Summary
Chapter 6 of the Class 1 Maths NCERT textbook (Joyful Mathematics), "Vegetable Farm", teaches addition and subtraction of numbers up to 18 through vegetable-counting stories, bead-string activities, number-strip hopping, and word problems.
- Counting Vegetables — Adding Two Baskets — Rumi and Shami each fill a basket with vegetables from the field. Children add the two quantities together — for example, 7 tomatoes and 5 tomatoes make 12, and 9 carrots and 4 carrots make 13.
- Adding on a Ginladi (Bead String) — A ginladi is a bead string used to count and add numbers. Children count beads up to the first number and then count on to add the second number, practising sums such as 13 + 4 and 14 + 5.
- Breaking Numbers to Add — Children learn to split a number like 12 into 10 + 2, then add the remaining part to 10 first before combining. For example, 12 + 6 becomes 10 + 2 + 6 = 10 + 8 = 18.
- Subtraction by Hopping Back — Anjali and Renu play on a number strip, hopping forward to add and jumping back to subtract. Practise problems include 15 − 9, 16 − 4, and 14 − 7, showing subtraction as moving backward on the number line.
- Problem Stories with Addition and Subtraction — Short real-life stories ask children to add and subtract — a potter making and selling diyas, children boarding and leaving a bus, and Kuljeet sharing toffees with friends. These word problems combine more than one step.
Key points & formulas
- 017 tomatoes + 5 tomatoes = 12; the chapter uses vegetable-counting to introduce addition.
- 02A ginladi (bead string) helps children count on from the first number to find the sum.
- 0312 + 6 can be solved by breaking 12 into 10 + 2, then adding: 10 + 8 = 18.
- 04The number-strip hop activity shows that adding moves forward and subtracting moves back.
- 05Subtraction problems go up to numbers like 17 − 9 and 16 − 6.
- 06Word problems involve real situations: buying diyas, sharing toffees, seats in a bus.
- 07A project activity asks children to plant a vegetable sapling and observe its growth.
Frequently asked questions
01What is Chapter 6 'Vegetable Farm' about in Class 1 Maths?
It teaches addition and subtraction of numbers up to 18. The chapter uses a vegetable-harvesting story, bead strings, number-strip hopping, and word problems to build these skills.
02Who are Rumi and Shami in this chapter?
Rumi and Shami are two children who help each other pick vegetables from a field. Each carries a basket, and children count the total vegetables from both baskets.
03What addition sums are practised in the Vegetable Farm activity?
Children solve 7 + 5 = 12 (tomatoes), 9 + 4 = 13 (carrots), and 8 + 8 = 16 (radishes) by counting the vegetables in both baskets together.
04What is a ginladi and how is it used for addition?
A ginladi is a bead string. Children count along the beads up to the first number and then count on the second number's worth of beads to find the total — for example, counting 12 beads and then 4 more to reach 16.
05What sums are practised on the ginladi in this chapter?
The chapter practises 13 + 4, 14 + 5, 6 + 8, 5 + 7, 13 + 3, 2 + 16, and 4 + 12 on the bead string.
06How does Gauri solve 12 + 6 differently in the chapter?
Gauri breaks 12 into 10 + 2, then adds 6 to get 10 + 2 + 6 = 10 + 8 = 18. This shows children that splitting a number into tens and ones can make addition easier.
07What is the Hop and Jump activity in this chapter?
Anjali and Renu use a number strip to hop forward (addition) and jump backward (subtraction). Both children land on the same spot — one jumps 2 steps ahead from 6, and the other jumps 7 steps back from 15.
08What subtraction sums does the chapter include?
The chapter includes 15 − 9, 16 − 4, 12 − 5, 14 − 7, 15 − 5, 15 − 0, 17 − 9, 16 − 6, and 13 − 3 among its practice problems.
09What is the 'Add, Subtract and Match' activity?
Children match addition and subtraction expressions that give the same answer — for example, 8 + 7 matches 15 − 3, and 9 + 9 matches 18 − 0. This shows that addition and subtraction are connected.
10What are some of the word problems (Problem Stories) in this chapter?
Problems include a potter who had 9 diyas, sold 5, and made 7 more; children boarding and leaving a bus; Kuljeet sharing toffees and keeping 6; and Raman eating some bananas and being left with 5.
11What is the project work activity in this chapter?
Children are asked to plant a vegetable sapling at home, school, or nearby and observe it growing. They can draw or take pictures of the sapling and share the experience with their family.
12What picnic activity appears in the chapter?
In the 'Let us Do' section, children discuss what they would like to bring to a picnic, draw those items, and write the total number of eatables — practising addition in a fun, imaginative context.
13What is the highest number used in addition in Chapter 6?
The highest sum reached in the chapter is 18, for example in 12 + 6 = 18 and 2 + 16 = 18.
14What maths skills does 'Vegetable Farm' build in Class 1?
The chapter builds addition and subtraction of numbers up to 18, counting-on strategies, breaking numbers into tens and ones, and solving simple two-step word problems.
More chapters in Joyful Mathematics
Read Chapter 6 of Joyful Mathematics, the Class 1 Mathematics NCERT textbook (2026-27 edition), online for free: the complete chapter as published by NCERT with every diagram, solved example and exercise, with step-by-step solutions, answers and revision notes. Open the NCERT PDF above, or browse all NCERT Class 1 textbooks.
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