1 · Overview
Math Arcade is a browser-based collection of 45 mini-games — nine per grade, K through 4 — hosted by Bleep the Robot. A student picks their grade "world," chooses a game cabinet, and plays a short round of 8–10 questions. Every game uses the same gentle loop: first-try answers earn points, wrong answers simply wobble and invite another try (students are never locked out or shown a failure screen), and each play ends with 1–3 stars. Stars persist on the device, so students can revisit any cabinet to improve. Audio narration reads prompts aloud, which keeps K–1 games fully playable for pre-readers. There are no accounts, no chat, no ads, and no network features — progress lives only in the local browser.
How a session works: a round presents a visual math model (ten-frame, base-ten blocks, analog clock, fraction bar, unit grid, number line, coin set, bar graph, angle diagram…) plus 3–4 large answer buttons. Models are drawn to be mathematically faithful — ten-frames are true 2×5 grids, clock hands sit at correct angles, fraction models are proportionally exact — so the pictures themselves teach the Investigations representations students see in class.
What students actually do, grade by grade
Kindergarten Count carnival animals and tap the numeral (Counting Carnival); match a numeral to a group of fish (Number Catch); name 2-D shapes (Shape Show) and 3-D solids via real-world objects (Solid Safari); extend AB/ABB/ABC patterns (Pattern Parade); compare which group has more or fewer (Compare Critters); count dots on a 2×5 ten-frame and find "how many more to make 10" (Ten-Frame Fill); add picture groups within 10 (Add 'Em Up); and judge taller/shorter/longer (Measure Monsters).
Grade 1 Make 10 from a ten-frame (Ten-Frame Flash); practice addition and subtraction facts within 20, including unknown-addend forms (Rocket Facts, Subtraction Splash); read tens-and-ones with base-ten rods (Place Value Pop); hop a frog along a labeled number line and skip-count (Number Line Leap); reason about shape attributes and halves/fourths (Shape Factory); solve read-aloud story problems (Story Solver Jr.); measure lengths with unit cubes (Measure Quest); and read tally charts and picture graphs (Data Diner).
Grade 2 Add and subtract within 100 with regrouping (Addition Arena, Subtraction Submarine); read hundreds/tens/ones from base-ten blocks and compare 3-digit numbers (Place Value Power); skip-count by 2s/5s/10s/100s (Skip-Count Surfer); count coin collections (Coin Castle); read analog clocks to 5 minutes (Clock Craze); total rows-and-columns arrays and match them to repeated addition (Array Architect); read rulers in inches and centimeters (Measure Mania); and interpret bar graphs (Graph Galaxy).
Grade 3 Build multiplication fluency from equal-groups pictures (Multiplication Mountain) and division as missing factors (Division Dash); name and compare fractions with exact area models (Fraction Forest, Fraction Match-Up); find area and perimeter on unit grids (Area Builder); round to 10 and 100 with number-line hints (Round-Up Rodeo); tell time to the minute and compute elapsed time (Time Traveler); solve two-step word problems (Story Solver); and analyze input→output rules and arithmetic patterns (Pattern Machine).
Grade 4 Multiply multi-digit numbers (Multi-Digit Mayhem); divide with remainders and interpret them in context (Division Derby); classify factors, multiples, primes (Factor Frenzy); generate and compare equivalent fractions (Fraction Lab); connect tenths/hundredths fractions to decimals with 10×10 grids (Decimal Diner); classify and estimate angles, parallel and perpendicular lines (Angle Explorer); test lines of symmetry and classify triangles (Symmetry Studio); convert measurement units (Measurement Master); and work with place value to 1,000,000 (Place Value Quest).
💡 Note on standards: Connecticut's math standards are the CT Core Standards, which adopt the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics — so codes below (e.g., 2.NBT.B.5) are the CT Core codes. Each game also lists the Investigations 3 unit it best supports as a practice companion.
