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Maths Adventures

Zoo maths quest: decimals

A story-led junior maths adventure using animal counts, feeding plans and habitat maps to measure small distances, money and scores with tenths and hundredths.

Quick answer

You can use decimals to measure small parts of things, like how much food an animal eats or how far it walks. In a zoo, decimals help us count and share things more precisely.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to use decimals to measure and share small amounts of food, distance, or money in a zoo adventure. Success signs:
  • You can read and write decimals like 0.5 or 0.25
  • You can compare amounts using decimals
  • You can add and subtract small amounts with decimals
  • You can use decimals to solve zoo problems

Why this matters

Decimals are used everywhere – in shops, in sports, in science, and even in a zoo! When animals eat, we measure how much food they get. When we walk, we measure how far we go. When we play games, we score points. Decimals help us be more accurate with these small parts. Learning decimals now helps you understand more maths later, like fractions and percentages.

How it works

Decimals are a way to show parts of a whole number. They use a decimal point (.) to separate the whole number from the parts. For example, 0.5 means 5 parts out of 10, or half. 0.25 means 25 parts out of 100, or a quarter. We can use decimals to show how much food a panda eats, how far a giraffe walks, or how much money it costs to feed a lion. Let’s explore how decimals work in the zoo!

Examples you can see

Example 1: Feeding the pandas A panda eats 2.5 kg of bamboo each day. That means 2 whole kilograms and 5 tenths of a kilogram. If we have 10 kg of bamboo, how many days will it last? We divide 10 by 2.5: 10 ÷ 2.5 = 4 days Example 2: Walking distances A zebra walks 1.7 km in one hour. How far does it walk in 3 hours? We multiply 1.7 by 3: 1.7 × 3 = 5.1 km Example 3: Money for food It costs £1.25 to feed one monkey. How much does it cost to feed 4 monkeys? We multiply 1.25 by 4: 1.25 × 4 = £5.00 Example 4: Comparing animals A giraffe is 5.8 metres tall. A rhino is 1.9 metres tall. How much taller is the giraffe? We subtract 1.9 from 5.8: 5.8 − 1.9 = 3.9 metres

Try it as a mini adventure

Adventure: The Zoo Maths Quest You are a zookeeper helping to plan a new habitat for the animals. You need to measure food, calculate distances, and manage money using decimals. Step 1: You have 10 kg of food for the penguins. Each penguin eats 0.5 kg. How many penguins can you feed? Step 2: The new habitat is 4.2 metres long. You need to place 3 feeding stations. How far apart should you place each station? Step 3: It costs £2.75 to feed one elephant. How much does it cost to feed 6 elephants? Step 4: The giraffes drink 1.8 litres of water each day. How much water do 5 giraffes drink in one day? Step 5: You have £15.00 to spend on toys for the monkeys. Each toy costs £0.80. How many toys can you buy? Step 6: A cheetah runs 0.6 km in 10 minutes. How far does it run in 30 minutes? Step 7: You have 12.5 kg of fish for the seals. Each seal eats 1.25 kg. How many seals can you feed? Step 8: The zookeeper’s lunch costs £3.40. If you pay with a £5 note, how much change do you get? Step 9: A lion eats 2.75 kg of meat each day. How much meat does it eat in 4 days? Step 10: You have 10.2 litres of water for the animals. Each animal needs 0.6 litres. How many animals can you water?

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Thinking 0.8 is bigger than 0.12 because 8 is bigger than 12.
    Why it happens: Confusing place value.
    Fix: Remember that 0.8 = 0.80, so 0.80 > 0.12.
  • Mistake: Adding 0.5 + 0.3 = 0.85.
    Why it happens: Not lining up the decimal points.
    Fix: Write 0.5 + 0.3 = 0.8.
  • Mistake: Thinking 0.25 kg = 25 kg.
    Why it happens: Not understanding what the decimal point means.
    Fix: 0.25 means 25 hundredths, so 0.25 kg = 250 grams.
  • Mistake: Multiplying 0.6 × 0.4 = 0.240.
    Why it happens: Not simplifying the answer.
    Fix: 0.6 × 0.4 = 0.24.

Parent and carer guide

As a parent or carer, you can help your child by:
  • Using everyday examples like measuring ingredients for cooking or shopping with money
  • Practising decimal addition and subtraction with simple problems
  • Playing games that involve decimals, like guessing how much something costs or how far you’ve walked
  • Encouraging your child to read decimals aloud and explain what they mean
  • Noticing when your child makes mistakes and gently correcting them
What to say: “Let’s think about how much food each animal eats.” “Can you show me how you solved that problem?” “Why do you think 0.7 is bigger than 0.5?” What not to worry about: Your child might make a mistake at first – that’s normal! Encourage them to try again and explain their thinking. Don’t rush to correct – let them discover what they did wrong.

Practice questions

  1. What is 0.5 + 0.3?
  2. What is 1.25 × 4?
  3. What is 3.6 ÷ 0.6?
  4. What is 0.9 − 0.4?
  5. How much does it cost to feed 5 monkeys if one costs £1.50?
  6. How many 0.25 kg portions can you make from 1 kg?
  7. What is 0.8 × 0.5?
  8. How far does a cheetah run in 15 minutes if it runs 0.6 km in 10 minutes?
  9. What is 2.75 + 1.25?
  10. How much change do you get from £10 if you buy something that costs £7.35?
Answers:
  1. 0.8
  2. 5.00
  3. 6
  4. 0.5
  5. £7.50
  6. 4
  7. 0.4
  8. 0.9 km
  9. 4.00
  10. £2.65

FAQ

What is a decimal?

A decimal is a way to show parts of a whole number using a decimal point. For example, 0.5 means half, or 5 tenths.

How do I add decimals?

Line up the decimal points and add like normal numbers. For example, 0.6 + 0.3 = 0.9.

How do I multiply decimals?

Multiply as if they were whole numbers, then count how many decimal places there are in total. For example, 0.5 × 0.4 = 0.20.

How can I practice decimals at home?

You can use money, cooking, shopping, or measuring things around your house to practice decimals.

Why do we need decimals?

Decimals help us measure and count things more precisely, especially when we need to show small parts, like half a kilogram or a quarter of a litre.