How to play Make 5
- A number block from 1 to 4 waits above the board. Tap a column to drop it there.
- If it lands next to a block that makes 5 with it, both blocks disappear: 1 and 4, or 2 and 3.
- Blocks above a gap fall down, and they can make 5 with their new neighbours.
- The game ends when a column is full to the top.
Stuck? Press Hint to see a column where your block makes a bond. Every bond you make, the adder above the board eats it and grows one block longer.
Easy gives more blocks that fit somewhere, Tricky fewer. Dots show each number as a frame of dots: count the empty ones to find the partner.
For parents and teachers
Make 5 practises number bonds to 5, the step before bonds to 10. Each block shows its number on a five-frame, so a child can see that a 2 leaves three empty dots, and that 3 fills them. Adding and taking away within 5 fluently is a kindergarten standard in the US Common Core (K.OA.A.5), and recalling number bonds up to 5 is an early learning goal for the Reception year in England.
A guide: ages 4 to 6, or any child who is just starting to add. Dots are on by default on Easy.
The Block Adder games
- Make 5: Find two blocks that add up to 5, like 2 and 3.
- Make 10: Find two blocks that add up to 10, like 3 and 7.
- Make 20: Find two blocks that add up to 20, like 12 and 8.
- Make 100: Find two tens that add up to 100, like 30 and 70.
- Sums to 10: Drop each sum on its answer: 4 + 3 goes on a 7.
- Sums to 20: Drop each sum on its answer: 12 − 3 goes on a 9.
Questions
Why start with 5?
Five is small enough to see at a glance. Once the pairs that make 5 are easy, the same idea carries over to 10: Make 10 is the next step.
My child keeps counting the dots. Is that OK?
Yes, that is what they are for. As the pairs become familiar, try turning Dots off and see whether your child still finds the partners.
Is it safe for children?
Block Adder has no ads, no chat, no sign-up and no tracking. Nothing your child does is sent anywhere: the game in progress, the best scores and the statistics are kept only in this browser.
Does it work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Tap a column to drop the block there. It fits a phone held upright, and it works with a mouse or the keyboard on a computer.
Keyboard
| 1 to 5 | Drop into that column |
|---|---|
| Left and right arrows | Move between columns |
| Enter or Space | Drop into the chosen column |
| H | Hint |