2 · Standards Alignment
Kindergarten
| Game | CT Core (CCSS-M) | How this game addresses it |
|---|---|---|
| Counting Carnival | K.CC.B.4, K.CC.B.5 | Students count a scattered set of up to 10 animals and select the matching numeral, connecting counting to cardinality. |
| Number Catch | K.CC.A.3, K.CC.B.4 | A written numeral is shown; students identify the group of fish containing that many objects. |
| Shape Show | K.G.A.2 | Students name circles, triangles, squares, rectangles, and hexagons drawn in varied sizes and orientations. |
| Solid Safari | K.G.A.2, K.G.B.4 | Students identify cubes, spheres, cones, and cylinders and match them to real-world objects (dice, ball, cone). |
| Pattern Parade | — (Investigations patterns routine) | Students extend AB, ABB, AAB, and ABC repeating patterns — a core Investigations strand that underpins algebraic thinking. |
| Compare Critters | K.CC.C.6 | Students compare two groups and tap the one with more (or fewer) members. |
| Ten-Frame Fill | K.CC.B.4, K.OA.A.4 | Students count dots on a true 2×5 ten-frame, then find the number that makes ten. |
| Add 'Em Up | K.OA.A.2, K.OA.A.5 | Students join two picture groups and choose the total; sums stay within 5 early, within 10 later. |
| Measure Monsters | K.MD.A.2 | Students directly compare two objects and select the taller, shorter, or longer one. |
Grade 1
| Game | CT Core (CCSS-M) | How this game addresses it |
|---|---|---|
| Ten-Frame Flash | 1.OA.C.6 | Given a partially filled ten-frame, students name how many more make 10 — building make-a-ten fluency. |
| Rocket Facts | 1.OA.C.6, 1.OA.B.3 | Addition-fact practice within 20 with a climbing-rocket reward for streaks. |
| Subtraction Splash | 1.OA.C.6, 1.OA.B.4 | Subtraction within 20, including unknown-addend forms (8 + ? = 11) that treat subtraction as finding a missing addend. |
| Place Value Pop | 1.NBT.B.2 | Students read tens-rods and ones-cubes as two-digit numbers, and translate "3 tens and 4 ones." |
| Number Line Leap | 1.OA.C.5, 1.NBT.A.1 | Students count on from a frog's position on a labeled number line and extend counting sequences. |
| Shape Factory | 1.G.A.1, 1.G.A.3 | Students pick shapes by defining attributes and identify figures partitioned into halves and fourths. |
| Story Solver Jr. | 1.OA.A.1 | Read-aloud add/subtract story problems (result-, change-, and start-unknown) within 20. |
| Measure Quest | 1.MD.A.2, 1.MD.A.1 | Students count unit cubes laid end-to-end along an object and order objects by length. |
| Data Diner | 1.MD.C.4 | Students read tally charts and picture graphs, answering how-many, most/fewest, and how-many-more questions. |
Grade 2
| Game | CT Core (CCSS-M) | How this game addresses it |
|---|---|---|
| Addition Arena | 2.NBT.B.5, 2.OA.B.2 | Ramped addition from facts within 20 to two-digit sums with regrouping. |
| Subtraction Submarine | 2.NBT.B.5, 2.OA.B.2 | Parallel ramp for subtraction within 100; the sub dives deeper with each correct answer. |
| Place Value Power | 2.NBT.A.1, 2.NBT.A.3, 2.NBT.A.4 | Students read flats/rods/units as 3-digit numbers, use expanded form, and compare with < > =. |
| Skip-Count Surfer | 2.NBT.A.2 | Students fill missing terms in 2s/5s/10s/100s sequences, forward and backward, within 1000. |
| Coin Castle | 2.MD.C.8 | Students total quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies and choose coin sets that make a target amount. |
| Clock Craze | 2.MD.C.7 | Students read an accurate analog clock (hour hand advances proportionally) and match the digital time to 5 minutes, with a.m./p.m. contexts. |
| Array Architect | 2.OA.C.4, 2.G.A.2 | Students total rectangular arrays and match them to repeated-addition equations. |
