Best Maths App for Year 1
Year 1 is where the maths journey begins — counting to 20, number bonds, and recognising shapes. Your child needs daily practice, but worksheets feel like punishment at this age. MathCraft wraps these early concepts into quests with a pet companion your child raises by getting answers right.
Try MathCraft Free No credit card requiredWhat Year 1 Covers in MathCraft
MathCraft covers the full Year 1 White Rose Maths curriculum, from counting and number bonds through to basic shapes and measurement. Each topic is broken into guided learning steps with worked examples.
At a Glance
- 10 topics with 38 learning steps
- Every topic aligned to White Rose Maths
- Adaptive practice that meets your child where they are
Number & Fractions
Geometry & Shape
Algebra & Arithmetic
Money, Data & Measure
Coordinates & Statistics
View the full Year 1 topic guide →
What Your Child Learns in Year 1
The National Curriculum sets clear expectations for each year group. Here are the key maths topics your child should be working on:
- Counting to 20 — Your child learns to count reliably forwards and backwards, recognising numbers in words and digits.
- Number bonds to 10 — Pairs that make 10 (3+7, 4+6) become automatic — the foundation for all mental arithmetic.
- Addition and subtraction within 20 — Simple adding and taking away using objects, pictures, and number lines.
- Doubles and halves — Recognising that double 5 is 10 and half of 8 is 4 — early multiplicative thinking.
- 2D and 3D shapes — Naming circles, squares, triangles, cubes, and spheres from the world around them.
- Comparing lengths and recognising coins — Measuring with everyday objects and identifying coins by sight.
How MathCraft Helps at This Level
Every game mechanic in MathCraft connects to real curriculum content. Here is how the adventure maps to Year 1 topics:
- Number bonds are practised through the Feeding adventure track, where your child splits food portions for their companion — 3 berries here, 7 berries there, always making 10.
- Shape recognition happens through the Building track, where your child selects the right shapes to construct shelters and bridges on their island.
- Coin recognition and simple addition come alive in the Trading Post, where your child handles coins to buy supplies for their companion.
Parent Questions About Year 1 Maths
Is it normal that my Year 1 child still counts on their fingers?
Completely normal. Finger counting is a healthy bridge between concrete objects and mental maths. Most children move away from it naturally by the end of Year 2 as number bonds become automatic. MathCraft's visual exercises support this transition at your child's own pace.
How much maths practice does a 5-year-old need each day?
Ten to fifteen minutes is the sweet spot. At this age, short, frequent sessions build stronger number sense than occasional long ones. MathCraft's daily quest format is designed for exactly this — a quick adventure that practises real curriculum content without overstaying its welcome.
My child can count to 100 but gets confused by number bonds. Is that a problem?
Not at all. Counting and number bonds use different skills. Counting is sequential — your child follows a pattern. Number bonds require understanding that numbers can be split and recombined. It's a deeper skill that takes longer to develop. MathCraft works on both in parallel.
Typical Struggles at This Age
Every age group has predictable stumbling blocks. Knowing what to expect makes them easier to handle:
Reversing numbers (writing 6 as 9)
Extremely common in Year 1. It's a visual-spatial issue, not a maths issue. Gently correct it when you spot it, and it almost always resolves by Year 2.
Difficulty remembering which number is bigger
Use physical objects. "Which pile has more?" is easier than comparing abstract digits. MathCraft's visual number lines help bridge this gap.
Start Practising with MathCraft
Step-by-step lessons, worked examples, and adaptive practice — all wrapped in an adventure game your child will love.
Try MathCraft Free No credit card required