What is a good number bonds to 20 printable game?
A good number bonds to 20 printable game makes children find the partner number themselves, checks itself, and fits in ten minutes. Ours has two parts: Make 20 Memory, a cut-out card game, and six Beast Lanes puzzles where kids split a hand of numbers so every beast lands on exactly 20. Answers are on page three.
Number bonds to 10 vs number bonds to 20
Most printables treat bonds to 20 as a longer list to memorize. Here is how the two compare, and why the second is built on the first.
| Bonds to 10 | Bonds to 20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | 7 + 3 = 10 | 13 + 7 = 20 |
| Pairs (1 to 19) | 9 ordered pairs | 19 ordered pairs |
| US standard | K.OA.A.4 (kindergarten) | 1.OA.C.6 and 2.OA.B.2 (grades 1 and 2) |
| Main strategy | See it with objects or a ten frame | Use a bond to 10, then add a ten |
| Typical mistake | Counting all over again | Saying 13 needs 3 (the bond to 10, not 20) |
Every bond to 20 is a bond to 10 wearing a ten: 13 + 7 = 20 because 3 + 7 = 10.
How the printable game works in 3 steps
- Print and cut. Page one has 20 beast cards. Gold beasts are under 10, mint beasts are 10 or more, so every pair is one of each except 10 + 10.
- Play Make 20 Memory. Cards face down. Turn two; if they make exactly 20, say the pair aloud and keep them.
- Solve Beast Lanes. Each puzzle has two or three lanes of beasts and a hand of numbers. Bond pops a beast at 20, feed makes it grow, bridge carries the leftover to the next beast. Each puzzle has one answer.
Where the beasts come from
We make Number Beasts: Bond Lab. The printable is ours too, and it works without the app. One design decision behind it: the paper lanes keep the game's feed and bridge rules but drop aiming, so the whole challenge is the arithmetic.
Who this printable is not for
- Children who are still learning bonds to 10. The finder above has a Make 10 setting; start there.
- Classes that need 30 matching worksheets for a test. This is a game, not an assessment.
- Kids who need to learn subtraction facts separately. The lanes practice adding up to 20.
Number bonds to 20: parents' questions
What are number bonds to 20?
Pairs of whole numbers that add up to 20, such as 13 and 7 or 16 and 4. Children usually meet them after bonds to 10, because each bond to 20 can be found from a bond to 10.
Should kids learn number bonds to 10 or 20 first?
Bonds to 10 first. In the US, K.OA.A.4 covers making 10 in kindergarten, 1.OA.C.6 adds sums within 20 with making ten as a strategy, and 2.OA.B.2 asks for fluency within 20 by the end of grade 2.
How many number bonds to 20 are there?
With whole numbers from 0 to 20 there are 21 ordered pairs (0 + 20 up to 20 + 0), or 11 if you count 7 + 13 and 13 + 7 as the same bond. The memory cards use the 10 pairs from 1 + 19 to 10 + 10.
Is the printable really free? Do I need an email?
Yes, and no. The PDF downloads straight from this page with no sign-up. It is three US Letter pages and prints fine in black and white.
What age is this printable for?
Children who already know their bonds to 10, which is usually first or second grade. If bonds to 10 are still shaky, start there first.
Does Number Beasts teach bonds to 20?
Mostly it practices bonds to 10. Its third world, Chaos Laboratory, adds beasts that need 15 or 20, plus splitters and plus, minus and times converters. The whole game is free with no ads or in-app purchases.
Start on your iPhone
Print the sheets for the kitchen table, and start on your iPhone when you want a bonds puzzle that checks itself.
Start Number Beasts on your iPhone
Updated November 2026
Related
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- How to teach number bonds in homeschool, week by weekA four-week homeschool plan for number bonds to 10: counters, bond diagrams, then a make-ten game. Includes a launch calculator and game tips.
- Best number bonds app for kids: 4 comparedA parent's guide to four iPhone and iPad number bonds apps: price, ads, sums covered, progress tracking. Three taps match one to your child.
- Can't afford a math tutor? Free help and a printableCan't afford a math tutor? Where to find free math help near you, plus a make-10 practice sheet you can build and print free from this page.