| Measure Mania | 2.MD.A.1, 2.MD.A.3 | Students read object lengths against an accurate on-screen ruler and estimate real-object lengths in sensible units. |
| Graph Galaxy | 2.MD.D.10 | Students read bar graphs and pictographs: values, most/fewest, differences, and combined totals. |
Grade 3
| Game | CT Core (CCSS-M) | How this game addresses it |
|---|---|---|
| Multiplication Mountain | 3.OA.C.7, 3.OA.A.1 | Fact fluency 0–10 grounded early in equal-groups pictures beside each expression. |
| Division Dash | 3.OA.C.7, 3.OA.B.6 | Division facts within 100, including missing-factor form (4 × ? = 28). |
| Fraction Forest | 3.NF.A.1 | Students name unit and non-unit fractions from proportionally exact circle and bar models. |
| Fraction Match-Up | 3.NF.A.3 | Equivalence (2/4 = 1/2), comparisons with like numerators or denominators, and whole-number fractions, with bar models. |
| Area Builder | 3.MD.C.6, 3.MD.C.7, 3.MD.D.8 | Students count unit squares, multiply side lengths for area, and compute perimeter on visible grids. |
| Round-Up Rodeo | 3.NBT.A.1 | Rounding to the nearest 10 and 100 with number-line supports on early rounds. |
| Time Traveler | 3.MD.A.1 | Reading analog time to the minute and solving elapsed-time word problems. |
| Story Solver | 3.OA.D.8 | Two-step word problems across all four operations, with distractors built from common one-step errors. |
| Pattern Machine | 3.OA.D.9 | Input→output rule machines, sequence gaps, and even/odd property reasoning. |
Grade 4
| Game | CT Core (CCSS-M) | How this game addresses it |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Digit Mayhem | 4.NBT.B.5 | Products of 1-digit × 2/3-digit and 2-digit × 2-digit numbers, with place-value-error distractors. |
| Division Derby | 4.NBT.B.6, 4.OA.A.3 | Division with remainders, including contexts where the remainder must be interpreted. |
| Factor Frenzy | 4.OA.B.4 | Factors, multiples, and prime/composite classification for numbers to 100. |
| Fraction Lab | 4.NF.A.1, 4.NF.A.2 | Generating equivalent fractions and comparing unlike-denominator fractions with bar-model support. |
| Decimal Diner | 4.NF.C.6, 4.NF.C.7 | Tenths/hundredths ↔ decimal notation and decimal comparison, with exact 10×10 shaded grids. |
| Angle Explorer | 4.MD.C.5, 4.G.A.1 | Classifying and estimating angles from accurate diagrams; identifying parallel and perpendicular lines. |
| Symmetry Studio | 4.G.A.3, 4.G.A.2 | Testing candidate symmetry lines, counting lines of symmetry, and classifying triangles. |
| Measurement Master | 4.MD.A.1, 4.MD.A.2 | Converting larger units to smaller (m→cm, ft→in, kg→g, hr→min) and applying conversions in problems. |
| Place Value Quest | 4.NBT.A.1, 4.NBT.A.2, 4.NBT.A.3 | Digit values, ten-times relationships, comparing, rounding, and expanded ↔ standard form to 1,000,000. |
3 · Ready-to-Run Lesson Plans
Lesson A · "Make Ten Machines" (K–1, ~25 min)
Objective: Students use the ten-frame structure to find combinations that make 10 (K.OA.A.4 / 1.OA.C.6).
Vocabulary:
- ten-frame
- row
- counter
- how many more
- combination
- equation
- Warm-up (5 min): Project the game's ten-frame. Flash it for 3 seconds, hide it, and ask "How many dots did you see? How did you see them?" Highlight answers that used the 5-row ("I saw a full row of 5 and 2 more").
- Model (5 min): Play two rounds of Ten-Frame Fill / Flash on the board. Think aloud: "The top row is full — that's 5. Two more makes 7. The empty boxes tell me 3 more makes 10."
- Pairs (10 min): Partners play, alternating rounds. The watching partner must say the combination aloud before the player taps ("7 and 3 make 10").
- Record (3 min): Each pair writes two "make 10" equations they met in the game.
