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List Of 2nd Grade Math Word Problems

2nd grade math word problems are like puzzles that use real-life situations. They help 2nd graders connect math to everyday life, making them think and solve problems. Math word problems for 2nd grade go beyond math calculations – they teach kids to understand and solve challenges essential for school and life. Let’s explore 2nd grade word math problems to show why they’re valuable for learning and problem-solving.

The Most Popular Math Word Problems 2nd Grade

There are so many math word problems in 2nd grade, and each has its unique or generic way of helping kids understand math. Here are some of the most popular math 2nd grade word problems divided into single-step and multistep word problems with their solutions. 

Single-Step Word Problems

Here’s the list of single-step 2nd-grade word math problems with the step-by-step working for each:

Problem:

Lily has 5 red apples. She gives 2 apples to her friend. How many apples does Lily have now?

Solution:

5 – 2 = 3

Lily has 3 apples left.

Problem:

There are 7 butterflies in the garden. 3 butterflies fly away. How many butterflies are left?

Solution:

7 – 3 = 4

There are 4 butterflies left.

Problem:

Sarah has 6 pencils. She buys 3 more pencils at the store. How many pencils does Sarah have now?

Solution:

6 + 3 = 9

Sarah has 9 pencils.

Problem:

There are 15 candies in a jar. 7 candies are eaten. How many candies are left in the jar?

Solution:

15 – 7 = 8

There are 8 candies left in the jar.

Problem:

David has 9 marbles. He gives 5 marbles to his friend. How many marbles does David have left?

Solution:

9 – 5 = 4

David has 4 marbles left.

Problem:

There are 12 birds on the tree. 6 birds fly away. How many birds are still on the tree?

Solution:

12 – 6 = 6

There are 6 birds still on the tree.

Problem:

Amy has 14 stickers. She gives 8 stickers to her brother. How many stickers does Amy have left?

Solution:

14 – 8 = 6

Amy has 6 stickers left.

Problem:

There are 20 balloons at the party. 10 balloons pop. How many balloons are left?

Solution:

20 – 10 = 10

There are 10 balloons left.

2nd Grade Multi-Step Math Word Problems

Now that we’ve gone through the single-step exercises, here are some interesting 2nd grade multi step math word problems: 

Problem:

Jenna had 15 pencils. She gave 4 pencils to her friend Lily and then found 3 more pencils. How many pencils does Jenna have now?

Solution:

Starting pencils: 15

Pencils given to Lily: 4

Remaining pencils: 15 – 4 = 11

Pencils after finding 3 more: 11 + 3 = 14

Jenna has 14 pencils now.

Problem:

There are 24 stickers in a box. Tommy takes 8 stickers and gives 5 stickers to his sister. Then, his mom gives him 3 more stickers. How many stickers does Tommy have now?

Solution:

Starting stickers: 24

Stickers taken by Tommy: 8

Remaining stickers: 24 – 8 = 16

Stickers after giving 5 to sister: 16 – 5 = 11

Stickers after getting 3 more: 11 + 3 = 14

Tommy has 14 stickers now.

Problem:

David had 32 candies. He shared 10 candies with his friends and then ate 6 more. How many candies does David have left?

Solution:

Starting candies: 32

Candies shared with friends: 10

Remaining candies: 32 – 10 = 22

Candies after eating 6 more: 22 – 6 = 16

David has 16 candies left.

Problem:

There are 40 toy cars in the store. Twenty toy cars were sold, and then 15 more were delivered to the store. How many toy cars are in the store now?

Solution:

Starting toy cars: 40

Toy cars sold: 20

Remaining toy cars: 40 – 20 = 20

Toy cars after delivery: 20 + 15 = 35

There are 35 toy cars in the store now.

Problem:

Lisa has 18 markers. She gave 7 markers to her friend Amy, and then she bought 10 more markers at the store. How many markers does Lisa have now?

Solution:

Starting markers: 18

Markers given to Amy: 7

Remaining markers: 18 – 7 = 11

Markers after buying 10 more: 11 + 10 = 21

Lisa has 21 markers now.

2nd grade common core math word problems

The common core math standard often seems a little difficult for parents, especially because they are different from what math used to be. However, common core 2nd grade math word problems are not completely different from normal word problems. The solution process is what seems different, so here are some 2nd grade math word problems common core: 

Problem:

There are 12 apples on a tree. If 5 apples fall down, how many apples are left on the tree?

Solution:

Starting apples: 12

Apples that fell: 5

Remaining apples: 12 – 5 = 7

There are 7 apples left on the tree.

Problem:

Liam has 18 marbles. He gives 9 marbles to his friend Emma. How many marbles does Liam have now?

Solution:

Starting marbles: 18

Marbles given to Emma: 9

Liam has 18 – 9 = 9 marbles left.

Problem:

There are 24 students in a classroom. If 8 students are absent today, how many students are present?

Solution:

Total Students: 24

Absent students: 8

Present students: 24 – 8 = 16 students are present.

Problem:

Emily has 32 stickers. She wants to share them equally among her 4 friends. How many stickers will each friend get?

Solution:

Stickers: 32

Number of friends: 4

Stickers per friend: 32 ÷ 4 = 8 stickers each.

Problem:

A box contains 15 toy cars. If 6 toy cars are blue and the rest are red, how many red toy cars are there?

Solution:

Total toy cars: 15

Blue toy cars: 6

Red toy cars: 15 – 6 = 9 red toy cars.

2nd Grade Math Word Problem Games 

Here are some fun math word problem games for 2nd graders: 

Math Scavenger Hunt

Create a scavenger hunt where students solve word problems to find hidden clues or objects. For example, provide a word problem that leads them to a specific location in the classroom or school. Each solved problem guides them to the next clue until they reach the final destination.

Math Bingo

Create bingo cards with answers to different 2nd-grade word problems. Call out word problems, and students need to solve them to mark the corresponding answers on their bingo cards. The first to complete a row, column, or diagonal shouts, “Bingo!”

Story Math

Write a short story with embedded word problems. As students read the story, they encounter math challenges that they must solve to progress through the narrative. This makes problem-solving an integral part of the storytelling experience.

Conclusion 

Word problems help kids see math problems in real-life scenarios and make it easier for them to understand math concepts better. If you want to teach your kids word problems, this piece should help you know enough to teach your kids. An alternative would be signing your kids up for Brighterly, a platform where you can meet tutors dedicated to teaching kids word problems using games and fun videos to ensure proper assimilation of the math concept. Register now on brighterly.com.