Little Learners · Ages 5 to 7
Addition Lightning
Build addition fluency with timed quick-fire sums for ages 5 to 7.
10 levels+50 XP
ProgressNot started
10 levels · IntermediatePlay
Little Learners · Ages 5 to 7
All Little Learners gamesColumn Add Carry Climb
Two-digit column addition with carrying, laid out as a grid to fill. For ages 5 to 7.
PuzzleColumn addition with carrying, two digits~10 min per level5 levelsAll devices
- Free · no account required
- COPPA compliant
- +10 XP per level
- 5 levels
- Plays on all devices
- Curriculum-aligned
The learning journey
Every activity is one step. Here is where this one fits.
- Play(you are here)Learn the idea in a game
- PractiseLock it in on paper
- ReviewCome back and keep it sharp
- MasterTake on a harder challenge
- AchieveEarn a certificate
About Column Add Carry Climb
Column Add Carry Climb teaches the written method as what it actually is: a layout. The grid holds a carry row at the top, the two numbers beneath it, and the answer along the bottom, and the child fills the empty cells in the order the algorithm requires — ones first, notice the ten, carry it, then the tens. A column method taught as a sequence of words is very hard to hold on to; the same method shown as a shape with places to fill is much easier, and it is why every textbook draws it rather than describing it. Every problem in this game carries. That is deliberate and it matters: a mixed set where some problems carry and some do not lets a child succeed for a whole level by ignoring the carry entirely, which is precisely the habit that collapses the first time it is needed. The first two levels show the carried ten so the child only completes the answer and can see where the digit came from. From the third level the carry is theirs to work out, which is the point at which the game actually tests whether they know what happened to the ten. