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Addition word problems for 1st grade

These addition word problems are great for ages 6 and older who are looking to improve their adding skills.

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Mom has one red shirt, one blue shirt and one pink shirt. How many shirts does mom have?

  • Answer

    3

  • Explanation

    Add all of mom’s shirts together:
    1 red + 1 blue + 1 pink = 3 shirts
    1 + 1 + 1 = 3

I have 2 maths books and 2 English books. How many school books do I have?

  • Answer

    4

  • Explanation

    Add all of the books together:
    2 maths + 2 English = 4 Books
    2 + 2 = 4

Sam has one dog and one cat. How many pets does Sam have?

  • Answer

    2

  • Explanation

    Add all of the pets together:
    1 dog + 1 cat = 2 pets
    1 + 1 = 2

There is one apple, two oranges and one pear in a fruit bowl. How much fruit is in the bowl?

  • Answer

    4

  • Explanation

    Add all of the fruit together:
    1 apple + 2 oranges + 1 pear = 4 fruits
    1 + 2 + 1 = 4

Tom has two marbles. Len has one more marble than Tom. How many marbles does Len have?

  • Answer

    3

  • Explanation

    Tom has two marbles: 2
    Len has one more marble than Tom: 2 + 1
    2 + 1 = 3
    Therefore, Len has 3 marbles

Kevin goes to the zoo. He sees 1 lion, 1 elephant, 2 monkeys and 1 zebra. How many animals did Kevin see at the zoo?

  • Answer

    5

  • Explanation

    Add all of the animals together:
    1 lion + 1 elephant + 2 monkeys + 1 zebra = 5 animals
    1 + 1 + 2 + 1 = 5

Nick picked 2 flowers and Cathy picked 3 flowers. How many flowers did they pick together?

  • Answer

    5

  • Explanation

    Add all of the flowers together:
    2 flowers + 3 flowers = 5 flowers
    2 + 3 = 5

A farmer has 1 cow, 2 chickens and 1 pony. How many animals does the farmer have?

  • Answer

    8

  • Explanation

    Add all of the animals together:
    1 cow + 2 chickens + 1 pony = 4 animals
    1 + 2 + 1 = 4

A hen laid 2 eggs yesterday and 4 eggs today. How many eggs did the hen lay?

  • Answer

    6

  • Explanation

    Add all of the eggs together:
    2 eggs + 4 eggs = 6 eggs
    2 + 4 = 6

Ben has 5 fingers on each hand. How many fingers does Ben have all together?

  • Answer

    10

  • Explanation

    If there are 5 fingers on each hand, then add 2 fives together:
    5 + 5 = 10