Kids Math

What is Kids Math?

Kids Math is a math app for single-digit addition and subtraction, aimed mainly at preschoolers (around ages 5–6), and it runs entirely in your browser. Its defining feature is that kids reach the answer by counting rather than by memorizing. To a 5- or 6-year-old, numbers like 3 or 5 are still abstract — hearing "3 + 2" doesn't immediately bring a quantity to mind. So in Kids Math, turning on "Show dots" lays out dots that match the problem (two colors for addition — blue and orange; for subtraction, the ones taken away are crossed out), and kids can point and count to check the answer for themselves. Count → connect it to the numeral → gradually answer without the dots: that order builds a sense of quantity without strain. Each problem is read aloud by your device's built-in speech (Web Speech / en-US) — "3 plus 2?" — so kids meet the problem by ear as well as by sight. You answer by choosing from three number buttons, and the wrong options are kept close to the answer (within ±1 to ±3), which turns miscounts and off-by-one slips into something a child can notice on their own. A wrong tap never gives the answer away — the button just fades and you count again, so there's no pressure. Three difficulty levels rise in turn — Easy (addition only, small numbers 1–5, no carrying), Normal (addition and subtraction within 10, no carrying), and Hard (addition and subtraction including carrying and borrowing) — each set is 10 questions, and your score (the ones you got right on the first try) is saved as a best per difficulty. A good approach is to play Easy with dots for a good while to build a feel for "altogether" and "how many are left," then hide the dots or raise the level to bridge, little by little, toward calculating in your head.

How to play

1. Pick a difficulty (Easy / Normal / Hard).
2. Press "Start" and an addition or subtraction problem appears and is read aloud.
3. If the numbers are tricky, turn on "Show dots" and count the dots.
4. Tap the number you think is the answer, out of three buttons.
5. Press the 🔊 button to hear the problem again.
6. Get it right and "= answer" is shown, then you move on.
7. A wrong button fades, and you can pick again on the same question.
8. Getting it right on the first try adds one to your score (10 questions in all).
9. After 10 questions your score appears, and a new best updates the record.

Great for

• A first taste of addition and subtraction

  Because you can count dots to reach the answer, even children for whom numbers are still abstract can grasp "altogether" and "how many are left."

• Getting ready for school

  Single-digit addition and subtraction are the foundation of math. You can prepare little by little, right up to carrying and borrowing, while playing.

• Practicing mental math without dots

  Once they're comfortable, "Hide dots" helps bridge toward calculating purely in the head.

• Stepping up little by little

  Move from Easy to Hard and the numbers grow and carrying appears, so kids can take on more as they improve.

• Learning together

  Ask "how many in all?" and point at the dots together — it makes a nice bit of study time with a parent.

• A quick study break

  Each set is a short 10 questions, so it's great for just a few minutes of learning.

Privacy

Kids Math runs entirely in your browser. It makes no external connections, uploads nothing, and uses no sound or image files (problems are read by your device's built-in speech, sound effects are synthesized on the fly with Web Audio, the dots are drawn with CSS, and the problems are generated in the app). The only thing saved is your best score per difficulty, stored only in your device's localStorage.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Is it free?

A. Yes, completely free with no sign-up. There's no limit on how many times you can play.

Q. What age is it for?

A. It's aimed mainly at preschoolers (around ages 5–6). Since you can count dots to reach the answer with "Show dots," even children not yet comfortable with numbers can take part. The hard level also suits review for early elementary grades.

Q. Can I play on a phone or tablet?

A. Yes. You just tap a number button, so it works on phones, tablets and computers alike.

Q. Are there two-digit problems or multiplication?

A. No. This app gives only single-digit addition and subtraction, for preschoolers. Even on the hard level, the answer only reaches two digits through addition with carrying (e.g. 8 + 7 = 15).

Q. What is "Show dots"?

A. It's a helper that lays out dots matching the problem. Addition shows two colors of dots and subtraction shows the taken-away ones crossed out, so kids can check the answer by looking and counting on their fingers. Once they're comfortable, "Hide dots" turns it off for mental-math practice.

Q. There's no sound / it won't read the problem aloud.

A. Problems are read using your device's speech synthesis (Web Speech). If your browser or device doesn't support it, the reading may not play — but the problem is shown large on screen, so you can keep learning. Also check that sound isn't turned off.

Q. What happens if I get it wrong?

A. That button fades and you can pick again on the same question. The answer isn't given away, so you can count again and think it over. Only questions you get right on the first try count toward your score.

Q. Are my score and records saved online?

A. No. Everything runs in your browser, and the only thing saved is your best score per difficulty, stored only on your own device.