Engage students with this addition and subtraction interactive escape room.
Year 1 Addition and Subtraction Word Problems That Turn Maths Into an Adventure
Addition and subtraction word problems help Year 1 students connect maths to real‑world situations, but repeated worksheet practice can quickly lose its appeal. This escape room has been designed to bring excitement and purpose back into maths lessons by turning problem solving into a collaborative challenge.
In this resource, students work their way through a series of carefully scaffolded word problems to uncover codes and solve clues. Each task focuses on building confidence with addition and subtraction within realistic contexts, encouraging students to read carefully, visualise the problem and choose an appropriate strategy.
Teachers benefit from a low‑prep resource that supports mathematical reasoning, discussion and multiple solution strategies, all while reinforcing key Year 1 curriculum objectives.
Creative Ways to Use Addition and Subtraction Word Problems in Your Classroom
This escape room offers flexibility beyond a standard maths lesson and can be adapted to suit a variety of classroom needs. Consider using it in some of these engaging ways:
- Maths mystery mornings – Set up the escape room as a special event where students “travel” through clues to solve a bigger class mystery.
- Early finisher challenges – Offer the escape room as an extension task for students who are ready for deeper problem solving.
- Cross‑curricular links – Tie the travel theme into literacy writing tasks or geography discussions to extend learning beyond maths.
Because the problems are contextual and varied, the resource works well across different ability levels and teaching styles.
Download These Adding and Subtracting Word Problems With Ease
Use the dropdown menu to choose either the PowerPoint or Google Slides version of the escape room. You’ll also need to download the student workbook, available as an editable slide deck or a quick‑print PDF. (Please note: you will be prompted to make your own copy of the Google Slides.)
Each student will need their own copy of the workbook.
Whether you’re printing clues for a room transformation, displaying tasks on your screen or customising pages for your learners, everything is ready to use immediately.
This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a Teach Starter collaborator.
More Addition and Subtraction Word Problem Practice
Looking for more ways to engage your students? Check out these addition and subtraction resources below.
Practise adding and subtracting numbers to twenty using ten frames. Use these Year 1 addition and subtraction solving mats to support students as they practise solving word problems. Combine math and art with our addition and subtraction colour by number worksheets that feature problems with solutions up to 20. 
teaching resource
Addition and Subtraction - Ten and Twenty Frame
teaching resource
Year 1 Addition and Subtraction Solving Mats
teaching resource
Addition and Subtraction Colour by Number Worksheets
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