Grade by Grade
Strand A: Foundations of Language and Mathematics · Numbers and Counting

Fair Shares: Sharing Equally

A6.9 A6.6 A5About 20 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can share things fairly so everyone gets the same number.
  • I can share by giving one at a time: one for you, one for you.
  • I can count to check that the shares are equal.
  • I can tell when some are left over.

Words to know

share
Give some to each person.
fair share
Everyone gets the same number. We also say an equal share.
left over
Extra things that are still there after everyone got the same number.

Teddy bear picnic

Grown-up: read aloud.

Two teddy bears are having a picnic. They have 6 cookies. How can they share the cookies so it is fair? Fair means each teddy gets the same number.

🧸🧸🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪
2 teddy bears and 6 cookies.

Sharing fairly

When we share fairly, everyone gets the same number. These are called equal shares.

A good way to share is to deal them out, like cards in a game:

  • "One for you, one for you."
  • "One for you, one for you."
  • Keep going until there are none left.

Then count each share to check that they are the same.

Two teddy bears sit on a red checkered picnic blanket, each with a plate of three cookies.
Each teddy has 3 cookies. They have the same number, so this is a fair share! AI-generated image
Worked example

6 cookies for 2 teddies

Share 6 cookies fairly between 2 teddy bears.

  1. Give one cookie to Teddy A, and one to Teddy B.
  2. Again: one for Teddy A, one for Teddy B.
  3. Again: one for Teddy A, one for Teddy B. No cookies are left.
  4. Count each share. Teddy A: 1, 2, 3. Teddy B: 1, 2, 3. The same!

Each teddy gets 3 cookies. That's fair.

🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪
Teddy A: 3 cookies. Teddy B: 3 cookies. Equal shares.
Worked example

8 strawberries for 4 friends

Share 8 strawberries fairly among 4 friends.

  1. Deal one strawberry to each friend: 1 for Ana, 1 for Ben, 1 for Cal, 1 for Dee.
  2. Go around again: 1 more for each friend.
  3. No strawberries are left.
  4. Count each share: 2, 2, 2 and 2.

Each friend gets 2 strawberries.

FriendStrawberries
Ana🍓🍓
Ben🍓🍓
Cal🍓🍓
Dee🍓🍓
8 strawberries shared fairly among 4 friends: 2 each.
Worked example

When some are left over

Share 7 apples fairly between 2 children.

  1. Deal them out: one for you, one for you. Keep going.
  2. Each child has 3 apples. There is 1 apple still on the table.
  3. If we give it to one child, it is not fair anymore: 4 and 3.
  4. So the extra apple is left over. We could cut it in half, save it for later, or give it to someone else.

Each child gets 3 apples, and 1 is left over.

Is it fair?

To check, count each share. If one share has more, move one to a share that has fewer. Keep going until all the shares are the same.

Fair sharing means the same number, not the person who is biggest or who asks first.

Just for fun

What if one teddy said, “One for you, two for me”?

The other teddy would say, “That’s not fair, that’s bear-y sneaky!” 🧸

Hands-on activity

Snack sharing and toy picnic

You need: 2 to 4 stuffed animals or dolls, small plates or paper squares, and 6 to 12 small snacks or blocks.

  1. Put out 2 stuffed animals and 6 snacks. Deal them out: "one for you, one for you". Count each plate. Is it fair?
  2. Now try 3 animals with the same 6 snacks. What happens?
  3. Try 10 blocks for 2 animals, then 10 blocks for 5 animals.
  4. Try 5 snacks for 2 animals. Are there any left over? What could we do with the extra one?
  5. At real snack time, let your child share crackers fairly with a sibling or a grown-up.

Math talk: "How do you know it's fair?"

Your turn

1

Share 4 cookies fairly between 2 friends. How many does each friend get?

2

Share 6 grapes fairly among 3 friends. How many each?

3

Share 10 blocks fairly between 2 friends. How many each?

4

Is this fair?

Lily: 🍎🍎🍎

Sam: 🍎

5

Share 5 crayons fairly between 2 friends. How many each? Any left over?

6

Share 9 berries fairly into 3 bowls. How many in each bowl?

More practice: warm-up

1

Share 2 apples between 2 children. How many each?

2

Share 4 stickers between 2 children. How many each?

3

Is this fair?

🍪🍪

🍪🍪

4

Is this fair?

🍪🍪🍪

🍪

5

Share 3 balloons among 3 children. How many each?

More practice: on your own

1

Share 8 crackers fairly between 2 friends. How many each?

2

Share 6 toy cars fairly between 2 children. How many each?

3

Share 12 blocks fairly among 3 children. How many each?

4

Share 7 grapes fairly between 2 friends. How many each? How many left over?

5

Share 10 pennies fairly among 5 children. How many each?

Challenge

1

Share 12 cookies fairly among 4 friends. How many each?

2

Ben has 5 stickers. Ana has 1. How can we make it fair without getting new stickers?

3

Share 9 marbles fairly between 2 friends. Can every marble be shared?

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

A fair share means …

2.

Share 6 cookies fairly between 2 friends. How many does each friend get?

3.

Is this fair?

🍓🍓🍓

🍓🍓🍓

4.

Share 5 apples between 2 children. Each child gets 2. How many are left over?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: The Kindergarten Curriculum (2026) expects children to solve equal-sharing problems using real materials. Dealing out one at a time is the natural strategy at this age. Fair sharing builds the ideas of equal groups and later division and fractions.

Common difficulties:

  • Sharing unevenly (a handful each). Model dealing out "one for you, one for you".
  • Not checking. Always count each share at the end and compare.
  • Leftovers. Children often give the extra to someone, which makes it unfair. Talk about what to do: cut it, save it, or set it aside.
  • Thinking bigger pieces mean more. With equal-sized items, count the number in each share.

How to help: Let your child share snacks, toys or cards in real life, and ask "Is it fair? How do you know?" Explaining their thinking is part of Kindergarten math.