Maths for 8 year olds: what to practise at home
In England, an 8 year old is either finishing Year 3 or starting Year 4. Numbers grow to three and four digits, the times tables become the centre of the year, and fractions move from shapes to sets of objects and equivalent fractions.
Here is a checklist of what most 8 year olds work on, maths questions for 8 year olds to try together, and a free game set to the right level.
Free to try in the browser. No download, no account, no ads.
What most 8 year olds can do in maths
Every child moves at their own pace, so use this as a picture of what school is working on, not a checklist to pass. Across Year 3 and into Year 4, most children are learning to:
- Work with numbers to 1,000 and beyond. Know the value of each digit in a three-digit number, find 10 or 100 more or less, and start on four-digit numbers in Year 4.
- Add and subtract three-digit numbers. Mentally for simple cases and with the column method, estimating first and checking with the inverse.
- Know the 3, 4 and 8 times tables. On top of the 2, 5 and 10 tables, then working towards all tables up to 12 × 12 by the end of Year 4.
- Multiply and divide with a written method. A two-digit number times a one-digit number, and division facts that come from the tables they know.
- Find fractions of a set. 1/3 of 12 or 3/4 of 8, count in tenths, compare unit fractions, and spot equivalent fractions such as 2/6 = 1/3.
- Money, time and measures. Add and subtract pounds and pence, tell the time on an analogue clock to the minute, and measure in cm, m, g, kg and ml.
Maths questions for 8 year olds
Try these together, out loud or on paper. Ask how they worked it out, not just for the answer.
1. What is 100 more than 358? What is 10 less?
Answer
458 and 348.
2. 246 + 133 = ?
Answer
379: 200 + 100 = 300, 40 + 30 = 70, 6 + 3 = 9.
3. A box holds 8 pencils. How many pencils are in 6 boxes?
Answer
48, because 6 × 8 = 48.
4. 24 children get into teams of 4. How many teams are there?
Answer
6, because 6 × 4 = 24.
5. What is 1/3 of 15?
Answer
5: share 15 into 3 equal groups.
6. Which is bigger, 1/4 or 1/3?
Answer
1/3. Splitting into fewer equal parts makes each part bigger.
7. You buy a drink for 65p and pay with £1. How much change?
Answer
35p, because 65p + 35p = £1.
Games that match age 8
For an 8 year old in Year 3, choose “Year 3” as the practice level (the button above sets it); for one in Year 4, choose “Year 4”.
- Multiply Mountain (multiplication): times tables as equal groups of counters, growing through the stages; Year 4 builds to every table up to 12 × 12.
- Fraction Falls (fractions): naming fractions of shapes, from halves and quarters in Year 3 to fifths, sixths and eighths in Year 4.
- Number Grove (addition): two- and three-digit addition with hints that split numbers into easier steps.
- Subtraction Shores (subtraction): subtraction with each answer checked by adding back.
Not covered yet: division, money, time and measures. Everyday shopping and cooking are good practice for those.
What parents see
Each stage is five questions, and four right completes it. The progress page shows which stages your child has completed in each world and their recent scores; the parent report for the Moonwell story also separates guided practice from independent answers. Everything stays in this browser, with no child account.
Memberships and the parent waitlist
Every world is free to try now. Memberships are not open yet; these are the proposed prices, and no payment is taken here.
| Plan | UK price |
|---|---|
| Explorer · 1 child | £7.99 a month, or £79.90 a year |
| Family · up to 4 children | £12.99 a month, or £129.90 a year |
Founding families: the first 100 families on the waitlist get 40% off for life when memberships open. Leave a parent or guardian email and we will write once, when memberships open. No ads, and we never ask for a child’s name, email or photo.
Questions parents ask
How much maths practice does an 8 year old need at home?
Ten minutes on most days is plenty. Short times tables practice and talking through everyday sums (change at the shop, time until tea) does more than a long weekly session.
Which times tables should an 8 year old know?
By the end of Year 3, the 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 10 times tables. The rest follow in Year 4, ahead of the Multiplication Tables Check in June.
My 8 year old is behind with maths. What helps most?
Secure the basics first: number bonds to 20, place value and the 2, 5 and 10 tables. Practise at a level where they get most answers right, then step up.
Is Clarendium free?
Yes, every game is free to try in the browser now. Memberships are planned but not open; the waitlist asks only for a parent’s email.
Keep exploring
- Maths for 7 year oldsThe year before: two-digit numbers and the 2, 5 and 10 times tables.
- Year 3 maths gamesGames set to the Year 3 curriculum.
- Year 4 maths gamesGames set to the Year 4 curriculum.
- Choosing a maths app for kidsA parent checklist, and where Clarendium fits.