NCERT Solutions for Class 4th Maths Chapter 2 Play the game with your partner, and Drone Around the School — In-text Questions
Book page 31 Updated on2026-09-19
Q1.
From the starting point, trace the paths to reach the flower. How many steps are required for each path?The 4×4 grid of the treasure hunt. The rows are numbered 1 to 4 from the bottom and the columns 1 to 4 from the left. START is just outside the grid.
Answer
Two different ways of walking from START to the flower.
Every short path needs 7 steps.
START is just outside the grid.
The first step brings you into Row 1, Column 1.
The flower is in Row 4, Column 4.
From Row 1, Column 1 you must move 3 columns to the right and 3 rows up.
3 + 3 = 6 steps
1 + 6 = 7 steps
Two paths are drawn above. Both take 7 steps:
Red: 4 steps right (you stand on the orange), then 3 steps up. 4 + 3 = 7
Blue: 1 step right into the grid, 3 steps up (you stand on the car), then 3 steps right. 1 + 3 + 3 = 7
Why it happens: You can only move up, down, left or right. To get to the flower you must go 3 boxes right and 3 boxes up whatever order you choose, so the number of steps stays the same. A path that turns back becomes longer.
Q2.
Speak out or write down the different paths followed to reach the flower.The 4×4 grid of the treasure hunt. The rows are numbered 1 to 4 from the bottom and the columns 1 to 4 from the left. START is just outside the grid.
Answer
Two different ways of walking from START to the flower.
Here are three ways to say the path in words. Each one is 7 steps long.
From the starting point I moved 4 steps right. Then I moved 3 steps up. I reached the flower.
From the starting point I moved 1 step right. Then 3 steps up. Then 3 steps right. I reached the flower.
From the starting point I moved 2 steps right, then 2 steps up, then 2 steps right, then 1 step up. I reached the flower.
Why it happens: The three paths look different on the grid, but each one goes right the same number of times and up the same number of times. That is why the total is the same.
Try this: Find one more path of your own and write it down. Check that it also adds up to 7.
Q3.
From the starting point, where would you reach in a smaller number of steps: the mango or the orange?The 4×4 grid of the treasure hunt. The rows are numbered 1 to 4 from the bottom and the columns 1 to 4 from the left. START is just outside the grid.
Answer
The shortest way to the orange and the shortest way to the mango.
The orange. It is nearer.
To the orange (Row 1, Column 4):
1 step in, then 3 steps right → 1 + 3 = 4 steps
To the mango (Row 3, Column 3):
1 step in, then 2 steps right, then 2 steps up → 1 + 2 + 2 = 5 steps
4 is less than 5, so the orange is reached in fewer steps.
Why it happens: The orange is in the same row as the starting point, so you never have to turn upwards. The mango is two rows higher, and every row costs an extra step.
Q4.
Drone Around the School: Circle the places or things that you see in the picture and write their names.What the drone sees when it looks straight down at the school.
Answer
What the drone sees when it looks straight down at the school.
The drone flies high up, so the photo is a top view of the school. Circle each place and write its name.
Sample answer — things you can see:
the school buildings, with red brick walls and red roofs
the playground — the big green field
the garden or park, green and square
trees around the school
the road outside the school
the parking, with cars standing in it
the school gate and the boundary wall
Why it happens: From above we see the roofs of the buildings and the shape of the ground, but not the doors and windows. That is why a drone photo looks like a map.
Tip: Gyan’s friend knows it is her school because of the red brick walls. A special mark like that helps us recognise a place from above.