Number Path
Help Mathumo cross the stones by stepping on the numbers in order.
- Ages 4–6
- Number order to 20
- Reading numerals
Number Bonds
This free number bonds game asks you to join touching tiles so they add up to the target: make 5, make 10 or make 20. For ages 5 to 8, from the Mathumo app.
Tap a tile to start a chain.
How to play
For ages 5 to 8, from the Mathumo app.
- Pick a board for the number bonds game: Easy is 4 × 4 with dots to count, Medium is 5 × 5.
- Read the mission at the top. It shows the numbers to make, like 5, and how many moves you have.
- Tap a tile, then tap a tile that touches it. Keep going to build a chain of up to four tiles. The chain adds up as you go.
- Press Combine, or tap the last tile again. The chain joins into one tile that lands where you ended. Tiles above fall down and new ones drop in.
- Make a number from the mission and its tile pops off the board. Tick off every number before you run out of moves.
- Changed your mind? Undo takes back your last combine.
Stuck? Hint highlights a chain to try. It never plays for you, and you can still choose your own.
What children learn
- Number bonds: seeing that 5 is 1 and 4, or 2 and 3, or 1, 1 and 3.
- Addition: adding two, three or four small numbers as a chain.
- Planning: choosing which tiles to join now so the next number is easy to reach.
Guides for parents
Ideas for playing and talking about math away from the screen, related to Number Bonds.
Fact family in math: what it means and how to teach it at home
A fact family is the set of addition and subtraction facts that use the same three numbers. See fact triangles, examples and how they make subtraction easier.
How to teach addition: from counting all to making ten
How to teach addition to kids in order: counting all, counting on, doubles, making ten, then fluency through play instead of timed drills.
Math card games for kids: 7 games with one ordinary deck
Seven math card games for kids that use one regular deck. Short rules, an age for each game, and the math each one practices, from number order to making ten.
More games
Shape Pop
Pop the bubbles that hold the shape Mathumo asks for.
- Ages 3–6
- Naming 2-D shapes
- Sides and corners
Make Ten Match
Find two cards that add up to 10 and match them.
- Ages 5–7
- Pairs that make 10
- Bonds to 5 and 20
Questions about Number Bonds
What is a number bonds game?
A number bonds game practices pairs of numbers that make a total. In Number Bonds you join touching tiles so that they add up to a number in the mission, such as 5, 10 or 20. It is the same idea as a part-part-whole diagram, played as a puzzle.
What are number bonds?
Number bonds are pairs of numbers that fit together to make a bigger number. For 5, the bonds are 1 and 4, 2 and 3, and 0 and 5. Knowing them by heart helps children add and subtract quickly. In the UK and elsewhere they are often written as a part-part-whole diagram.
What age is Number Bonds good for?
The Easy board suits ages 5 to 6. The dots on each tile show the number as a ten frame, so children can count if they need to. The Medium board suits ages 6 to 8 who are comfortable adding within 20.
How does the game work?
Each mission asks you to make one or more numbers, such as 5. You tap touching tiles to build a chain, press Combine, and the chain becomes one tile with their sum. When a combine makes a number from the mission, that tile is collected. There are no timers, only a limit on moves.
Can children go back if they make a mistake?
Yes. Undo takes back the last combine, and Try again restarts the same board. After two taps that do not fit, the game highlights a chain to try. Nothing is saved and nothing is lost.