Best Math Apps for Kids
I found this list of math apps from TouchReviews.net and I was surprised that I didn’t recognize any of these math apps! You know me, I love math apps and I thought I hunted them all down but them seem to be coming out of the woodwork in great droves. Perhaps this is the tip of the iceberg? No matter! Math apps, if your children will play them, are a match made in heaven by combining “fun” with “math.” How great is that? When I feel like I know enough great math apps, I promise to create a Top 10: Best Math Apps list of my own. For now, I’m still searching.
p.s. More posts on math apps here:
Friday Find: Best iPhone/iPad Math Apps
Best Math Apps for 2nd and 3rd Grade
Trade First Subtraction App for Carry Subtraction
My favorite math fact app is Math Ninja. My oldest daughter also likes Math A+. My youngest likes to read iPad ebooks. He especially likes the Dr. Seuss ebooks (another post here). For budding scientists of any age, Virtual Frog Dissection is good, clean fun. I find Long Division and Carry Subtraction to be confusing to explain and these apps by developer Esa Helttula breaks it down in an easy to understand way. The folks at iLive Math also have engaging word problem math apps based on themes like trains, speed, etc. For some kids, singing works. Here’s a karaoke math app to sing the multiplication tables. For preschool girls, Math Garden is a nice way to gain an intuitive sense for numbers.
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Thank you to reader Mermaid 39 for the Butterfly Math app recommendation. It’s $.99.
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When I was a child I remember that I really didn’t like doing Math at school. It was probably my worst subject, I wasn’t that bad at it I just found it quite boring and not as fun as the other subjects. With that in mind we have picked out 6 of the best apps for iPhone that will help your child with Maths. Bringing with it a way to learn whilst having fun, so much so that they will probably forget they are actually learning.
Math Bingo – Developed by Abcya, Math Bingo is an app with all different sums to solve. It covers addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. There are three different skill modes, easy, medium and hard and you can create your own character from a choice of 8.
The aim of the game is to get a row of five little bugs. To do this you answer a math question at the top of the screen and then find your answer within a table below. When you get a row of five you win.The game is timed so you can see how long it takes you to get your five in a row. You are also scored on the amount you get right and wrong and how quick. The lower the score the better you do.
Your child will also be rewarded for a high score with a Bingo Bug. They can collect these bugs and then interact with them. To do this they just tilt the device or tap them and they produce cute little giggling noises.
The game comes with great sound effects, clear and good sized buttons and numbers. The bugs will be loved by all children and scoring within the game encourages them to play over and over.This is an easy to play game for children, that encourages them to learn. It is lots of fun and it really doesn’t feel like they are learning maths! ($.99, View in iTunes)
Basic Math – Developed by Explorer-Technologies Basic Math is an app designed for children up to the age of 12. It helps them improve on the their math skills.
The app covers Addition, Subtraction, Division and Multiplication. At the start you can set the amount of questions you want to be asked. The default is 10. When you have chosen which type you would like to solve you are ready to start answering the questions.
On the screen is a chalkboard with a sum to solve. Below it are a choice of answers, all you need to do is tap on the answer. If it is correct you get a tick and if not a cross.At the end of the round you receive your results. It will tell you how many you got right and what your percentage is.
You then work your way through each sum type. If you like you can set the timer so you can see how long it takes you and then try to improve your time.The app is very basic in terms of graphics but it is all easy to use for any child and they could access it themselves very easily. There is no sound so no distractions and it is straight to the point and the focus is on answering questions.
The timer and scoring within the app again will encourage your child to retry and improve their score practicing as they go. (Free, View in iTunes)
Doodle Math – Developed by cbh_mobile Doodle Math is another app that is all about solving different sums.
To play the game there is a little monster on the left hand side and he starts walking across to the right. You have to answer the math question before it gets to the other side and then see how many levels you can survive.
I would say that this is not designed for young pre-school children it is more for school age and above as some of the questions are hard and you do have to answer quite quickly. You have three chances before the game is over. When it is over it will show the score and they can also submit their score to facebook if they wish.
This is a great fun game, it is teaching your child to answer math questions and to answer quickly. This is a good idea as I have noticed with my own child that at school they are encouraging them to answer the questions quickly and with out too much thinking about it and using their fingers. This game helps them to improve on this skill.
