Number Skills Mini Games
Our mini games are the result of hundreds of hours of work from our game developers and illustrator, consultation with our expert Bernie Westacott and play testing by our most important users — children!
Each game is designed to target the development of fundamental mathematical skills, perfect for creating a solid foundation of number sense. Find out more about each of our mini games below.
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Bouncy Castle
In this game, children need to jump up or down on the platforms by choosing the next number in the sequence.
Key concepts covered
- Ordinality – putting numbers in order.
- Subitising – instantly recognising how many without counting.
- Magnitude – understanding that the higher you go, the higher the number in the counting sequence.
- Matching numerals to number words and to numerosity (the number of objects visible).
- Recognising numerals and patterns that are 1 more or less than one another.
Bumper Cars
The child matches the number of objects in standard patterns to numerals. They do this by counting, subitising and recognising numbers on dice and counters in 10-frames! This helps them to compose numbers from their parts and build number facts.
Key concepts covered
- Subitising – instantly recognising how many without counting.
- Matching numerals to number words & to numerosity (the number of objects visible).
- Recognising numbers that are 1 more or less than one another.
Dino Cows
Players need to quickly recognise (subitise) how many snails there are to feed to the hungry Dino Cows! If incorrect, the game gives verbal feedback about whether the incorrect Dino Cow wants more or less. Incorrect answers will disappear, leading the player gently towards the correct answer.
Key concepts covered
- Matching numerals to number words and to numerosity (the number of objects visible).
- Subitising – instantly recognising how many without counting.
Claw
Pick up and drop the displayed number of numsters through the hole, then close the doors using the lever to submit your answer. This game will develop number facts for the numbers 1 to 10. This helps them by learning to combine two parts or more to make the whole.
Key concepts covered
- Part-part-whole – putting smaller numbers together to make a bigger number.
- Cardinality – understanding that the last number counted tells you how many there are altogether.
- Tagging – counting with 1-2-1 correspondence.
- Matching numerals to number words.
Slides
Split the numsters into two groups of the correct size and send them down the slide! Here they learn about decomposing whole numbers and composing them back together. This helps them with number facts and different concepts of addition and subtraction.
Key concepts covered
- Developing number facts knowledge and fluency.
- Number bonds.
- Subtraction as breaking a number into two parts/the “not” concept
- Addition as adding together/aggregation – two numbers are joined together to make a bigger number.
- Part-part-whole – breaking a number into two parts, and then recombining those two smaller numbers to make the bigger number.
- Matching numerals to number words & to numerosity (the number of objects visible)
Rollercoaster
Get the right queue of numsters jumping aboard the rollercoaster and watch them go! This game builds the foundations of addition by recombining parts to make the whole. They are developing number bonds for the numbers 1 to 10.
Key concepts covered
- Part-part-whole – putting smaller numbers together to make a bigger number.
- Number bonds.
- Addition as adding on/augmentation – one number is added onto another number to make a bigger number.
Hide and Seek
Find how many numsters have hidden behind the hats. By doing this children build the foundations of subtraction. They are also developing number bonds for the numbers 1 to 10.
Key concepts covered
- Number bonds.
- Subtraction as taking away – one number is removed from a bigger number to leave another smaller number.
- Part-part-whole – putting two smaller numbers back together to make a bigger number.
- Developing number facts knowledge and fluency.
Snowballs
Hit the Yeti with your snowball showing the right number of teeth or fingers! This helps children to recognise numbers at speed (subitise), using familiar patterns (manipulatives) such as fingers or number frames.
Key concepts covered
- Subitising – instantly recognising how many without counting.
- Matching numerals to number words & to numerosity (the number of objects visible).
- Recognising numbers that are 1 more or less than one another.
Monster Trucks
Jump into a monster truck and bash the other trucks! This game helps kids to practice quickly recognising numbers to 20.
Key concepts covered
- Numbers as “10 and (another number)”.
- Subitising (quickly recognising numbers) to 20.
- Number bonds to 20.
Volcano
Jump up the platforms and save your monster from the fiery lava. This game helps children get more familiar with numbers up to 100, including counting from, backwards, and in groups.
Key concepts covered
- Ordinality of counting numbers to 100.
- Counting starting at a number and on from a number.
- Counting backwards.
- One more/one less.
- Counting in 2s, 5s and 10s.
Ghost Train
Get the right queue of numsters riding the spooky ghost train! This game helps children practice addition and combining numbers (number bonds) up to 20.
Key concepts covered
- Number bonds to 20.
- Numbers as 10 and a bit more.
- Subitising (perceptual and conceptual).
- Addition as augmentation/adding on.
- Counting on.
- Making Ten (break apart to make ten – BAMT) strategies.
Bubbles
Pop and merge bubbles to hit the target number. This game helps children practice breaking numbers apart and putting them back together (composition/decomposition).
Key concepts covered
- Composition and decomposition.
- Addition – Part-whole/Aggregation.
- Subtraction – Part-whole/Partitioning.
- Numbers as 10 and a bit/10s and 1s.
- Doubles.
Carousel
Arrange the unicorns in the right order and watch them spin around the carousel! This game is based on number lines or tracks, a familiar classroom tool.
Key concepts covered
- Use of number lines/number tracks.
- Counting sequence/ordinality to 100.
- Counting on and from.
- Counting backwards.
- Skip counting in 2s, 5s and 10s.
Storklift
Help your monster load the right number of boxes on and off the truck. Helps with understanding place value and working with tens and ones.
Key concepts covered
- Place value (understanding the place you put a digit changes its value).
- Addition/Augmentation.
- Composition/Decomposition.
- Subtraction/Reduction.
Dino Dash
Quickly load up the right number of plates of snails to feed the hungry customers. This game helps with the foundations of multiplication through working with equal groups/arrays.
Key concepts covered
- Multiplication as repeated addition.
- Arrays.
- Equal groups.
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