🧠 Word Problems for Kids - Free Maths Story Sums
Word problems for kids turn everyday stories into friendly maths practice. Your child reads a short story, works out what is happening and types the answer. This page has two free activities: addition and subtraction word problems and multiplication and division word problems. Each one works online on a phone, tablet or computer, and each one can be printed as a clean worksheet for homework, classwork or quiet time at home. No sign-up is needed, and every activity is completely free to use.
What are these word problem activities?
A word problem is a small story with numbers hiding inside it. Instead of seeing 6 + 3 on the page, a child reads something like "Meera has 6 pencils and her friend gives her 3 more." The child has to picture the situation, decide whether to add, subtract, multiply or divide, and then type the answer. That one extra step is what makes word problems so valuable: the maths is the same, but the thinking is much deeper.
This page collects two sets of story sums. The first set covers addition and subtraction word problems, with simple joining and taking-away situations such as sharing sweets, counting birds or buying fruit. The second set covers multiplication and division word problems, using equal groups, rows of objects and fair sharing. The stories use everyday things children know, so nothing feels strange or complicated.
Skills children build
- Reading with purpose - children learn to read slowly and pick out the important numbers.
- Choosing the right operation - deciding when to add, subtract, multiply or divide.
- Mental maths - working out answers in the head or on rough paper.
- Confidence with numbers - instant feedback online means mistakes feel safe.
- Everyday maths sense - connecting sums to shopping, sharing and counting at home.
- Patience and focus - each problem needs calm, careful attention.
Children who can solve written sums sometimes freeze when the same sum appears inside a sentence. Regular, short practice with word problems closes that gap and makes exam-style questions far less frightening.
How to play online and how to print
To play online, just tap an activity above. The story appears on screen, your child types the answer in the box and sees straight away whether it is correct. There is nothing to download and nothing to install, and the activities work on small phone screens as well as on classroom computers.
To use a printed version, open the activity and choose the print option. You will get a tidy black-and-white worksheet that saves ink and photocopies well. Printed sheets are handy for travel, for children who think better with a pencil in hand, and for teachers who need a set of 30 copies for a maths period.
Ideas by age
Ages 2-3: very young children are not reading yet, so read the story aloud and act it out with real objects - buttons, spoons or toy animals. Let them move the objects and count. Pair this with count and choose activities so counting becomes automatic before stories begin.
Ages 4-5: read the problem together and draw it. Four dots plus two dots is far easier to see than four plus two. Addition with pictures is a gentle bridge, and number order practice helps children keep track of counting on and counting back.
Ages 6-8: children can now read the problems themselves. Ask them to underline the numbers, circle the key word (altogether, left, each, shared) and say the sum out loud before typing. Two-step problems and multiplication stories suit this age well.
Ages 9 and above: use the printed sheets as timed challenges, or ask your child to write their own word problem for you to solve. Explaining a problem is the strongest sign that it has been understood.
Tips for parents and teachers
- Keep sessions short. Five good problems beat twenty rushed ones.
- Ask "what is the story about?" before asking for the answer.
- Praise the method, not only the correct result.
- Use real life. Shopping bills, sharing rotis and counting change are word problems in disguise.
- Allow drawing. Sketching the story is a proper strategy, not cheating.
- Mix screen and paper. Online for instant feedback, printed sheets for careful written work.
Teachers can project a problem on the board for a whole-class discussion, then hand out the printed worksheet for independent practice. Because the two activity sets cover different operations, they also work well as a quick revision test at the end of a chapter.
Free for home and classroom
Every word problem activity here is free to play and free to print, with no account and no charges. Parents can use them for daily ten-minute practice, and teachers can print as many copies as a class needs. If your child wants a change of pace after maths, try our shapes activities for a different kind of thinking.