10 Best Introductory Math Games for the iPad

I have used several iPad math games with my two young children. This is a list of what I consider to be the 10 best. My children are 3 and 6, so these are iPad games that are appropriate for toddlers, preschoolers or early elementary school students. These games cover number recognition, counting, shapes, patterns, fractions, addition, subtraction, skip counting and time. Some are also available for the iPhone.

Please feel free to leave your favorites in the Comments section. This list includes both free and paid math games.

This is a great game for learning addition math facts. It has 10 levels with plus 1 facts, plus 2 facts, and so on to plus 9 facts. This is the only iPad game I have found so far that offers this feature. Each question has four multiple choice options. This game is good for preschool to early elementary school. (See Ways to Help Your Child Memorize Addition Math Facts for more tips)

This games teaches number recognition from 1 to 100. This is a great game for preschoolers to learn their numbers. Each level consists of 20 numbers, so they can master one set of 20 numbers before going onto the next.

Rocket Math teaches addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Children do math to earn money, which they can use to build a rocket. It includes a handy notepad they can use to work out problems.

This is a cute reveal a picture addition game. Each correct answer reveals part of the picture. I like this because it requires answering several problems. Kids stick with it because they want to see the picture.

This is a cute and colorful app that is perfect for preschool and kindergarten age children. It only has simple ABAB type patterns, which are perfect for beginners. It's the best app I have found to teach patterns.

This app teaches time in five minute increments. You can choose to limit what is tested. The game is initially set to only test hours and half hours. Just go to settings for other options.

A voice asks for a time, such as 4 o' clock. The child has to pick the correct clock from multiple options. The default setting is three clocks.

I like this game because it covers several concepts:

• Greater than and less than
• Missing number - this consists of putting in the missing number and teaches numerical order
• Skip Counting
• Before After - this teaches numerical order
• Rounding
• Arrange in Order

This game does not teach concepts. It provides practice for what students are already learning. It isn't a game that most kids would play by themselves. It is something that parents can use to supplement schoolwork or that homeschoolers can use to reinforce concepts.

This game is for toddlers and preschoolers. It teaches the basic shapes including octagon. Four shapes are shown and a voice asks to pick out a particular shape.

This game covers more advanced addition and subtraction, such as adding and subtracting 3 to 4 numbers. It has multiple choice options and is timed. This is for children who already have very good addition and subtraction skills.

This is a free basic introduction to fractions that is appropriate for Kindergarten and early elementary students. It uses pizza slices to demonstrate different fractions. A pizza is shown with a certain number of missing slices. Kids have to choose the correct fraction from 3 multiple choice options. My only complaint is that there is no audio that tells children the name of the fraction, so your child will learn to identify fractions without learning what they are called.