It is quite a challenge and it will appeal to any child. The graphics are in the doodle pencil style and the little purple monster is too cute to even come across as scary. ($.99, View in iTunes)
Park Math
Developed by Duckduckmoosedesign is aimed at 1- 6 year olds and will help in the learning of many math sums. It covers counting, addition, greater than/less than, subtraction, sorting in sizes and patterns.
It is brought to you in the theme of a park which is bound to appeal to any young child. You join a little blue bear in the park and play the different activities. Tap on a kite to choose your topic, here are the activities:
1) Slide: Addition – You help duck climb up the slide and count as he goes.
2) Swing:Counting – Count the rabbit as it swings back and forth.
3) Seesaw : Greater than/less than – Balance a seesaw by adding and subtracting mice.
4) Apple Tree : Subtraction – As the apples drop learn how to subtract.
5) Bench : Sorting – Put the dogs in the correct size order. Put the numbers in sequence.
6) Sandbox : Patterns – Complete a pattern with the correct toy.
7) Picnic : Counting – Feed the hippo the correct amount of food items.
There are two skill levels to choose from depending on the child’s age. The app has animated graphics and are very appealing. There is also nursery rhymes playing as they go. It is a great app for young children and will keep them entertained and interested as they learn. ($1.99, View in iTunes)
Math Magic – Developed by Anusen Math Magic is a great math learning app with the chance of earning stickers as you go.
There are different skill levels to choose from depending on what level your child is at. Then you decide what type of math questions you would like to answer ranging from addition, subtraction, division and multiplication then start!
The question is shown on screen and the possible answers are shown below it. If you get the right one you get a tick and great encouraging words are spoken. The same goes if you get it wrong the voice says ‘you can do it’ and encourages you to carry on and try again.
As you go you will be rewarded with stickers for completing a certain amount of answers. This a great math app for a child who needs that extra push to motivate them. It is full of postive words and will make them determined to get the answers correct. ($.99, View in iTunes)
Popmath Basic Math – Developed by PopSoft PopMath is all about teaching children basic math equations. The app covers the four main sums and you can choose which one you want to play.
The game play is very simple. Bubbles are floating around with numbers on. Some of them will show a sum like 3+4 for example and others will just show a numnber like 7. You have to match the sum with the correct answer.
Once you have popped all the bubbles you will see your score and a great motivational message. You can then do that level again or move on to the next one. Each new level increases how many bubbles there are to match.
Every level also as a different background and everytime you pop a bubble it makes a popping noise. If you leave the game you can go back and restart where you left off or start back at the beginning.
This is yet another app that is very easy to use and play. It is one that children of any age can use easily without supervision and one that encourages them to keep trying and see how far they can get. ($.99, View in iTunes)
Is there a Math app you use with your child? Let us know in the comments below.
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Do check out Measurement from Punflay- http://punflay.com/measurement.html
Thank you! I will check it out!
Thank you for great post!
You may also like We Search HD:
http://agilescreensavers.com/index.php?page=ig_WeSearch
This is my favorite one 🙂
I will check out We Search HD. I am mentally working on a Top 10: Math App list for my blog … Thank you for telling me about it!
Have you seen Series Solver? It might not be quite as “fun” as some of the other apps that you mentioned, but I think that it could teach young kids about mathematical series which would be pretty cool. You can put in the first few terms of a series like 1,5,9,13 or 2,-6,18 and then it will calculate whether the series is arithmetic or geometric as well as the general formula for the sequence. This seems like a really intuitive way for kids to start understanding the concept of a series since they don’t have to worry about the details of the math at first. Plus it has an option to sum the first n terms (ie. “compute the partial sum”) which would allow the kid to learn to add a few numbers together.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/seriessolver/id424557886?mt=8&ls=1
To Jane,
Thanks for your suggestion. I haven’t tried Series Solver but now I will!
I found an useful app that helps my elementary son to practice additions and subtractions. It runs on ipad too.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-exercise-kid/id438365418?mt=8
To iPad Dad,
Thank you so much! I am trying to do a Top 10 Math app post so I will definitely check it out!
