NumberShire

Game review by Erin Bell, Common Sense Media
NumberShire Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 5+

Rich village simulation teaches core-standards math.

Linux, Mac, Windows 2014
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Parents say

age 4+

Based on 12 reviews

Kids say

age 4+

Based on 3 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

Stands out for and .

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that NumberShire is a Web-based game that teaches and reinforces early math skills such as number recognition, counting, adding, and subtracting. The activities are aligned with the Common Core standards curricula for kids age 4–7. In addition to math, NumberShire teaches kids the value of being helpful. The game is designed for use in the classroom rather than at home, with a teacher dashboard and discounts offered for the purchase of bulk licenses.

Community Reviews

IrrationalPie31415
IrrationalPie31415 Adult
August 28, 2020
age 5+

Absolutely amazing app that had my 5 year old glued to the math puzzles

This app is very well designed, and, very importantly by education professionals. It is engaging and has my child excited about doing the math problems. My 5 year old had no problem with any of the content counting adding and subtracting numbers less than 10 which allowed several hours of play (~ 4 hours or so). The app teaches helping others (e.g. help this character count the numbers) . My son has now run into more difficult problems , such as adding subtracting two digit numbers, and will need more math education before he can continue, but he enjoyed the numbers less than 10 content greatly, and without parent involvement. Also it is great that everything has audio (not just text which requires reading) , my son can read, but it would be tiring to read and play at the same time for him, as we've learned with many other apps.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Easy to play/use
milka
milka Adult
October 12, 2015
age 3+
See all 12 parent reviews

What’s It About?

NUMBERSHIRE is set in Tally-Ho, a rustic village inhabited by friendly animals. Players create their own anthropomorphized character, then help the villagers with various tasks that all involve numbers in some way. This includes counting groups of nails at the blacksmith's shop, helping a musician sort the coins in his case, and writing numbers by tracing them with the mouse. Kids receive a score for each activity, and upon completing the day's lessons they earn rewards such as new clothing and pets.

Is It Any Good?

NumberShire is a warm and inviting setting for kids to practice basic math. Each set of activities is grouped around a theme relating to an ongoing storyline -- such as building, baking, or preparing for the big parade -- which helps kids feel a real sense of accomplishment and progress. That said, there's no way to customize the experience based on the player's age or aptitude, leading to some uneven levels of challenges within the lesson groups. But, in spite of its quirks, NumberShire is a compelling way to teach and reinforce an otherwise dry subject for a young audience.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why math is important. What kinds of tasks does it help you do?

  • Explore opportunities for using math skills such as counting, adding, and subtracting in the real world from the lessons found in NumberShire.

Game Details

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