Number Patterns Teaching Resources
Explore number patterns in your maths classes this school year with fun worksheets, games and more teacher resources created to help your students understand how numbers in a sequence relate to one another.
Aligned with the Australian Version 9.0 maths standards, the printable and digital activities in this collection were created by the maths teachers on the Teach Starter team to help you save time on your lesson plans.
Whether this is your first year teaching about number patterns or you're just looking for a little extra help, we've got you covered. Read on for a primer from our teacher team! We explain what number patterns are so you can share with your class, plus we explore three common patterns.
What Are Number Patterns? A Kid-Friendly Definition
A number pattern is a series of numbers that each follow the same rule. These patterns or sequences can help us find missing numbers or identify what number will come next in a series.
For example, let's say you are given the following list of numbers:
- 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24
This is an example of a number pattern in which the next number in the series is 4 more than the previous number. Once you can identify the pattern in a series of numbers like this one, you can then use that pattern to determine what number comes next or even what numbers could have come before the list began.
This is one of the many reasons number patterns are an important part of building our students' algebraic reasoning skills. They help kids understand how numbers can be related to one another and apply what they know about those relationships to solve problems.
3 Common Types of Number Patterns
We can't talk about number patterns without breaking down the different types your students are going to encounter in their maths journey!
Linear Patterns
Linear patterns are number patterns in which the numbers increase or decrease by the same amount each time.
The example used above — in which each number in the series increased by a quantity of 4 — is a simple example of a linear pattern.
Geometric Number Patterns
Another type of pattern students may have to contend with is the geometric number pattern. This type involves numbers that are multiplied or divided by a constant factor.
The multiplication table is an example of a geometric number pattern.
Recursive Patterns
Students will have to make full use of their understanding of the four whole number operations to work with recursive patterns. That's because this pattern involves finding each successive number in the sequence by performing a specific operation on the previous number(s).
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Classroom Toys Challenge - Repeating Patterns
Discover repeating patterns with this hands-on resource that helps teachers build student confidence through an engaging, easy‑to‑use activity.
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Ordinal Position Task Cards
Support early maths learning with this ordinal position activity designed to help Foundation students explore position and order through a fun, hands‑on number track task.
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Input Output Activities — Bingo
Play input output activities like this Bingo game in your maths lessons for maximum engagement.
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Additive and Multiplicative Patterns Worksheet
Analyse additive and multiplicative patterns in a fun ‘this’ or ‘that’ format that encourages students to reason logically and defend their answers.
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Input and Output Activities — Additive and Multiplicitive Patterns Match - Up
Use input and output activities like this additive and multiplicative patterns match-up game to give your students practice thinking algebraically.
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Number Grid Interactive Activity
Share this number grid interactive activity with your students to give them practice adding and subtracting ten and one from a given number.
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Odd and Even Interactive Activity (Double Digit Sums)
Engage students in odd and even numbers within double digit sums with this interactive activity.
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Emoji Equation Riddles - Determine the Unknown
Determine the value of an unknown variable in an equation with printable Emoji Maths Riddle task cards.
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Odd and Even Properties Investigation
Explore odd and even number properties with this fun chef inspired investigation project.
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Odd or Even Number Popcorn Sorting Activity
Sort popcorn shaped numbers into either the odd popcorn bucket or the even popcorn bucket.
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Counting Odd and Even Numbers Worksheet Pack
Identify odd and even numbers in a variety of activities in these odd and even worksheets.
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Odd and Even Numbers Four in a Row Game
Practise knowledge of odd and even numbers by playing a fun game of four in a row..
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Charts of Odd and Even Numbers Up to 500
Encourage your students to identify odd and even numbers with this set of number charts up to 500.
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Skip Counting by 10s I Have, Who Has Game
Use this fast-paced whole class game to help your students practise skip counting by tens.
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10 More, 10 Less Colouring Worksheets (Differentiated)
Use this ten more, ten less worksheet set to engage your students while they practise computing 10 more or 10 less than a number within 120.
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Equations, Tables, and Graphs, Oh My! – Differentiated Worksheets
Use these differentiated worksheets to practise using equations to create patterns within input-output tables and graphs.
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Numbers 1-20
A bright number board representing numbers 1-20.
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Complex Dot-to-dot – Skip Counting by Sevens (Wolf) – Worksheet
A complex dot-to-dot where students demonstrate skip counting by sevens.
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One More, One Less Task Cards
A set of 24 task cards to enable students to practise identifying one more and one less than a number.
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1–120 Number Board
A black and white chart with numbers 1–120 that can be used for a variety of activities.
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Skip Counting by 10s Dominoes
A set of dominoes to use in the classroom when skip counting by 10s.
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Skip Counting by 5s Dominoes
A set of dominoes to use in the classroom when skip counting by 5s.
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Dot-to-Dot Drawing - Numbers by 10 - Horse
Join the dots and numbers to make a picture.
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Number Patterns PowerPoint
A 12 page editable PowerPoint presentation to use as part of a numeracy lesson when teaching place value and number patterns to younger students.
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Input / Output Data Tables and Graphs Worksheets
Differentiate instruction with these data tables and graphs worksheets that have students completing input / output tables and plotting the points on a Cartesian plane.
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Patterns in Multiplication Cut and Paste
Teach your students about odd and even products in multiplication with this cut-and-paste worksheet.
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Odd and Even Properties Sorting Activity
Explore the properties of odd and even numbers when added, subtracted, divided and multiplied with this fun sorting activity
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Odd and Even Number Spinner Template
Make an odd and even number spinner to use during maths lessons.
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Skip Counting Puzzles Interactive Activity
Complete the skip counting pattern and reveal the complete picture!
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100 More , 100 Less Matching Game (Three-Digit Numbers)
Match 3-digit number cards to find pairs that are 100 more or 100 less of each other.
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Counting by 1s Picture Puzzles
Use this fun sorting activity for your students to practice ordering numbers in sequential order, and improve their skip counting skills!
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Evaluating Expressions – Paper Chain Activity
Use your understanding of the order of operations to evaluate expressions with one or two variables with this paper chain activity.
- Number Patterns Worksheets
- Number Patterns Games
- Number Patterns Posters
- Number Patterns Templates
- Number Patterns Teaching Presentations
- Number Patterns for Foundation Year
- Number Patterns for Year 1
- Number Patterns for Year 2
- Number Patterns for Year 3
- Number Patterns for Year 4
- Number Patterns for Year 5
- Number Patterns for Year 6
- Number Patterns for Year 7