Have you tried Math Hero HD? Its math practice but is really fun, like the popular Fruit Ninja. I can’t stop playing, as an adult hahaha.
To Megan,
Thank you for the heads up on Math Hero HD. I will get my kids to check it out!
I would also recommend parents to pay attention to such an educational iPhone app for their kids as Kinder Hangman – http://sharkfuel.com/kinderhangman.html it is an interesting iPhone game that is helpful for child development and allows kids to learn new words quickly and effectively. Learning process is organized as an interesting game with graphical themes and animations. This game is recommended for kids of 5-10 years. Great app!
To John,
Thank you so much for the iPhone app recommendation! It sounds great!
Wow thanks for the great list. I would also recommend maths trainer pro which is for the iPad and the iPhone. It is a great app (I even enjoyed it)
Hi, thanks for the list. I have been looking for some nice math apps for my pre-school daughter and this list is very useful. Another cool math app for kids is Butterfly Math. My 4 years old really loves it and the teaching style is pretty unique too. Additionally, the reward coloring game is very creative. Do check it out and you can add it to your list if you find it interesting.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/butterfly-math/id478786384?mt=8
To Mermaid 39,
Thank you for Butterfly Math app suggestion. I will add it to the list!
There are about 18 great math apps by idevbooks.com
Imho, they are worth a close look.
To Irina,
Thank you for the heads up on the IDevBooks.com math apps. I feel like I know that name and maybe even reviewed a few of them. Ah, my brain is so slow these days! Send me codes and I will jog my brain!
My girls love dogs, so I found a math app called Math Puppy. It has a math bingo, math challenge, and a straight calculator. They really like it.
Thanks for the list. I haven’t had time to really look at all the apps out there, there are sooo many! I will definitely check out the ones you recommend.
To Kathy,
Thank you for Math Puppy app suggestion. I’ll check it out. Sounds fun. Is the math bingo for math facts?
Yes. It has addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. And you can pick which one you want to use.
To Kathy,
It sounds great! I’ll download it and check it out. (and make my kids try it out too! They could use more math fact practice!)
I just recently just release a math game to help kids improve their fast facts. I would be interested in any feedback you might have, the app is free btw and is called “Math Adventure with Fast Facts”
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-adventure-fast-facts/id490873673?mt=8
Thanks,
To Shannon,
Thanks so much for the heads up. I’m always looking for more, great math apps for math facts.
Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division will be fun to learn with AquaMath. This educational game is great for kids, teenagers and even adults of any age who want to learn basic or advanced operations in math. Practicing mathematics is very engaging with beautiful graphics and realistic sound effects.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/aqua-math/id499468853?mt=8
To EggCrate Labs,
Your game sounds fun!
To Pragmatic Mom:
Thank you and I am glad you liked it. Aqua Math was designed by a mom, developed by 2 fathers and improved by their kids.
We couldn’t resist making an app for babies and toddlers too. Aqua Numbers is an educational game to learn first numbers while having fun. All tested by our kids and they seem to enjoy it a lot. Here is the link to iPhone and iPad versions:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/aqua-numbers-kids-first-numbers/id476451620?mt=8
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/aqua-numbers-hd-kids-first/id481439397?mt=8 (iPad HD)
To EggCrate Labs,
Thanks for the links!
This app is for kids from 2 to 6 years.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rt-math-kids/id530776116?ls=1&mt=8
Kids learn math through playing math games and they get rewarded at the end of each level. And it motivates children to play more and learn more.
Hi Linda,
Thanks for the heads up on the math app!
Please take a look at this App too, I found it pretty fun and creative. My 5 year old loves it!!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mojo-math/id536792956?ls=1&mt=8
Hi Awesome Dad,
Thanks so much for the math app recommendation!
Thanks for the updated list – my kids love PopMath, Tangrams and while not an app – they love the game MathRider – you have to install on your computer.
Hi Liz,
No problem! And thanks for sharing your favorite math apps!
To Pragmatic Mom:
Thank you for the time and effort in preparing this list.
I’ve published a set of interactive workbooks for Grades K-3 for Clocks/Telling Time. The workbooks follow K-12 California’s Common Core Content Standards for Mathematics. Here is the link in iTunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-xl-workbooks-practice/id537100019?mt=8.
