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Maths Adventures

Football maths quest: money

A story-led junior maths adventure using scores, tables and stadium measures to budget coins, tickets and shop items.

Quick answer

You can use maths to plan how much money you need for a football match, including tickets, food, and souvenirs.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to add up money amounts and work out how much you need for a football day using real-life examples. Success signs:
  • You can count different coins and notes to find the total
  • You can add up prices of food and drinks
  • You can work out how much money you need for a football day
  • You can compare prices and decide what to buy

Why this matters

Football maths helps you learn how to manage money, which is a very important life skill. When you go to a football match, you need to know how much money to take, what you can afford, and how to make smart choices. This maths helps you plan your football day so you don’t run out of money or miss out on fun things.

How it works

To budget for a football day, you need to:
  1. Look at the prices of tickets, food, and drinks
  2. Add up all the prices to find the total cost
  3. Count your coins and notes to see if you have enough money
  4. Decide what you want to buy and how much you can afford

Examples you can see

Let's imagine you are going to a football match with your family. You want to buy a ticket, some popcorn, and a drink. Here's how to work out how much money you need. Step 1: Find the prices
  • Adult ticket: £12
  • Child ticket: £6
  • Popcorn: £3
  • Drink: £2
Step 2: Add up the prices
  • Adult ticket: £12
  • Child ticket: £6
  • Popcorn: £3
  • Drink: £2
Step 3: Total the money 12 + 6 + 3 + 2 = £23 So, you need £23 for your football day. Step 4: Count your money You have:
  • Two £10 notes
  • One £5 note
  • Three £1 coins
  • Two 50p coins
That’s: 10 + 10 + 5 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 0.50 + 0.50 = £23 You have exactly the right amount!

Try it as a mini adventure

The Football Budget Challenge You are planning a football day with your family. You have £30 to spend. You want to buy:
  • Two adult tickets
  • One child ticket
  • Two drinks
  • One popcorn
What do you need to do? 1st time: Look at the prices of each item. 2nd time: Add up all the prices. 3rd time: Check if you have enough money. 4th time: Decide what you can buy if you don't have enough. Example:
  • Adult ticket: £10
  • Child ticket: £5
  • Drink: £2
  • Popcorn: £3
Total: 10 + 10 + 5 + 2 + 2 + 3 = £32 You don’t have enough money. You need to decide what to leave out.

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Adding the wrong numbers together.
    Why it happens: You might add 10 + 5 = 15, then add 3 and get 18, but forget to add 2 more.
    Fix: Write down each number clearly and add them one by one.
  • Mistake: Confusing pounds and pence.
    Why it happens: You might think 50p + 50p = £1.00 but write it as 100p.
    Fix: Remember that 100p = £1.00, so 50p + 50p = £1.00.
  • Mistake: Not checking your total.
    Why it happens: You might rush through and miss a number.
    Fix: Double-check your addition or use a calculator.

Parent and carer guide

To help your child with football maths:
  1. Ask them to add up the prices of items they want to buy
  2. Let them use real coins to practice counting money
  3. Encourage them to write down the prices and add them up
  4. Ask them to compare prices and decide what they can afford
  5. Play a game where you pretend to go to a football match and budget for it
What to say:
  • "Let's add up how much that drink and popcorn cost together"
  • "Can you check if we have enough money for that ticket?"
  • "Which items can we afford with our £20?"
What not to worry about:
  • They might make a mistake at first – that's normal
  • They might need to count again – that's good practice
  • They might want to use a calculator – that's okay too

Practice questions

  1. You buy a football ticket for £10 and a drink for £2. How much do you spend?
  2. You have £15. You buy a ticket for £8 and a snack for £3. How much money do you have left?
  3. You want to buy 3 drinks that cost £2 each. How much do they cost in total?
  4. You have £20. You buy a ticket for £10 and two snacks for £2 each. How much money do you have left?
  5. You find 50p on the ground. You then find 20p. How much money did you find?
Answers:
  1. £12
  2. £4
  3. £6
  4. £6
  5. 70p

FAQ

What is football maths?

Football maths is using numbers and calculations to plan for a football match, including buying tickets, food, and drinks.

How do I add up money?

You add up money by adding the prices of items together, just like adding any numbers.

Can I use coins to practice adding money?

Yes! You can use real coins to practice counting and adding up money amounts.

How much money should I take to a football match?

Take enough money for your tickets, food, and drinks. Add up the prices first to know how much you need.

What if I don't have enough money?

You can decide which items you want to buy or save some money for later.