Two-Digit Addition Game

This two-digit addition game helps second graders add numbers within 100 by playing: pop balloons, flip memory cards, race cars or sprint through true and false sentences. Each question adds two numbers from 10 up to 89, such as 38 + 27 or 52 + 41, with a total of 99 or less, and some need regrouping while others do not. It is free, needs no sign-up, works on phones and tablets, and comes with a printable sheet showing three ways to add two-digit numbers.

Two-digit addition game: see how it plays

The two-digit addition game below has four modes, and every question adds two two-digit numbers. The printable sheet shows a worked example three ways, a number line, column addition with regrouping and a short test, and the pictures show Answer Race, Memory Match and Balloon Pop on this page.

How the two-digit addition game works

• Answer Race: every right answer moves your car forward, and you race three computer cars to the finish flag. The first to 15 wins, and wrong taps cost time, not places.
• Memory Match: twelve face-down cards hide six addition facts such as 74 + 15 and their six answers. Flip two at a time and match each one to its answer in as few moves as you can.
• Balloon Pop: answers float up on balloons, and you pop the right one before it drifts off the top. The wrong balloons are within 12 of the right answer, so children must add carefully and not just guess the nearest ten. The game speeds up as your score climbs, and three misses ends the round.
• True or False: sixty seconds on the clock. Decide whether each sentence, such as 47 + 26 = 73, is right or wrong. A streak of five or more scores double.

Adding two-digit numbers: what the game asks

In the two-digit addition game the first number is from 10 to 89 and the second is chosen so the total stays at 99 or below, which gives 3,240 different questions. About 39 percent of them need regrouping, which means the ones add to 10 or more, as in 38 + 27 where 8 + 7 is 15. The other 1,980 do not regroup and are good for building confidence. Children who find the regrouping questions hard in the two-digit addition game can start with the no-regroup type and add the harder ones later.

Two digit addition strategies compared

There is no single right method, and children do best when they know two or three and choose. Here are the eight sample questions below worked by splitting each number into tens and ones, which is the method that grows into the column method:

Four ways to add 38 + 27

The round-and-adjust method is a favorite of strong mental mathematicians: 38 is close to 40, so add 27 to 40 and take away 2. Wikipedia’s addition article explains the idea of carrying in the standard algorithm, and our addition strategies for kids guide has more methods.

Two digit addition game and 2 digit addition game ideas

Parents often search for a two digit addition game or a 2 digit addition game, and both mean this: a quick, low-pressure way to practice adding within 100. Start with a round of five minutes, talk about one question that was hard, and then play again. The two-digit addition game remembers your best score on the device, so children can try to beat it.

Adding within 100: grade 2 math game and double digit addition

Adding within 100 is the center of grade 2 number work, and a grade 2 math game is a good way to build speed once the methods are known. Use Answer Race for accuracy and Balloon Pop for speed, and look at which questions are missed: they are usually the ones that regroup. Double digit addition becomes easy once regrouping is secure.

Addition with regrouping game: when the ones make ten

An addition with regrouping game needs the child to notice when the ones add to ten or more. In 38 + 27 the ones are 8 and 7, which make 15, so one ten moves to the tens column. About 39 percent of the questions in the two-digit addition game have this feature, which is why it gives such good regrouping practice.

Two digit addition printable: the strategies sheet

The two digit addition printable shows three strategies side by side with the same worked example, 47 + 26, and then a number line and a column with the carried ten in red. Children can copy the layout for their own questions, and the six practice problems at the bottom have room for the working. Print it for every child, and keep one copy beside the two-digit addition game.

Skills to build before two-digit addition

1. Know the sums to 20: play the addition within 20 game.
2. Know place value: play the tens and ones game.
3. Add tens: 30 + 40 is three tens plus four tens, which is seven tens.
4. Add a one-digit number to a two-digit one: 45 + 6 is 45 + 5 + 1.
5. Add two two-digit numbers with a strategy, then check with another.

Where two-digit addition fits at school

The Common Core grade 2 number and operations in base ten standards name this skill. Print the addition worksheets for written practice with answer keys.

Two-digit addition game: frequently asked questions

What grade is the two-digit addition game for?

Grade 2 in the United States, and Year 2 in England, usually ages 7 and 8.

What is regrouping in addition?

Regrouping, or carrying, means that when the ones add to 10 or more, ten of them are traded for one ten and moved to the tens column.

How many questions does the two-digit addition game have?

There are 3,240 different questions, all with totals of 99 or less.

What if my child is slow at it?

Check the sums to 20 first. If those are fast, practice with the no-regroup questions and a number line, and add the harder ones later.

Is the two-digit addition game free, and do kids need an account?

Yes, it is free, and no account is needed. Best scores are saved only in the browser on this device.

Does it work on phones and tablets?

Yes. Every game is built for touch first and also works with a mouse on a computer.

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• Two-digit subtraction
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