Hi Ron,
Thanks for sharing your math app! It sounds very helpful for telling time!
Another excellent math app is called Math Write for the iPad. This app lets the kids solve the problems instead of just picking from multiple choice answers. Search for “Math Write” or here’s the link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-write/id546008334?mt=8
Hi Mike,
Thanks so much for the math app recommendation. I am going to try that one out. I like the fact that you have to solve the problem!
This is a good application for small kids my 3 year old son enjoys it a lot
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/animal-alphabets-free/id578050735?ls=1&mt=8
Hi Adam,
Thanks for sharing!
For those using Android phones/tablets, Kindle Fires, or NOOK tablets, we offer a flexible and customizable math flash card app called CardDroid Math for 99 cents. (It’s in the top 100 paid apps on the Amazon Appstore and the NOOK Apps Shop.)
CardDroid Math uses sound and graphics for reinforcement, and it offers easy initial set up with a few taps or in-depth customization so kids can work on, say, 5 to 8 times 3 to 9. There’s an optional timer (choose count up or count down) and it optionally keeps score.
Choose from 4 sound schemes and 7 color schemes.
I hope your readers find it helpful!
Regards,
Steve Whitney
Hi Steve,
Thanks for the heads up about your math app! It sounds like a good math facts drill.
Q: I’m sampling a number of math applications. There are many wonderful programs out there.
For instance, I just discovered a lovingly creative and useful one called Bugs & Numbers. This is a graphically rich program that has multiple modules designed for a preschool and 1st grader (sequences, odd-even, addition/subtraction, patterns, etc.). Each module is brisk, captivating, and I think of use.
For all of their splendor, none of these programs fit the bill. I need a program that allows for very specific and narrow addition or subtraction drilling. For example, want to test my daughter ONLY in sums that equal 6, or that equal 10. I want to keep her in this narrow ambit until she has confidently mastered all of the sums to equal 6, before moving on to perhaps 10.
To date, I have not found any program that will give me this level of drilling control. Many programs may provide repetitive drilling in addition, but the drilling is graded easy, medium, and hard. At the easy level, there will still be a jumble of sum problems–some totaling 6, but also included with others sums totaling 10 or 4 or 3.
Are you aware of a math app that will allow for detailed and restricted number drilling?
Hi AG,
I’ve used Academic Skills Builder games for addition drilling by sum. You have to manually set it to the range you want. http://www.arcademics.com/games/alien/alien.html
For Addition to 10 (and just 10), this is a great game: Fire the Ball. http://www.coolmath-games.com/0-math-lines/addition-10.html
There was a Blox game that you played by one sum … but I can’t seem to find it.
I think the Academic Skills Builder games (fun and free) are your best bet for general math facts and Fire the Ball for adding to 10. Hope this helps!
Really nice post ….. now the world is moving with the concept of learn with play … so these math game apps can really help boost the mathematical ability of the kids …. Thanks for sharing !
Thanks Zeeshan! My kids like math apps and it does help them learn math facts.
Hi, have you also heard about Math Champ? It\’s the latest app from InKids. Math Champ Challenge (Common Core Standards) is the latest educational game from award winning INKids Education. It is designed to help strengthen understanding of Common Core mathematical standards for middle school children (Grades 4-7).Math Champ Challenge includes over 2,500 questions across grades 4 to 7 covering ALL Common Core State Standards.
Hi Ana,
No, but I’m definitely going to check it out! Thanks!
Check out Vizulator – the visual calculator
Thanks for the heads up on Vizulator Eugene! Sounds great!
Test your reflexes and first grade math skills with this funny game.It’s free!
http://www.goo.gl/w2eCWV
Thanks for the heads up on your app Marina!
TouchMath Jungle Addition 1 recently won a 2015 Parents’ Choice Recommended Award. Great multisensory app for special needs kids and any child who may struggle with basic math concepts.
BTW – The app is available for iPad (Android coming soon)
Hi Brian,
Glad you are making an Android version!
Congrats Brian!
This will help my kids surely in learning math. Thnks
I hope your kids like these math apps too!