- Close (2 min): Collect equations on an anchor chart until all combinations of 10 appear.
Discussion:
- Why does the ten-frame have exactly ten boxes? How do the empty boxes help you?
- If you know 6 + 4 = 10, what else do you know for free?
- Where else could a "full row of five" help you count fast?
Lesson B · "Clock Detectives" (Grade 2, ~30 min)
Objective: Students tell time to five minutes on analog clocks and explain the hour hand's "in-between" position (2.MD.C.7).
Vocabulary:
- hour hand
- minute hand
- o'clock
- half past
- a.m. / p.m.
- quarter
- Notice (5 min): Show a Clock Craze round at 4:30. Ask: "Why isn't the hour hand pointing straight at the 4?" Establish that it travels between numbers as minutes pass.
- Count by fives (5 min): Trace the minute numbers around the game clock together, skip-counting 5, 10, 15… (connect to Skip-Count Surfer).
- Play (12 min): Groups of 3 rotate roles each round: Reader (says the time in words), Checker (verifies with the count-by-fives trace), Tapper (picks the answer).
- Trick the class (5 min): Each group sets a "tricky time" on a paper plate clock (e.g., hands nearly overlapping at 12:58) and challenges another group.
- Close (3 min): Exit slip — draw hands for 7:35.
Discussion:
- Which times were trickiest, and what fooled you?
- How can the hour hand alone give you a good estimate of the time?
- When do you use a.m. and when p.m. in your own day?
Lesson C · "Fraction Courtroom" (Grades 3–4, ~30 min)
Objective: Students justify fraction equivalence and comparisons with area-model evidence (3.NF.A.3 / 4.NF.A.1–2).
Vocabulary:
- numerator
- denominator
- equivalent
- benchmark
- equal parts
- compare
- Hook (5 min): Play one Fraction Match-Up / Lab round on the board but do NOT answer. Vote, then demand evidence: "Convince the court."
- Evidence rules (3 min): Model two legal arguments: draw the bar model (like the game shows), or use a benchmark ("3/8 is less than one-half because 4/8 is exactly half").
- Pairs (12 min): Partners play; before every tap, the player must state their argument aloud and the partner rules "convinced" or "objection." Objections require a drawing.
- Courtroom (7 min): Replay the two most-contested questions as a class; students present both sides.
- Close (3 min): Exit slip — "Write a fraction equivalent to 2/3 and prove it with a picture."
Discussion:
- Why can two different fractions name the same amount?
- When is a benchmark (like ½) faster than drawing a model?
- The game's wrong answers are chosen to be tempting — what mistake was each one hoping you'd make?
4 · Conversation Starters
- "Show me the game you got three stars on. What's the trick to it?"
- "Teach me one round — I'll play and you be the teacher. Did I earn the star?"
- "Which wrong answer almost fooled you today? Why was it sneaky?"
- "How did the picture (the ten-frame / clock / fraction bar) help you before you counted?"
- "Which cabinet is hardest for you right now? What would make it easier?"
- "You got it wrong and the game let you try again — what did you change on your second try?"
- "If you could invent cabinet number ten for your grade, what math would it teach?"
5 · Capstone Rubric — "Design Your Own Math Arcade Game"
As a capstone, students design their own mini-game on paper (or as a demo with classroom materials): name it, choose the math skill, draw the screen, write three sample questions with answer choices, and explain how a player wins stars.
| Level | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| ⭐ Emerging | The game has a name and a math topic. Questions are present but may contain math errors or be missing answer choices; the win rule is unclear. |
| ⭐⭐ Proficient | The game targets one clear grade-level skill. All three questions are mathematically correct with one right answer and sensible wrong choices. The star rule is clear, and the drawn screen shows how a player answers. |
| ⭐⭐⭐ Distinguished | All of Proficient, plus: wrong answers are deliberately chosen from real mistakes ("I picked 12 because someone might forget to regroup"), the game includes a visual math model (ten-frame, array, number line, clock, fraction bar…) that genuinely helps, and difficulty ramps from easier to harder questions. |