X Tables
Maths Adventures

Bakery maths quest: decimals

A story-led junior maths adventure using recipes, sharing and delicious fractions to measure small distances, money and scores with tenths and hundredths.

Quick answer

Decimals help us measure things that are smaller than one whole thing, like half a cup of flour or 30p. In the Bakery Maths Quest, you’ll learn how to use decimals to measure ingredients, share treats, and count money.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to:
  • Understand that decimals are parts of a whole, like 0.5 or 0.25
  • Use decimals to measure small amounts of ingredients, like 0.75kg of flour
  • Count money using decimals, like £2.99
  • Compare and order decimal numbers, like 0.4 and 0.6

Why this matters

Decimals are super useful in real life – especially in the kitchen and at the shops. When you’re baking, you need to measure ingredients very carefully. When you’re shopping, you need to count money with pence. When you’re sharing, you need to split things into smaller parts. Decimals help you do all of this easily and correctly.

How it works

Decimals are a way of writing parts of a whole number. We use a decimal point (a dot) to separate the whole number from the part. For example:
  • 0.5 means half of something
  • 0.25 means a quarter of something
  • 1.75 means one whole thing and three quarters
We can think of decimals like this:
  • 0.1 = one-tenth
  • 0.01 = one-hundredth
This means if you split something into 10 equal parts, one part is 0.1. If you split it into 100 equal parts, one part is 0.01.

Examples you can see

Let’s imagine you’re helping in a bakery and you’re making cookies. Here are some examples of how decimals come into play: Example 1: Measuring Ingredients You need 0.75kg of flour. That means 75 hundredths of a kilogram. You can think of it like this:
  • 0.75 = 75/100
  • 0.75 = 3/4
Example 2: Sharing Cookies You have 12 cookies and 4 friends. Each friend gets 3 cookies. But what if you had 13 cookies? Then each friend gets 3.25 cookies (that’s 3 whole cookies and a quarter of a cookie). Example 3: Counting Money You buy a cake for £3.50. That’s 3 pounds and 50 pence. You pay with £5.00. Your change is £1.50. Example 4: Measuring Distance You need to cut a piece of dough that is 0.4 metres long. That’s 40 centimetres.

Try it as a mini adventure

The Bakery Maths Quest You are a young baker helping your grandparent in their little bakery. The grandparent has given you a mission: to help make a special batch of cupcakes using decimals. Step 1: Measure the Ingredients You need 0.5kg of sugar and 0.25kg of butter. How much will you use altogether? Step 2: Share the Cupcakes You made 20 cupcakes. You want to share them equally among 8 friends. How many cupcakes does each friend get? Step 3: Count the Money Each cupcake costs £1.25. You sell 16 cupcakes. How much money do you make? Step 4: Measure the Dough You need to roll out dough that is 0.35 metres long. How many centimetres is that? Step 5: Compare Prices A chocolate cake costs £2.99 and a vanilla cake costs £3.01. Which is more expensive?

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Thinking 0.5 is more than 0.75 because 5 is more than 7.
    Why it happens: Children often compare the digits without understanding the decimal point.
    Fix: Use visual aids like number lines or money to show that 0.75 is 75 hundredths, while 0.5 is 50 hundredths.
  • Mistake: Adding 0.4 + 0.3 and getting 0.7 instead of 0.70.
    Why it happens: Children sometimes forget that 0.4 is the same as 0.40.
    Fix: Encourage writing 0.4 as 0.40 to make the addition clearer.
  • Mistake: Counting 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 0.10.
    Why it happens: Children often think 0.10 is bigger than 0.9.
    Fix: Explain that 0.10 is the same as 0.1, and that 0.9 is 90 hundredths, which is more than 10 hundredths.

Parent and carer guide

Helping your child with decimals doesn’t have to be stressful. Here’s how you can support them:
  • Use real-life examples like shopping or cooking to show how decimals are used.
  • Use money to show how 0.5 is the same as 50p.
  • Draw number lines to show how decimals fit between whole numbers.
  • Play games where you ask your child to find decimals in everyday life, like 0.25 of a litre of milk or 0.75 of a sandwich.
  • Don’t worry if they make mistakes – they’re learning!

Practice questions

  1. What is 0.5 + 0.25?
  2. Which is bigger: 0.8 or 0.75?
  3. How much is 0.3 of 100?
  4. How many centimetres is 0.65 metres?
  5. What is 0.9 - 0.4?
  6. How much is 0.25 of £4?
  7. Order these decimals from smallest to largest: 0.1, 0.01, 0.11, 0.05
  8. What is 0.5 of 20?
  9. How many 0.25s are in 1?
  10. What is 0.4 of 50?
Answers:
  1. 0.75
  2. 0.8
  3. 30
  4. 65
  5. 0.5
  6. £1
  7. 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.11
  8. 10
  9. 4
  10. 20

FAQ

What is a decimal?

A decimal is a way of writing a part of a whole number. It uses a decimal point to separate the whole number from the part. For example, 0.5 means half of something.

How are decimals used in real life?

Decimals are used everywhere – in cooking, shopping, measuring, and sharing. For example, when you buy something that costs £2.99, that’s 2 pounds and 99 pence.

Why are decimals important?

Decimals help us measure and count things more precisely. They are especially useful when we need to split things into smaller parts or when we are dealing with money.

How can I help my child with decimals at home?

You can help by using everyday examples like cooking, shopping, or measuring. Use money to show how 0.5 is the same as 50p. Draw number lines to help visualise decimals.

What are some common mistakes with decimals?

Common mistakes include thinking 0.5 is more than 0.75, not understanding that 0.4 is the same as 0.40, and confusing 0.10 with 0.9. Using visual aids and real-life examples can help correct these misunderstandings.