Motion Math: Hungry Guppy
Subject: Math
Category: Number Sense
Concepts: Operations, Counting and Reasoning, Number Recognition
Target Age: 3 to 6
Device: Universal
Price (as of publishing): $2.99
Get Motion Math: Hungry Guppy on the app store
We are completely “sold” on the collection of apps that Motion Math has created. Today is very exciting, as their first app designed specifically for kids under the age of 5 has been released!
Motion Math: Hungry Guppy is the prequel to the mental addition and subtract app, Motion Math: Hungry Fish. The developers have taken great strides to understand how the youngest of children play apps. They thoughtfully constructed the design and game play for Hungry Guppy around the needs of children not yet motivated by high scores and not developmentally ready to self propel themselves through levels.
How the app works:
Children identify, match and combine sets of dots “●●●●” and numerals “3” to feed their own hungry guppy. Motion Math shared the reason for adding both dots and number symbols, “This helps young learners build a strong concept for what the symbol actually means.”
Your Hungry Guppy is designed to only eat the correct number. There is no losing in this app! Learning is reinforced every time your fish gobbles up the correct number. Numbers that are larger than requested quietly disappear off the screen. Kids continue to add quantities together until they build the correct amount.
Your child will be exposed to numbers 1 through 5. All they have to do is use one finger to drag number bubbles together to make new quantities (yes, your 3 year old will be adding!). You can choose between working just with dots or numerals or a combination of both. Parents can easily set up the app to work on a specific number set.
The app is perfectly designed for young children! Even after choosing a level, you will see the app move your child seamlessly through 15 levels which supports a young learners focus and engagement. The only break in the app is to change your guppy’s design. As you can see there are no extra buttons to interfere or distract kids.
At KinderTown we don’t recommend many apps for children before the age of 3 – but Motion Math: Hungry Guppy is a rare exception. The experience is easy for adults to engage in but child are also completely safe and will be making important early learning connections about numbers with this app.
Watch how this darling 3 year old uses Motion Math: Hungry Guppy
Show What You Know
Activity 1: Fill the train
The game is simple but it shows parents a tremendous amount about their child’s understanding of numbers. It is very open ended and you have a lot of control over the design. We love games that are easy to customize for all of our unique kids!
You’ll need:
1. Game board: Prepare 4 lines of 12 boxes. Choose a graphic that your child is interested in to place at the head of the boxes. We have trains today because that was what inspired us.
2. Dice
3. Crayons for coloring in the boxes or your child’s collection of toy dinosaurs to use as markers
The rules are simple. Everyone takes turns. When it is your turn, roll one dice. Count the number that comes up on the dice and fill in that many boxes in one row of the train. The player can choose any of the trains, but you can fill in only one train.
Make it a little harder by adding the rule that you have to fill the exact number you roll. If you roll a “6” and there are only 4 boxes open in the first row, you can’t add to that row.
Check for Understanding:
While playing “fill the train” watch and ask questions to get a sense of your child’s understanding of “cardinality.” Cardinality is the ability to identify how many objects are in a set.
Your child has developed an understanding of the cardinality rule when they can count correctly the amount of objects presented in a group.
Asking questions like, “How many are here?” followed up with “Are there 6 objects here?” and finally “Why do you say there are 6 objects in this group?” will help you see your child’s ability with the rule of cardinality. The more counting and number talks you have with your child the better prepared she will be for addition and subtraction.
Activity 2: Bedtime Math
Bedtime number games that comes to your email every day? Yes please!
Sign up for this resource and start a new routine of playing number games before bed. Problems organized for 3 levels: “wee ones” “little kids” and “big kids.”
Had one of those days? No big deal – founder Laura Overdeck shares that “Bedtime math problems are here when you want them, when you’re ready.”
Get started today by reading previous “Bedtime Math” questions and signing up to receive email alerts.