are shown as large buttons. Tap and drag, or use the mouse on desktop. Any input method works — touch, mouse or keyboard.
Build your streak
Each consecutive correct answer increases your streak. A longer streak lights up the flame icon and adds a bonus multiplier to the XP you earn for the level.
Finish the level
Each level has 5 questions. Complete them to earn the full level reward (+10 XP, plus up to +10 XP for a perfect run). Progress is saved locally and shown on the Parent Dashboard.
Curriculum alignment
Mapped to national curriculum frameworks so teachers and parents can match practice to school standards.
- United StatesCommon Core State Standards for Mathematics · subtraction, counting-backAligned to subtraction, counting-back number and operations objectives.
- United KingdomNational Curriculum for England — Maths · subtraction, counting-backAligned to subtraction, counting-back number and operations objectives.
- AustraliaAustralian Curriculum v9.0 — Mathematics · subtraction, counting-backAligned to subtraction, counting-back number and operations objectives.
- CanadaPan-Canadian Provincial Standards · subtraction, counting-backAligned to subtraction, counting-back number and operations objectives.
Common questions from parents & teachers
Everything you need to know before your child starts playing.
- Take away is the phrase used in UK and Australian classrooms for this stage. Children should meet the same words on screen that they hear in the lesson.
- It is designed for children aged 2 to 4, and suits kindergarten and reception children beginning subtraction within 10.
- No. Every story leaves at least one teddy, so answers stay concrete. Zero as an answer is a harder idea that comes later.
- No. Every card can be placed by tapping it and then tapping an answer, or with the keyboard.
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