Class 2 Maths begins with Joyful Mathematics, Chapter 1: A Day at the Beach. Set at the seaside, this chapter uses shells, pebbles, and sand castles to introduce counting objects in groups of 2, 5, and 10 — a faster and more organised way to count large collections than counting one by one.
Last Updated: September 10, 2026
NCERT Solutions for Class 2 Maths Chapter 1: A Day at the Beach – Free PDF Download
What this chapter teaches.
Counting a scattered pile of shells one at a time is slow and easy to lose track of. This chapter teaches children to first arrange objects into equal groups — pairs, groups of five, or groups of ten — and then count the groups, which is both faster and more accurate. It also revisits counting in twos, fives, and tens as a stepping stone toward skip counting and, eventually, multiplication tables.
Activity 1 — Counting Shells in Twos.
The textbook shows a scattered collection of shells and asks children to circle them in pairs, then count in twos (2, 4, 6, 8…) to find the total. Work through the actual picture together: circle two shells at a time, and say the count out loud after each pair is circled.
Activity 2 — Counting Pebbles in Fives.
Children group a pile of pebbles into sets of five and count in fives (5, 10, 15, 20…) to reach the total faster than counting one by one. At home, this can be practised with any small objects — buttons, coins, or seeds — by making piles of five.
Activity 3 — Building Sand Castles in Tens.
The chapter uses a sand-castle scene to introduce grouping in tens, which previews place value (tens and ones) that comes later in the book. Children count how many complete tens they can make from a collection, plus any leftover ones.
Activity 4 — Which Way is Faster?.
Children compare counting the same collection one by one versus counting it in groups, and discuss which method was quicker and less likely to cause mistakes. The goal is for the child to explain, in their own words, why grouping helps.
Why This Chapter Matters
Counting in groups is the foundation for skip counting, place value (tens and ones), and eventually multiplication tables — all of which Class 2 and Class 3 Maths build on directly. A child who is comfortable grouping objects into twos, fives, and tens finds later topics like Grouping and Sharing (multiplication/division) much easier.
How to Use These Solutions
Work through the activities above together with the child’s own textbook pictures where relevant, talking out loud through each idea. You can download the full chapter from our Class 2 Maths NCERT book page, or browse every Class 2 subject on our Class 2 hub.
Along with this walkthrough, you can also use the Class 2 Maths Chapter 1 Extra Questions and Class 2 Maths Chapter 1 Revision Notes for extra practice and quick revision.
- Chapter 2: Shapes Around Us – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 3: Fun with Numbers – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 4: Shadow Story (Togalu) – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 5: Playing with Lines – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 6: Decoration for Festival – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 7: Rani's Gift – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 8: Grouping and Sharing – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 9: Which Season is it? – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 10: Fun at the Fair – Free PDF Download
- Chapter 11: Data Handling – Free PDF Download
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this chapter use groups of 2, 5, and 10 specifically?
These are the easiest numbers for young children to skip-count with, and they directly prepare the ground for the 2, 5, and 10 multiplication tables taught in later classes.
Is this chapter only about counting, or does it include numbers beyond 100?
This chapter stays within numbers a child can group and count comfortably (well under 100) — the book’s next chapter, Fun with Numbers, is where counting up to 100 is covered in full.

