4 Apps to Boost Math Skills Before School Starts

4 ways to keep math practice fun.
4 ways to keep math practice fun.

By Ingrid Simone, Common Sense Media editor

Want to sharpen your kids' math skills before school starts? Luckily, daily math practice doesn't have to be drill-and-kill. We found four highly engaging math apps that will help kids brush up their skills in a fun -- and totally painless -- way.


1. Marble Math: This fantastic app is a winner of the Common Sense Media ON for Learning Award. In it, kids see math problems at the top of the screen, such as "Collect fractions that add up to 2," and then navigate through a maze with their marble to pick up answers to the problem.
Skills: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, Roman numerals, decimals, negative numbers, and more

--> Why We Like It

  • The tricky mazes are fun to move through and solve.

  • It empowers kids to customize the experience to their needs by selecting their level of difficulty, the specific skills they want to focus on, and more.

  • Kids get good feedback and help; the "show me" button lets kids see the correct maze pattern and math answer.

2. Mystery Math Town: Mystery Math Town is another great app from the developer of Marble Math. Players move through different houses in the town, collecting numbers as they rescue trapped fireflies. They'll need those numbers: In order to move around the house, they'll have to solve reverse math problems. Finding the fireflies in one house unlocks the next house, where the mazelike rooms get trickier and the math problems do, too.
Skills: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and algebraic thinking

--> Why We Like It

  • Like Marble Math, Mystery Math Town is highly customizable.

  • There's more than one way to solve problems.

  • The storyline and characters engage kids and give them a purpose.

3. Numbers League: In Numbers League, also a winner of the Common Sense Media ON for Learning Award, kids practice basic math facts while helping superheroes fight evil villains. To do this, they combine superhero head, body, and feet sections, each one with a number designation, to make a full superhero worth all of the body parts added together. Kids defeat the villain when the total value of the superhero(es) selected is equal to the value of the villain.
Skills: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and negative numbers

--> Why We Like It

  • It engages players with a storyline, fun comic book-style art, and interesting sound effects.

  • Kids can play it alone, but it's also a great game for families to play together.

  • Since it's a different game each time it's played, it can be played again and again.

4. Sushi Monster: Kids playing Sushi Monster work in reverse to solve addition and multiplication problems. Each round begins with a set of target numbers. The chef puts numbered plates of sushi on the counter, and kids must choose the correct combination of plates to meet the target, thereby feeding the sushi monster.
Skills: addition, multiplication

--> Why We Like It

  • With engaging characters and achievable rewards, kids could easily get hooked on this fun math game.

  • It puts a spin on the traditional drill-and-practice method of memorizing addition and multiplication tables.

  • It's free.

What are your favorite apps or games for practicing math?




About Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in a world of media and technology. We exist because our kids are growing up in a culture that profoundly impacts their physical, social, and emotional well-being. We provide families with the advice and media reviews they need in order to make the best choices for their children. Through our education programs and policy efforts, Common Sense Media empowers parents, educators, and young people to become knowledgeable and responsible digital citizens. For more information, go to:www.commonsense.org.