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Maths Adventures

Bakery maths quest: subtraction

A story-led junior maths adventure using recipes, sharing and delicious fractions to work out what is left after trades, rescues or escapes.

Quick answer

Subtraction is when you take away or find out how much is left. In the Bakery Maths Quest, you'll use subtraction to work out how many cupcakes, biscuits, or loaves of bread are left after sharing, selling, or eating some.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to use subtraction to solve real-life problems in the bakery, like finding out how many cookies are left after sharing or how many cakes are sold during the day. Success signs:
  • You can take away objects or numbers to find how many are left
  • You can solve bakery problems using subtraction
  • You can use words like "take away", "left", "how many more", and "difference" correctly
  • You can check your answers by adding back

Why this matters

Subtraction is used everywhere – in the bakery, at home, and even in games. When you eat some cookies, you use subtraction to find out how many are left. When you play football and score goals, you might use subtraction to work out how many more points you need. Understanding subtraction helps you solve problems and make smart choices about sharing, saving, or spending.

How it works

Subtraction means taking away. You start with a number, take away some, and find how many are left. It's like this:
  1. Start with a total amount
  2. Take away some items or numbers
  3. Count or calculate how many are left
In the bakery, if you have 12 cupcakes and give 5 to your friend, you need to take away 5 from 12 to find out how many are left. You can count backwards, use objects, or draw pictures to help you.

Examples you can see

Here are some real examples from the Bakery Maths Quest: Example 1: Sharing cupcakes Sarah has 10 cupcakes. She gives 3 to her little brother. How many are left?
  • Start with 10 cupcakes
  • Take away 3 cupcakes
  • Count backwards: 10, 9, 8, 7
  • There are 7 cupcakes left
Example 2: Baking and selling The bakery makes 15 loaves of bread. They sell 8 during the morning. How many are left for the afternoon?
  • Start with 15 loaves
  • Take away 8 loaves
  • Count backwards: 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7
  • There are 7 loaves left
Example 3: Making cookies Tommy bakes 20 cookies. He eats 6 and gives 4 to his sister. How many are left?
  • Start with 20 cookies
  • Take away 6 cookies (eaten)
  • Take away 4 cookies (given away)
  • Count backwards: 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0
  • There are 10 cookies left

Try it as a mini adventure

The Bakery Escape Quest You are the baker's helper in a magical bakery where all the food can talk and move! One morning, you wake up to find that a friendly dragon has sneaked into the bakery and taken some of your ingredients. You must solve subtraction problems to find out what's left and save the day! Step 1: The dragon took 4 eggs from your 12 eggs. How many eggs are left?
  • Start with 12 eggs
  • Take away 4 eggs
  • Count backwards: 12, 11, 10, 9, 8
  • There are 8 eggs left
Step 2: The dragon took 7 cups of flour from your 15 cups. How many cups are left?
  • Start with 15 cups
  • Take away 7 cups
  • Count backwards: 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8
  • There are 8 cups left
Step 3: The dragon took 3 jars of jam from your 10 jars. How many jars are left?
  • Start with 10 jars
  • Take away 3 jars
  • Count backwards: 10, 9, 8, 7
  • There are 7 jars left
Step 4: The dragon took 6 biscuits from your 18 biscuits. How many are left?
  • Start with 18 biscuits
  • Take away 6 biscuits
  • Count backwards: 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12
  • There are 12 biscuits left
Step 5: The dragon took 9 cupcakes from your 20 cupcakes. How many are left?
  • Start with 20 cupcakes
  • Take away 9 cupcakes
  • Count backwards: 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11
  • There are 11 cupcakes left

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Adding instead of subtracting
    • Why it happens: Sometimes it's easier to add numbers than to take them away. Children might think "more" means "add" and "less" means "subtract", but they might mix them up.
    • Fix: Always ask, "Did I take something away?" If yes, then subtract. You can use a number line or count backwards to help.
  • Mistake: Starting at the wrong number
    • Why it happens: Children might start counting from the number they're taking away instead of the total.
    • Fix: Always start with the total number, then count backwards the amount you're taking away.
  • Mistake: Not checking answers
    • Why it happens: It's easy to get distracted or make a mistake and not double-check.
    • Fix: After subtracting, add your answer back to the number you took away. If you get the total, your answer is correct!

Parent and carer guide

How to help your child with Bakery Maths Quest: subtraction In just 5-10 minutes, you can support your child's learning by:
  1. Playing subtraction games: Use everyday items like toys, snacks, or blocks to act out subtraction problems. For example, "You have 10 biscuits. I eat 3. How many are left?"
  2. Using number lines: Draw a simple number line and help your child move backwards to subtract.
  3. Checking answers: After your child solves a problem, ask them to add the answer back to the number taken away to see if it equals the original total.
  4. Encouraging counting backwards: Practice counting backwards from 20 to 1, then from 15 to 1, to build subtraction fluency.
  5. Using real-life examples: Talk about subtraction in daily life: "We had 12 oranges and ate 5. How many are left?"
What not to worry about:
  • It's normal for children to make mistakes at first. These are learning opportunities!
  • Don't rush your child. Let them think through each step.
  • Focus on understanding, not just getting the right answer.

Practice questions

  1. There were 15 cupcakes in the bakery. 7 were sold. How many are left?
  2. Sarah had 18 cookies. She gave 5 to her friend. How many does she have now?
  3. The bakery made 20 biscuits. 9 were eaten. How many are left?
  4. Tommy had 14 eggs. He used 6 for a recipe. How many eggs does he have left?
  5. There were 25 loaves of bread. 11 were sold. How many are left?
Answers:
  1. 8 cupcakes
  2. 13 cookies
  3. 11 biscuits
  4. 8 eggs
  5. 14 loaves

FAQ

What is subtraction?

Subtraction is when you take away some things from a group. It helps you find out how many are left.

Why do we use subtraction in the bakery?

We use subtraction to know how many items are left after selling, eating, or sharing them. It helps bakers keep track of their stock.

How can I practice subtraction at home?

You can practice by using toys, snacks, or even your fingers. Try asking questions like, "I had 10 sweets and ate 3. How many are left?"

What's a good way to check subtraction answers?

Add your answer back to the number you took away. If you get the original number, your answer is correct.

What's the easiest way to learn subtraction?

Using objects like counters, blocks, or drawings helps. You can also count backwards on a number line or use number bonds to help.