Make the number
An educational game for partitioning numbers with coloured rods on the interactive whiteboard. An empty bar with a number appears at the top. Below is a tray with the ten rods, from 1 to 10, each with its own colour and length. Children tap rods until the bar is filled exactly.
What children practise
- Partitioning the same number in different ways.
- Mental maths: how much is still needed to reach the number.
- Linking each rod to its value, its colour and its length.
- Comparing lengths: the row fills up at the same scale as the bar.
- Recording the partition as an addition.
Levels and settings
Early years
Numbers up to 6 or 10, with two rods at most and a number written on each rod.
Y1
Up to 6 or 10, with three rods at most; on Hard, as many as needed.
Y2-Y6
Up to 10, 15 or 20 depending on difficulty, with as many rods as needed.
Hard, from Y2
Rods without numbers, colour only: each value is recognised by its colour and length.
How to play it in class
- Open the game and choose the year group and difficulty: this sets the top number and how many rods can be used.
- Each team sees its bar with the number and its own tray. Rods that no longer fit are greyed out.
- Tap rods until the bar is exactly full. Tap a rod you have placed to remove it.
- When the bar is full, the addition appears (6 + 3 = 9), the team scores a point and moves on to the next number.
- The first team to reach the target score wins: 5, 8 or 12 points.
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
Is there only one right answer?
No. Any combination that fills the bar exactly is correct. For 15 or 20 at least two rods are needed, because the longest rod is 10.
What happens if a rod does not fit?
The game says it is too long and how much is missing, with no points lost. If the maximum number of pieces is reached, it says no more will fit.
Do both teams get the same numbers?
Yes, they get the same series of numbers, but each team works at its own pace.
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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