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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Input Output Tables Worksheets
Provide these input output tables worksheets to your students to give them practice identifying and extending number patterns using all four operations.
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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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Odd and Even Cut-and-Paste Worksheet
Engage students in practising their knowledge of odd and even numbers with these simple cut-and-paste worksheets.
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Odd and Even Properties Student Cheat Sheet
Help students remember the properties of odd and even numbers with this student cheat sheet.
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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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Roll and Multiply Interactive Activity
Teach your students the multiplication strategy of repeated addition using this colourful interactive dice game!
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Roll and Colour Worksheet for Ten More, Ten Less
Use this interactive worksheet to help students practise finding the number that is 10 more and 10 less than a given number.
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10 More, 10 Less Differentiated Mazes
Delight your students with this maze challenge, to practise calculating 10 more or 10 less than a value within 120.
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10 More, 10 Less Colouring Worksheets (Differentiated)
Use this ten more, ten less worksheet set to engage your students while they practise computing 10 more or 10 less than a number within 120.
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Complex Dot-to-dot – Skip Counting by Sevens (Wolf) – Worksheet
A complex dot-to-dot where students demonstrate skip counting by sevens.
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Dot-to-Dot Drawing - Numbers by 1 - Elephant
Join the dots and numbers to make a picture.
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Skip Counting by 2s, 5s and 10s PowerPoint
A 28 page editable PowerPoint to use in the classroom when introducing skip counting by 2s, 5s and 10s.
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Skip Count by 2s, 5s and 10s Movement Cards
Support active number pattern learning with skip count by 2s, 5s and 10s task cards designed to help Year 1 students recognise, continue and create number patterns through movement‑based activities.
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Dividing by Powers of 10 Worksheet Set
Utilise this dividing by powers of 10 worksheet set to give your students practise dividing whole numbers by 10, 100 and 1000.
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Odd and Even Word Problems
Extend students with these odd and even number word problems and worksheets.
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Odd and Even Patterns in Multiplication Task Cards
Help your students discover patterns in odd and even numbers in multiplication sums with this set of task cards.
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Odd and Even Properties Interactive Activity
Engage students in odd and even numbers with this interactive activity.
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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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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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Decimal Patterns Maths Mazes
Find your way through this set of maths mazes by determining the addition or subtraction pattern in a sequence of decimal numbers.
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Snakes and Ladders Hundreds Chart Game
Complete each hundreds chart by putting the missing numbered clusters into place to play a game of Snakes and Ladders.
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Skip Counting by 2s Dominoes
A set of dominoes to use in the classroom when skip counting by 2s from 0 to 100.
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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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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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Number Grid Interactive Activity
Share this number grid interactive activity with your students to give them practice adding and subtracting ten and one from a given number.
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Skip Counting Puzzles
Practise skip counting and identifying multiples of numbers with printable skip counting puzzles for kids.
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Fishing Odd or Even Numbers Worksheets
Go fishing for odd and even numbers with your students using this set of three worksheets.
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The Case of the Missing Trophy Mystery (Odd and Even Properties)
Explore odd and even properties in multiplication sums with this fun and engaging mystery project.
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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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Counting Odd and Even Numbers Worksheet Pack
Identify odd and even numbers in a variety of activities in these odd and even worksheets.
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Skip Counting Exit Tickets
Assess student understanding of skip counting within 1000 by 5s 10s and 100s.
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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.
- Number Patterns Worksheets
- Number Patterns Games
- Number Patterns Posters
- Number Patterns Templates
- 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