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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Skip Counting by 3s Dominoes
A set of dominoes to use in the classroom when skip counting by 3s.
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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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Skip Count Practice Puzzles
Support number pattern learning with this skip count practice activity designed to help students recognise, continue and create skip counting sequences through a hands‑on matching activity.
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More and Less Worksheet
Practise adding and subtracting 10 and 100 to a three-digit number.
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Odd and Even Numbers Work Mat
Explore odd and even numbers with your students using this set of strategy mats.
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Odd and Even Properties Sorting Activity
Explore the properties of odd and even numbers when added, subtracted, divided and multiplied with this fun sorting activity
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Finding Patterns in Addition Charts (Odd and Even Numbers) Worksheet
Explore odd and even number patterns using an addition chart with your students.
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Year 4 Odd and Even Products in Multiplication Interactive Activity
Explore patterns in odd and even products from multiplication sums with this fun soccer-themed interactive activity.
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Year 4 Odd and Even Properties Task Cards
Assess students understanding of the properites of odd and even numbers with these task cards.
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Even or Odd Kaboom Game
Practise odd and even identification with an exciting game of Kaboom!
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Odd and Even Numbers Worksheet (Basic)
Introduce and explore odd and even numbers with this set of odd and even number worksheets.
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Odd and Even Properties Investigation
Explore odd and even number properties with this fun chef inspired investigation project.
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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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Odd and Even Numbers Sorting Activity
Identify and sort 2- and 3-digit numbers into odd and even categories.
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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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100 More , 100 Less Matching Game (Three-Digit Numbers)
Match 3-digit number cards to find pairs that are 100 more or 100 less of each other.
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10 More 10 Less Sorting Card Game
Engage your students and have them practise reading statements about values 10 more or 10 less, then and determining if the statement is accurate.
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Algebraic Expressions – Interactive Activity
Practise writing, reading and solving algebraic expressions with this set of interactive activities.
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Prime Factorisation Match-Up
Practise how to find the prime factorisation of a number with this match-up activity.
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Guided Maths Groups – National Numeracy Learning Progression – Task Cards
A set of 32 task cards with activities for tracking student progress along the numeracy learning progression.
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Dot-to-Dot Drawing - Numbers by 1 - Dove
Join the dots and numbers to make a picture.
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Moving Mathematics Activity - Skip Counting By Twos
A fun and active way to develop confidence with number sequences.
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Number Patterns PowerPoint
A 12 page editable PowerPoint presentation to use as part of a numeracy lesson when teaching place value and number patterns to younger students.
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Ordinal Position Task Cards
Support early maths learning with this ordinal position activity designed to help Foundation students explore position and order through a fun, hands‑on number track task.
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Input Output Game — ‘Under the Sea’ Board Game
Play this ‘Under the Sea’ input output game to engage your students as they learn about algebraic patterns.
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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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Blank Function Table Template
Grab this function table template set to create a wide variety of input/output activities that will have your students thinking algebraically.
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Input and Output Activities — Additive and Multiplicitive Patterns Match - Up
Use input and output activities like this additive and multiplicative patterns match-up game to give your students practice thinking algebraically.
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Divisible by 2 Maze Worksheets
Help students practise determining if a number is divisible by 2 with this fun set of maze worksheets.
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Patterns in Multiplication Cut and Paste
Teach your students about odd and even products in multiplication with this cut-and-paste worksheet.
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Odd and Even Properties Slides and Ladders
Practise determining odd and even results of sums with this fun Slides and Ladders Game.
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Odd and Even Interactive Activity (Double Digit Sums)
Engage students in odd and even numbers within double digit sums with this interactive activity.
- 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