Mixed Operations Within 20: Math Mystery Pictures
Grade 2
All four operations on one sheet with numbers up to 20, so the child has to read each sign before solving instead of working on autopilot.
Addition and subtraction to 20, crossing ten included (7 + 8, 16 − 9), are mixed with multiplication and division facts from the times tables whose numbers stay within 20: 3 × 6, 4 × 5, 18 ÷ 3, 20 ÷ 4. Switching between operations is a skill of its own. Plenty of children can manage a full page of subtraction or a full page of multiplication but slip when 12 − 4 is followed straight away by 12 ÷ 4.
Mixed problems use the coordinates format, so every answer is a row number up to 20 and the printed letter gives the column. That makes this topic a good end-of-unit review in second grade: small numbers, varied thinking. Pick a medium or large picture when you want a longer, assessment-style task, and use the answer key for quick marking. With five variants the whole class can work on one picture without sharing answers.
Before starting, ask children to circle every × and ÷ sign on the page. It takes a minute and cuts down the most common mistake on mixed sheets: adding when the sign said multiply.
Choose a picture
- Acorn
- Apple
- Autumn leaf
- Bat
- Car
- Cat
- Christmas tree
- Easter egg
- Fox
- Frog
- Ghost
- Toadstool
- Owl
- Pumpkin
- Rocket
- Spider
- Turtle
- Witch Hat
Frequently asked questions
Are the multiplication and division problems difficult?
No. They only use facts whose numbers stay within 20, such as 2 × 8, 5 × 3 or 15 ÷ 5, so the challenge is recognizing the operation rather than recalling big times-table facts.
Who is this topic for?
It fits second graders who have been introduced to multiplication and division and still need to keep addition and subtraction within 20 sharp.