Count the Fish

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. Fish swim into the tank and a voice asks “How many fish?”. Tap the number button that matches.
3. Not sure? Tap each fish to count it. It gets a number badge and the voice says “one, two, three…” out loud. Each fish is only counted once, the way children learn to count at school.
4. On the Big level, some fish are in the tank, then more swim in or some swim away: “How many fish now?” The sum is shown at the top, like 4 + 3 = ?
5. A wrong answer just shakes. After two tries the voice counts the fish together and shows the right number. Each right answer is 10 points, and two right first time in a row earns 5 more.

What children practise

• Little: counting one, two, three, and that the last number counted is how many there are.
• Middle: counting up to ten, touching each fish once, and recognising the numbers 1 to 10.
• Big: adding and taking away within 12, seeing what “3 more” and “2 swim away” really mean before writing sums.
• All levels: listening, matching a number to a group of things, and trying again after a mistake.

Tips for parents

• Count out loud together and touch each fish as you go. Saying the numbers and tapping at the same time is how counting sticks.
• Ask “Which fish is number three?” after counting, to show that every fish gets one number.
• On the Big level, ask your child to guess before the fish arrive: “If two more come, how many will there be?”
• Our blog post on teaching toddlers to count has more counting games for home, with no screen needed.