NCERT Joyful Mathematics, Class 2, textbook pages 23–31

How to teach Class 2 Maths Chapter 3, Fun with Numbers, at home

Numbers to 100, number line and skip counting, taught with things you already have at home: a 10-minute activity, a game for the week, a 5-day plan and the mistakes to watch for.

4045505560skip counting in 5s

NCERT Class 2 Maths Chapter 3 Fun with Numbers: what it teaches

Now that your child knows tens and ones, this chapter moves numbers onto a number line and a 1 to 100 chart. They jump forward and back, skip count in 2s, 5s and 10s, and guess mystery numbers.

Why it matters later. The number line is how children will add, subtract and later understand fractions and negative numbers. Skip counting in 2s, 5s and 10s leads straight into times tables in Chapter 8.

See it: this chapter in pictures

41424344454647484950515253545556575859606162636465666768697071727374757677787980counting in 5s: every number ends in 5 or 0
Skip counts make columns on the 100 chart.
203040506070803565
Find the tens nearby, then count on.
Is it more than 50? NoMore than 25? YesEnds in 0? Yes30 or 40? It’s 40!
Good questions cut the choices in half each time.

You need

  • chalk to draw a number line on the floor
  • a 1–100 chart (draw a 10 × 10 grid)
  • coins or bottle caps as markers
  • a string of beads if you have one

Tonight’s 10 minutes

  1. Chalk a line from 0 to 20 on the floor. Your child jumps forward and back: “start at 7, jump 5 forward”.
  2. On the 100 chart, colour every number you land on counting in 5s. Then in 2s. What do you notice?
  3. Play Guess my Number: you think of a number, your child asks yes/no questions like “Is it more than 50?”
  4. Point at any number and ask what comes just before, just after and 10 more.

Words to use

  • forward
  • backward
  • skip count
  • more than
  • less than
  • between
  • 10 more

Watch for

  • Counting the start number as a jump. Count jumps as your feet land, not the square you begin on.
  • Losing the pattern after 50 in skip counting. Look at the ones digit: counting in 5s always ends in 5 or 0.

What it sounds like at home

A short example of the conversation. Your words will differ; the questions are what matter.

YouI’m thinking of a number.

Your childIs it more than 50?

YouNo.

Your childIs it more than 25?

YouYes. And it ends in 0.

Your child30 or 40… Is it 40?

YouYes!

A game for this week: Guess my number

  1. One player thinks of a number from 1 to 100.
  2. The others ask yes/no questions: “Is it more than 50? Is it even?”
  3. Keep count of questions. Try to guess in 10 or fewer.
  4. Swap roles each round.

A 5-day plan, 10 minutes a day

  1. Day 1Floor number line: jump forward and back.
  2. Day 2Skip count in 5s on the 100 chart.
  3. Day 3Skip count in 2s and 10s.
  4. Day 4Before, after, between and 10 more.
  5. Day 5Guess my number game.

Everyday moments to practise

  • House numbers on your street.
  • Page numbers in a book.
  • Counting steps in 2s on a staircase.
  • Counting coins in 5s.

Quick check

Ask these at the end of the week. Tap to see the answer.

Count in 5s from 40: what are the next three numbers?

45, 50, 55.

What is 10 more than 63?

73.

Which number is between 79 and 81?

80.

Ready for the next chapter when your child…

  • Places numbers to 100 on a number line.
  • Skip counts in 2s, 5s and 10s.
  • Asks good yes/no questions to narrow down a number.

Activities, wording and illustrations are Mathify Kids’ own, following the topics of NCERT’s Joyful Mathematics (Class 2). See the full Class 2 parent guide for every chapter.

Questions parents ask

What is skip counting?

Counting by jumping more than one each time, like 5, 10, 15, 20.

Why does my child find numbers after 50 harder?

Less practice. Count in tens first (50, 60, 70) then fill in the ones between.

How do I make a number line at home?

Draw it with chalk on the floor or on a long strip of paper, and let your child jump or move a coin along it.