X Tables
Real World Maths Adventures

The dinosaur theme park budget question prompts

Adult prompts and extension questions for plan tickets, rides, snacks and souvenir choices.

Quick answer

You can use maths to plan a fun day at a dinosaur theme park by choosing tickets, rides, snacks, and souvenirs within your budget.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to use addition and subtraction to make smart choices about what to do and buy at a theme park, so you can have the best day without going over your budget. Success signs:
  • You can add up prices of different rides or items
  • You can subtract prices from your budget to see how much you have left
  • You can compare prices to choose the best value
  • You can plan a fun day using maths to stay within your budget

Why this matters

Maths helps you make smart choices when you're spending money. Whether you're planning a day at a theme park or buying your lunch, you need to know how much things cost and how much money you have. This helps you get the most fun without running out of money. It's like being a money detective!

How it works

First, you need to know how much money you have. Then, you choose what you want to do or buy. Add up the prices of the things you want. If the total is more than your money, you need to pick fewer things. If it's less, you can buy more or save some money for later. You can also subtract the cost of each thing from your total to see how much you have left.

Examples you can see

Let's imagine you have £20 to spend at a dinosaur theme park. Example 1: Choosing rides
  • Big Dinosaur Ride costs £3
  • Velociraptor Zoom costs £4
  • Triceratops Toss costs £2
If you want to go on all three rides, you add: £3 + £4 + £2 = £9 You have £20 - £9 = £11 left over. Example 2: Buying snacks
  • Hot dog costs £2
  • Ice cream costs £3
  • Popcorn costs £1
If you buy one of each snack, you add: £2 + £3 + £1 = £6 You have £20 - £6 = £14 left over.

Try it as a mini adventure

Adventure: The Dinosaur Theme Park Budget Challenge You are planning a day at the Dinosaur Theme Park with your family. You have £30 to spend. Here's your challenge: Step 1: You want to go on 3 rides. Choose 3 rides from this list:
  • Dino Drop - £4
  • Raptor Run - £5
  • Triceratops Toss - £3
  • Stegosaurus Slide - £2
  • T-Rex Turbo - £6
Step 2: Add up the cost of your 3 rides. Step 3: Subtract the total from £30 to see how much money you have left. Step 4: You want to buy 2 snacks. Choose 2 snacks from this list:
  • Candy Dinosaur - £1
  • Chocolate Dino - £2
  • Dino Popcorn - £2
  • Dino Fries - £3
Step 5: Add up the cost of your 2 snacks. Step 6: Subtract the snack total from your remaining money. Step 7: If you have money left over, you can buy a souvenir. Choose one from this list:
  • Dino T-shirt - £5
  • Dino Sticker Book - £3
  • Dino Keyring - £2
  • Dino Toy - £4
Step 8: Add up your total spending and check if it's under £30. Step 9: Write down your choices and calculations to see if you stayed within budget.

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Adding prices but forgetting to include the cost of snacks or souvenirs.
    Why it happens: People get excited about rides and forget about other things they want to buy.
    Fix: Make a list of everything you want to do or buy before adding up the prices.
  • Mistake: Not checking if the total is more than your money.
    Why it happens: It's easy to get carried away when choosing fun things.
    Fix: Always subtract your total from your budget to see if you have enough money.
  • Mistake: Adding the same item twice.
    Why it happens: When you're choosing, it's easy to lose track of what you've already counted.
    Fix: Cross off each item as you add it to your total to keep track.

Parent and carer guide

To help your child with this activity, start by asking how much money they have to spend. Then, let them choose things they want to do or buy. Encourage them to write down their choices and add up the prices. If they go over budget, ask them to pick fewer things or cheaper options. You can also make it more fun by playing a pretend theme park game where they have to decide what to do with their money. What to say:
  • "Let's think about what you want to do first."
  • "How much money do you have left after buying that?"