Number Patterns Teaching Resources
Explore number patterns in your maths classes this school year with fun worksheets, games and more teacher resources created to help your students understand how numbers in a sequence relate to one another.
Aligned with the Australian Version 9.0 maths standards, the printable and digital activities in this collection were created by the maths teachers on the Teach Starter team to help you save time on your lesson plans.
Whether this is your first year teaching about number patterns or you're just looking for a little extra help, we've got you covered. Read on for a primer from our teacher team! We explain what number patterns are so you can share with your class, plus we explore three common patterns.
What Are Number Patterns? A Kid-Friendly Definition
A number pattern is a series of numbers that each follow the same rule. These patterns or sequences can help us find missing numbers or identify what number will come next in a series.
For example, let's say you are given the following list of numbers:
- 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24
This is an example of a number pattern in which the next number in the series is 4 more than the previous number. Once you can identify the pattern in a series of numbers like this one, you can then use that pattern to determine what number comes next or even what numbers could have come before the list began.
This is one of the many reasons number patterns are an important part of building our students' algebraic reasoning skills. They help kids understand how numbers can be related to one another and apply what they know about those relationships to solve problems.
3 Common Types of Number Patterns
We can't talk about number patterns without breaking down the different types your students are going to encounter in their maths journey!
Linear Patterns
Linear patterns are number patterns in which the numbers increase or decrease by the same amount each time.
The example used above — in which each number in the series increased by a quantity of 4 — is a simple example of a linear pattern.
Geometric Number Patterns
Another type of pattern students may have to contend with is the geometric number pattern. This type involves numbers that are multiplied or divided by a constant factor.
The multiplication table is an example of a geometric number pattern.
Recursive Patterns
Students will have to make full use of their understanding of the four whole number operations to work with recursive patterns. That's because this pattern involves finding each successive number in the sequence by performing a specific operation on the previous number(s).
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Dot-to-Dot Drawing - Numbers by 5 - Dinosaur
Join the dots and numbers to make a picture.
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Multiplying and Dividing by Powers of 10 Game
Play this multiplying and dividing by powers of 10 game to give students practice multiplying and dividing whole numbers by 10, 100 and 1000.
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More and Less Worksheet
Practise adding and subtracting 10 and 100 to a three-digit number.
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Odds and Evens Animal Racing Game
Play this fun animal racing came to quickly practise odd and even number recall.
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Skip Counting Fishing Interactive Activity
Assign this fun fishing game to help your students practise their skip counting skills using digital technology.
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Input-Output Tables and Graphing Task Cards
Practise reading input-output tables and plotting points in the first quadrant with this set of task cards.
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Naming Number Patterns Board Game
Play this number patterns board game which includes 36 question cards.
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Number Patterns Task Cards – Addition and Subtraction
Practise identifying the rules of patterns, determining missing numbers and interpreting word problems with this set of 36 task cards.
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Hundreds Boards with Missing Numbers - 1-100 and 101-200
A set of 12 hundreds boards worksheets with missing numbers.
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Skip Counting Robot Template
A fun robot template to help students skip count by 2s, 5s and 10s.
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Repeating Patterns Task Cards
Practise recognising, copying and describing different repeating patterns using pony beads and our set of 30 Repeating Patterns Task Cards.
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Function Machine Interactive Game
Share this function machine interactive game with your students, providing them a fun way to practise identifying and continuing number patterns.
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Additive and Multiplicative Patterns Worksheet
Analyse additive and multiplicative patterns in a fun ‘this’ or ‘that’ format that encourages students to reason logically and defend their answers.
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Emoji Equation Riddles - Determine the Unknown
Determine the value of an unknown variable in an equation with printable Emoji Maths Riddle task cards.
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Odd or Even Under 20 Cut and Paste Worksheets
Review odd and even numbers with this set of two cut and paste worksheets.
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Charts of Odd and Even Numbers Up to 500
Encourage your students to identify odd and even numbers with this set of number charts up to 500.
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Roll and Multiply Interactive Activity
Teach your students the multiplication strategy of repeated addition using this colourful interactive dice game!
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Skip Counting Worksheets (Complete the Series)
Use this set of skip counting worksheets to check student understanding of skip counting in increasing intervals of 5, 10 and 100, by finishing a series.
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Ten More, Ten Less Task Cards
A set of 24 task cards to enable students to practise identifying ten more and ten less than a number.
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Python Patterns – Match-Up Activity
An activity for students to consolidate copying and creating patterns.
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1–120 Number Board
A black and white chart with numbers 1–120 that can be used for a variety of activities.
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Counting to 20 Activity
Use this number activity to consolidate your students’ knowledge of numbers 1-20.
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Finding Unknown Values Interactive Task Cards
Strengthen student understanding of finding unknown values with this interactive task card resource.
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Factors, Multiples and Divisibility Rules Interactive Task Cards
Explore factors, multiples and divisibility rules with these interactive task cards.
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Classroom Number Line to 100 - Including Factors
Help your students as they learn about number sense and factors with this Classroom Number Line to 100.
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Robot Pattern Challenge - Additive Patterns Interactive Slides
Engage students with additive patterns interactive slides that offer teachers a ready‑to‑use digital resource for recognising, extending and explaining additive number patterns.
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Odd and Even Properties Teaching Slides
Teach your students about the properties of odd and even numbers with this interactive teaching PowerPoint.
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Input Output Machine Worksheet Set
Use this input output machine worksheet set to introduce your students to number patterns while giving them computational practice.
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Sequencing Activities — Numbers 1-9 Sausage Dog
Use our sequencing activities like this sausage dog to help your students practise ordering the numbers 1 - 9.
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Skip Counting by 1, 2, 5 and 10 Sorting Activity
Set up this sorting activity as a small group or rotation task for your students to practise thier skip counting skills.
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10 More, 10 Less, 100 More, 100 Less — I Have, Who Has Game
Find the number ten more than, ten less than, one hundred more than, and one hundred less than the given number in this fun whole-class game!
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Graphing Numerical Equations – Google Slides Interactive Activity
Recognise and analyse patterns in graphs, input-output tables and equations with this interactive activity.
- Number Patterns Worksheets
- Number Patterns Games
- Number Patterns Templates
- Number Patterns Posters
- Number Patterns Teaching Presentations
- Number Patterns for Foundation Year
- Number Patterns for Year 1
- Number Patterns for Year 2
- Number Patterns for Year 3
- Number Patterns for Year 4
- Number Patterns for Year 5
- Number Patterns for Year 6
- Number Patterns for Year 7