A Fun Maths Challenge: Cross the Swamp!

Ready for an adventure? “Cross the Swamp” is a free online maths game that challenges children to use their knowledge of addition, factors, and multiples to help a friendly frog hop to safety! If you’re looking for a fun and engaging game that goes beyond simple arithmetic, this is the perfect next step.

This game combines two key maths skills. First, children practice their addition by rolling two dice and finding the total. Then, they must use their problem-solving skills to identify a “safe” stepping stone to jump to. It’s a brilliant way to build number sense and introduce the foundational concepts of multiplication and division.

How to Play

1. Roll the Dice: Click the “Roll Dice” button to see your two numbers. The game will add them together for you.
2. Find a Safe Stone: Look at your dice total. Now, look at the numbered stones in front of your frog. A stone is “safe” if its number is a factor of your total (it divides into your total exactly) or a multiple of your total.
3. Choose and Click: Click on a stone that you think is safe.
4. Hop to Safety: If you chose correctly, your frog will hop to that stone! If you choose a stone that isn’t a factor or a multiple, you’ll make a splash and miss your turn.
5. Stuck in the Mud? Sometimes, there are no safe stones to jump to. If that happens, the game will let you know you’re stuck and you can simply roll again on your next turn.
6. Win the Game: The first player to help their frog reach the finish line on the other side of the swamp wins!

Learning Objectives & Curriculum Links

Cross the Swamp is a powerful learning tool that supports a range of objectives in the UK’s Key Stage 1 (KS1) and Lower Key Stage 2 (LKS2) maths curriculum.

• Target Age Group: This game is ideal for children in Year 2, Year 3, and Year 4 (ages 6-9). It’s perfect for children who are confident with basic addition and are ready to be introduced to, or need practice with, multiplication and division concepts.
• Key Maths Focus:
  • Mental & Written Addition: The game starts with a simple addition of two single-digit numbers.
  • Factors and Multiples: This is the core of the game. It directly addresses the curriculum aim for children to “recognise and use factor pairs” and understand the relationship between multiplication and division. It builds a strong foundation for learning times tables.
  • Problem Solving and Logic: Children must actively scan the numbers and apply their mathematical knowledge to solve the problem of which stone to choose. This multi-step process is a key part of developing mathematical fluency.

Tips for Teachers and Parents

This interactive maths game is an excellent resource for building a deeper understanding of number relationships.

• For Teachers: Use Cross the Swamp on an interactive whiteboard as a fantastic whole-class activity to introduce or consolidate the concepts of factors and multiples. After a roll, you can have a class discussion about which stones are safe and why. It’s a brilliant activity for partner work on tablets, encouraging students to talk through their choices together.
• For Parents: This game is a great way to challenge your child beyond basic addition. It provides a fun context for talking about multiplication and division. You can ask questions like, “You rolled a 6. Can we count in 3s to see if we land on any of the stones? Can we divide 12 by 4?” This helps build a deeper understanding of how numbers work.

Have fun hopping across the swamp! Don’t forget to explore our other free maths games for all primary school ages.