Free printable math drill — download and print instantly
This Mixed Add Subtract drill has 40 problems for Grade 1. Puppet Show theme. Answer key included.
⬇ Download Free Math DrillGet new free worksheets every week.
All worksheets checked by our AI verification system. No wrong answers — guaranteed.
Max's puppet stage collapsed! He must solve math problems to rebuild the stage before the show starts tonight!
Standard: CCSS.MATH.1.OA.C.6
At age 6 and 7, your child is building the mental flexibility to switch between adding and subtracting within the same problem—a skill that feels like magic to developing brains. Mixed-add-subtract problems teach students to read carefully, decide which operation to use, and hold multiple steps in working memory. This isn't just about getting the right answer; it's about developing number sense and the ability to think strategically before computing. When children can fluently mix operations, they're stronger problem-solvers in real life: figuring out how many cookies remain after eating some and baking more, or calculating toys left after trading and finding extras. These mixed problems also strengthen the neural pathways that connect addition and subtraction as inverse operations, laying a critical foundation for future algebra thinking. Practicing these drills helps your first-grader move from counting on fingers to reasoning about numbers, which is exactly what Grade 1 mathematicians should be doing.
First graders often rush and treat every problem as addition, or they forget which operation symbol they just saw by the time they compute. Watch for students who solve 5 + 2 − 1 as 5 + 2 + 1 = 8, showing they didn't register the minus sign. Another red flag: they compute correctly but in the wrong order (subtracting first instead of following left-to-right), suggesting they need more practice with operation sequence. Some children also lose focus on the first number—they'll recount from one instead of starting with the given amount, which slows both accuracy and confidence.
Play a puppet-show style game at home using two toy characters or stuffed animals. Start with one character holding a pile of small objects (blocks, crackers, pennies). Announce a story: 'Puppet A has 4 blocks. She gets 3 more blocks. Then she gives away 2.' Act out each step with the puppets while your child watches, then ask them to write or say the number sentence (4 + 3 − 2 = ?). This embodied, narrative approach helps six-year-olds see why switching operations matters and makes the abstract symbols feel real.