Free number line printables

A number line turns arithmetic into movement: add by hopping right, subtract by hopping left, and see at a glance that 7 is closer to 10 than to 0. These eight printables give you the number lines children meet between kindergarten and fourth grade, several to a page and large enough to write on. The first four are whole-number lines (0 to 10, 0 to 20, 0 to 100 in tens, and -10 to 10 for integers), then a blank page you can label any way you like, then fraction and decimal lines for the upper grades, and finally a worksheet where children draw addition and subtraction hops and write the answer, with the hops drawn on the answer key.

What's in this set

1. Number lines 0 to 10. Six large lines with a big numeral at every tick, for counting on and back and first addition facts.
2. Number lines 0 to 20. Six lines with every number marked, for addition and subtraction within 20 and bridging through 10.
3. Number lines 0 to 100 by tens. Six lines labelled 0, 10, 20 ... 100 with a small tick at every 5, for skip counting, rounding to the nearest ten and place value.
4. Integer number lines -10 to 10. Six lines with zero picked out in colour, for ordering negative numbers and temperature-style problems.
5. Blank number lines. Three large lines with 11 ticks and five smaller lines with 21 ticks, no numbers, so the start and step are yours.
6. Fraction number lines 0 to 1. Halves, thirds, fourths and eighths fully labelled, then the same four lines with only 0 and 1 marked for students to label.
7. Decimal number lines. Three 0 to 1 lines in tenths (one with hundredths ticks) and two 0 to 2 lines in tenths.
8. Addition and subtraction hops. Eight problems within 20 next to a 0 to 20 number line each; draw the hops, write the answer. Answer key on page 2.

Frequently asked questions

What number line should a kindergartener use?

Start with 0 to 10, with every number labelled and plenty of space, which is the first page here. Move to 0 to 20 once addition within 10 is fluent, usually late in kindergarten or early in first grade.

How do you add and subtract on a number line?

Start on the first number. To add, hop to the right by the second number; to subtract, hop to the left. The number you land on is the answer. The hops worksheet gives eight problems to practise this and the key shows each hop as an arrow from the start to the answer.

Why do the fraction number lines show 2/4 instead of 1/2?

So children can see equivalence for themselves. The fourths line is labelled 1/4, 2/4, 3/4 and sits directly under the halves line, so 2/4 lines up with 1/2. Simplifying comes later; recognising that two names point to the same spot comes first.

Are the number lines a fixed size?

Every line is 170 mm long, so printing at 100% gives consistent spacing between pages, but nothing on these sheets depends on the exact size; fit-to-page printing is fine.

Is there a blank number line I can label myself?

Yes, page 5: three large lines with 11 ticks and five smaller lines with 21 ticks and no numbers.

More maths printables

Number lines go with the hundreds chart and skip counting worksheets for counting, and with the addition and subtraction worksheets once children are ready to drop the line. For the youngest children the ten frame worksheets show the same numbers as groups of dots, and before and after numbers is number-line thinking without the line. If you need squared paper for graphs, see the graph paper printables.