▶ Play now

Maths · Every game

Bigger or Smaller: 3 + 4 or 9 − 1?

Two small sums, one question: which side is bigger? Both have to be worked out before either can be answered.

▶ Play this game

What it teaches

Comparing quantities, and the signs that say so. Underneath, it is two sums and a judgement, which is more work than it looks and more like the maths a child will meet later.

It also keeps the idea of equality honest. Children who only ever see sums written left to right come to read "=" as "and the answer is". Comparing two expressions puts it back to what it means: the same amount on both sides.

How it works

Two expressions appear with a gap between them and three answers to pick from: bigger, smaller, or the same. The numbers follow whichever level is set.

A wrong answer keeps the question and shows the two sides being worked out, one at a time, before it shows which was bigger.

What to look for

Watch for a child answering by the size of the numbers rather than the size of the answers — picking the side with the 9 in it, for instance. It is a common and quite reasonable shortcut, and the game catches it quickly.

▶ Play this game