Kindergarten algebra · Ages 5–6
Make It Fair
The gift box is hiding some dots. Your five-year-old can work out how many — that is solving an equation.
The one idea
Equal means both sides have the same amount. If one side has a hidden part, you can work out how big it is.
Ready?
Kindergarten algebra · Make It Fair
The gift box is hiding some dots. Your five-year-old can work out how many — that is solving an equation.
Full screen — no distractions
For grown-ups: Kindergarten algebra
The gift box is the first “unknown”. Children solve 🎁 + 2 = 5 by counting up and by taking the same off both sides of a scale — the exact move a teenager uses on 2x + 3 = 11. Use real objects whenever you can.
This page is the right one if they can already…
- Counts objects to 10, touching each one
- Knows that adding one more makes “one more”
- Can continue a red-blue-red-blue pattern
Not yet? Start at Pre-Kindergarten: The Hiding Game — algebra only works one rung at a time.
🏠 Try it at home
Equal means the same amount
Use a coat hanger with two cups on string as a scale. Drop in pennies until it hangs level.
The box is hiding some
Hide some crayons in a sock. “I have 2 in my hand and the sock. That’s 5 altogether. How many in the sock?”
Take the same off both sides
With the coat-hanger scale, take one penny from each cup at the same time. Still level?
Patterns with three beats
Make an action pattern: clap, clap, jump, clap, clap, jump… and stop. What do they do next?
The words, in plain English
- Equal
- The same amount on both sides.
- 2 and 1 is equal to 3.
- Balance
- A scale that stays level when both sides are equal.
- 3 blocks balances 3 blocks.
- Missing
- A part we cannot see yet.
- The box is hiding 3.
- Repeat
- Comes back again and again.
- red, red, blue repeats.
🌍 Algebra in an ordinary day
- “You have 2 grapes. I want you to have 5. How many more do I give you?”
- Sorting the washing so both of you carry the same
- Clapping the pattern in a song
🏁 By the end of Kindergarten
- Says whether two sides are equal by matching
- Finds a hidden number up to 5 by counting up
- Keeps a scale fair by changing both sides
- Continues ABC and AAB patterns
Where this fits
One idea, twelve rungs. The hiding spot just gets cleverer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What algebra should a Kindergarten child learn?
Equal means both sides have the same amount. If one side has a hidden part, you can work out how big it is. By the end of the year they should be able to: says whether two sides are equal by matching; finds a hidden number up to 5 by counting up; keeps a scale fair by changing both sides; continues ABC and AAB patterns.
Isn’t Kindergarten too early for algebra?
Not the way it is taught here. Algebra is finding a number that is hiding, and at this age the hiding spot is 🎁 — something a child can point at. There are no letters, and the ideas match what kindergarten maths already covers.
What is the most common Kindergarten algebra mistake?
Says 5, or 7. 5 is the number they can see; 7 comes from adding everything on the page. The fix: Use a real box. Put the dots in it yourself while they watch, then ask them to work it out with the lid closed.
Does my child need to read?
No. The lessons are written for you to say out loud, and the practice is pictures and dots your child taps. Nothing needs reading, writing or typing.
Is it free?
Yes. All 4 lessons, the pictures, the worked examples, the balance scale and the practice questions are free with no signup. The practice never runs out — every question is generated fresh and checked.