Best games-based maths apps for kids

Squeebles Maths Race, £2.99, Apple and Android

This racing game is ideal for kids who respond well to competition. Your child’s challenge is to get their Squeeble (a friendly monster) to the finish line on the back of a fish, before their opponent does.

Your child moves their fish forwards by answering maths questions correctly. They can choose what type of question to focus on: addition, subtraction, addition and subtraction combined, multiplication and division. If they get a question wrong, their fish stalls and their opponent will gain ground.

You can choose the level of difficulty according to your child’s ability. In addition mode, for example, beginner’s level questions involve adding two single-digit numbers, while extra hard features three-digit additions, such as 109+173: a good test of your child’s mental maths ability. Multiplication and division questions involve numbers up to 12x12.

Your child can play against a real-life opponent, each controlling one half of the screen; you can tailor the level of difficulty based on their ability. Alternatively, they can compete with a virtual Squeeble opponent: will they go for slow and steady Min, or super speedy Crunch?

Star Dash Studios, free, Apple and Android

If your child protests about maths practice, Star Dash Studios is a great way to help them develop their skills without it being obvious. In the game, from the charity National Numeracy, your child is a runner on a film set. Their job is to help other members of the film crew by completing maths challenges.

Your child is given a to do list with three tasks to complete as they race around the film set. Two are not maths-based (e.g. ‘collect 10 stars’ or ‘jump over five obstacles'). The third involves finding a member of the crew and helping them with an everyday maths-focused task, such as balancing the lighting rig by adding weights to one side, or calculating how much an actor should be paid based on their hourly rate and hours worked.

Your child has to complete all three tasks to be given the next to do list; once they’ve worked through six lists, they progress to the next level with new achievements to add to their CV.

The drawback is that there is relatively little maths content in the game, but the fact that it’s embedded in gameplay will help it appeal to children who are reluctant to practise maths at home.

Monster Math, £6.99 for basic version or £26.49 per year for genius version, Apple and Android

Monsters Maxx and Dextra are best friends, but Dextra has been captured by the evil minions (not the Despicable Me variety!). As Maxx, your child’s mission is to defeat the minions by answering maths questions to earn candies and release Dextra.

This app allows you to set your child’s own curriculum by selecting the question types you’d like them to answer. There’s a wide range of categories including equal to; less than; addition within 10; times tables; addition with and without carrying; subtraction with and without borrowing; factors of numbers to 100; and prime numbers.

As your child makes their way around the island, they’ll confront different minions to take on, and the number of correct answers they need to progress increases.

The basic version includes 40 maths skills, while the genius version offers six different maths games covering elements like geometry, decimals and pre-algebra, as well as printables to extend your child’s learning.

Skidos Race Cars for Kids, £6.49 per month or £4.58 per month with a 12-month subscription, Apple 

If your child is mad about racing games, they’ll love using Skidos to practise their maths skills. The app involves racing a monster truck through various different tracks and circuits, competing in single- or multiplayer mode.

For each race completed, your child is challenged to answer two maths questions to collect their prize money, which can be spent on new cars. You can select your child’s ability level and the type of questions you’d like them to answer.

Topics covered include addition and subtraction up to 1000; multiplication up to 100; adding and subtracting 10s and 100s; fractions; decimals; place value; mean and range; geometry and more.