Balloon race
A counting game for the interactive whiteboard designed for children who cannot read yet. On its half of the screen, each team sees a group of shapes (circles, squares, triangles, stars or hearts) and taps the right number on a row of buttons from 1 to 10. Every right answer lifts the team's balloon, and the first to reach the clouds wins.
What children practise
- Count sets of up to 5 and up to 10 objects.
- Match a quantity to its written numeral.
- Add by combining two groups of different shapes.
- Subtract by taking away: the shapes that go are crossed out.
- Count objects arranged in rows of five, a foundation for calculating to 10.
Levels and settings
Early years, easy
Counting shapes up to 5.
Early years, medium
Counting shapes up to 10.
Early years, hard
Adding to 10 with two groups of pictures.
Year 1
Adding on easy, subtracting with crossed-out shapes on medium and a mix of everything on hard, always within 10.
How to play it in class
- Put the game up on the interactive whiteboard and choose Early years or Year 1 and the difficulty.
- If you like, set the game type (counting, adding, subtracting or all), the numbers (up to 5 or up to 10) and the right answers needed to win: 5, 8 or 12.
- One child from each team counts the pictures on their side and taps the number.
- A right answer lifts the balloon and brings new shapes; a wrong one makes the buttons shake and pause for a moment.
- The team whose balloon reaches the clouds first wins.
Ways to play
In teams, at the same time
The screen splits in two and each team plays on its own half at the same time.
For one player
One child plays on the whole screen at their own pace: on the whiteboard, a computer or a tablet.
Frequently asked questions
Does it work for children who cannot read yet?
Yes. There are no words during the game: only pictures to count and buttons with the numbers 1 to 10.
How do the subtractions look?
A group of shapes appears and some of them are crossed out. Children count the ones that are left.
Can I keep the numbers up to 5?
Yes. In the settings, choose Up to 5 under Numbers. Counting, adding and subtracting then stay within 5.
Is it free?
You can play 5 free games without signing up. After that, a one-off payment of €9.99 unlocks all 78 games for ever, on all your devices. There is no subscription.
Do I need to install anything?
No. It opens in the browser of the interactive whiteboard, panel, computer, tablet or iPad. Once loaded, it also works offline.
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