Best maths apps and games for children

[TinaMumsnet]

Looking for ways to get your children learning?

We’ve scoured the internet and past Mumsnetter recommendations to start off a list of great maths apps and online games and we’d love you to add your recommendations.

What online maths games or apps do you and your children rate? Post them on the thread and we’ll add them to the list.


1. Mathseeds
Designed by the makers of Reading Eggs, Mathseeds combines easy-to-digest lessons with fun games to practice new skills.

"Mathseeds (by Reading Eggs) is good up to about year 3 level. Every session has a fun little lesson explaining new concepts, then some practice - in the form of various minigames - then some practice of previous topics. Good if you're looking for 'teaching', but not quite enough practice included (for most children)."

Age: 3-9
Cost: £6.99 p/m, includes subscription to Reading Eggs. (App is for IOS only but the program can be accessed from the website too)
Mumsnet users get a four-week free trial with access to all Reading Eggs and Mathseeds games.
Find out more

Read next: Best educational games for children

2. Karate Cats, BBC Bitesize (FREE)

Not an app, but a great game all the same and it's free! Join the mission to find more fancy dress costumes for the wacky Karate Cats to wear, by solving problems and answering maths questions.

Age: 5-7
Cost: Free
Find out more

3. Solve Shoot Score (FREE)

An official Premier League game featuring the beautiful game's biggest stars. It’s good fun for football-lovers - and suitable for a range of ages. There are several difficulties and levels to choose from - answer the maths question correctly to have a go at scoring a penalty.

Age 5-11
Cost: Free
Find out more

Read next: Best online learning resources for children

4. Squeebles

Squeebles Maths Race is a fun one-player (or two-player) game, which makes practising addition, subtraction, multiplication and division actually quite enjoyable.

"Squeebles apps (there are several) are good for practice of the four main operations, and for memorising times tables. Doing enough practice unlocks elements for the games that form the incentive."

Age: 5 - 11
Cost: £2.99 for app download (Available on iOS and Android)
Download game for iOS
Download game for Android

5. Time Tables Rock Stars

Times Tables Rock Stars is a program of daily times tables practice. Each week concentrates on a different times table, with a recommended consolidation week for rehearsing the tables that have recently been practised every third week or so.

"Times Tables Rock Stars has transformed our children's attitude towards learning times tables"

"Another vote for Times Tables Rock Stars here - it’s got my very reluctant DD keen to see if she can keep beating her score and practising without realising"

Price: 60-day free trial (£6 per year)
Age: 5-11
Find out more

Read next: Ideas for keeping primary school age children entertained at home

6. Mathletics

A popular choice with teachers, you may already be able to access it through your school. The program includes a 'Full Curriculum' section where you can practice hundreds of maths topics in 10-question lessons and a 'Live Mathletics' section where students race to do maths problems against other students around the world in real-time.

Age: 4 to 14
Cost: 48-hour free trial £59 for a 12-month subscription
Find out more

7. Maths Factor
More lesson based than some of the games on this list, but good fun anyway. Short lessons are hosted by Carol Vorderman, with lots of opportunities to practice and play games that test knowledge.

”I'm a big fan of Maths Factor, and have tried many many other sites. My DD has gone from bottom of the class to top set, and now it's her favourite subject. I like the way Carol V explains things very simply and clearly, who knew she'd be such a good teacher? I cannot recommend it highly enough.”

Price: Currently free (usually £2 per week)
Age: 4-12
Find out more

Read next: Give them a screen-break with these great maths books for kids

What are the maths games and apps your children like to play? Share them in the thread below and we’ll add them to the list.

[dyscalculicgal96]

Thanks! This is good.

[PurpleCrazyHorse]

Prodigy Maths It's a free online maths game where you solve maths problems to cast spells and win battles. You can pay for extra premium goodies but you don't have to. My daughter loved it for ages but has pretty much got as far as she can now. It also really improved her reading! It is American so we did have to look up the odd term where a different word was used than DD was used to.

IXL another subscription maths and English questions site. You can track progress, print certificates etc and it goes right through from Reception to Y13. We've used this to supplement work set by school. DD wasn't sure what a relative pronoun was so we looked it up online (Twinkl) and then I found the curriculum link on IXL and she did a load of questions on them to cement the learning. Obviously brilliant because it tells her if she's got the answer right or wrong so I don't have to mark endless worksheets (or indeed do lots of printing).

[PurpleCrazyHorse]

Hit The Button They use this loads in DD's school on the white boards with the tappy pen thingy, but you can do it on a tablet/phone/laptop at home. Quick fire against the clock. Free via the website but you have to pay if you want the app.

[Malmontar]

Doodle Maths, it's been great for a dyscalculic DD. She's y7 but her maths us at y2-y3 standard. We've been using it 2 weeks so far and she's been working on y3 key stage tasks and she has no idea as it doesn't tell the child what year group the task is for, unlike most work sheets. There's also a cool robot she likes buying stuff for.

[NumetryGame]

Hello everyone,

We are developing a math game and we would love to hear your takes on it after playing a demo for five minutes.

Send me a message here or DM if you think this sounds interesting.

Thank you:)

[dyscalculicgal96]

I love //www.mymaths.co.uk.

[BeeCee42]

Not sure if I should mention, think my daughter Kitty or a parent suggesting joining MN but Sarah (she's the boss) has some free downloads on her site to keep children occupied, she's a Patoss assessor and she publishes SEN and maths workbooks sarahcowell.co.uk/homophone-quiz/

[forevermusic]

My kids are in year 2 & 3 in UK, I am looking for a support app where I can download/print or get them to do some Maths/English work as per national curriculum. A logical way to work with them rather than me doing the thinking which topic and how to introduce.
Heard about Twinkle, or IXL, really want to know If they are worth the monthly subscription. Anything else which is better?

[Todaywewilldobetter]

If any ks2 kids like pokemon type video games, Prodigy is a great maths game. I can't get mine off it! They answer age appropriate maths questions to build up the strength of their characters and battle them. And move worlds etc. It's good!

[Bloomsbury5]

Has anyone tried Arc Maths App? 11+ and iPad only.

[itallworkedouthorribly]

Smartick is expensive but really good.

White Rose Maths actually teaches rather then consolidates.

Singapore Maths books are great for practice

Doodle Maths is invaluable.

Maths Factor is lovely but obsessed with hundred squares and times tables .

Imo a mixture is good.

[PipsM]

SumDog is great. They have free games but also a premium one. We use it at school and have had good feedback www.sumdog.com/en/

[Bloomsbury5]

Thanks @itallworkedouthorribly and @PipsM. I'm after something for older though. My MIL said that her neighbours children (13&15) were using Arc Maths - just wondering if anyone had anything good/bad to say about it. Just want to consolidate - about done with teaching frankly.

[Greentree96]

Hi, please check out this website, its great for primary 4/5 children with helping them do maths.
//www.quizardo.com

[ChristmasPlanning]

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