Recipe Scaling

Choose a mode

Read the original recipe, set the required ingredient amount with the − / + buttons, then press Check

3D math game · Best for grades 5-6

Recipe Scaling

Recipe Scaling shows a kitchen recipe card for a fixed number of servings and asks students to recompute every ingredient for a different serving count. Scaling a recipe by a whole-number factor — say, tripling flour from 200g to 600g — gives ratio multiplication a real-world purpose that abstract drill cannot match.

What students practice

Recipe Scaling practises multiplicative scaling: identifying the ratio between two serving counts and applying it to each ingredient. This is the applied core of proportional reasoning — the same skill used in unit conversion, map reading, and percentage problems in grades 5 and 6.

  1. Read the original recipe: note the number of servings and each ingredient amount.
  2. Check the target serving count shown above the recipe card.
  3. Calculate the scaling factor: new servings divided by original servings.
  4. Multiply the displayed ingredient by that factor and enter your answer with the − / + buttons.
  5. Press Check to confirm.

How to use it at home or in class

A recipe for 4 servings needs 200 g of flour. Scaling to 12 servings requires a factor of 3 (12 ÷ 4), so flour becomes 200 × 3 = 600 g. Students must identify the factor first, then apply it — two distinct steps.

Students often add the serving difference rather than multiply by the factor (e.g. adding 8 to 200 g instead of multiplying by 3). The recipe context makes the error obvious: adding makes the recipe only slightly bigger rather than truly tripled.

Use it for individual practice, paired work, or a short class demonstration before worksheets.

Start with the game above, then continue with written practice to reinforce the skill.

Common questions

What does scaling a recipe teach that the mixing mechanic in Ratio Mixer does not?
Recipe Scaling makes the scaling factor explicit: students must divide the new serving count by the original to find it, then multiply each ingredient. Ratio Mixer focuses on recognising equivalent ratios without computing a named factor.
Which grades is Recipe Scaling for?
Grades 5-6, where students apply proportional reasoning to multi-step real-world problems and practise multiplying by a ratio expressed as a whole number or simple fraction.
Does the game ask about one ingredient or all of them?
Each round focuses on one named ingredient chosen from the recipe. This keeps the calculation to one step per round while still requiring students to identify the correct scaling factor from the serving counts.