Balloon Pop

How to play

1. Type your child’s name, then pick a level. The game fills the screen and counts down: “Ready, set, go!”
2. Balloons float up from the bottom. Tap or click a balloon to pop it. Each balloon is 10 points, and a golden star balloon is 30.
3. On the Middle and Big levels a voice says what to pop, like “Pop the red balloons!” or “Pop the letter B!”. The same words are shown at the top. Tap them to hear them again.
4. Tap the wrong balloon and it just wobbles. No points are ever taken away.
5. After 60 seconds you see your points, up to three stars, and the high score table.

What children practise

• Little: hand–eye coordination and the fun of cause and effect. Every tap makes something happen.
• Middle: naming six colours (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple) and listening for an instruction.
• Big: recognising the numbers 1 to 20 and the capital letters A to Z quickly, while ignoring the ones that don’t match.
• All levels: taking turns, trying again and beating your own best score.

Tips for parents

• Play together the first time. Say the colour, number or letter out loud as your child pops it.
• Children aged 2 can play on a phone or tablet with no reading at all. The Little level has no wrong answers.
• Brothers and sisters can each type their own name. The “On this device” table shows who is in the lead.
• Short and often works best: one or two rounds, then a break.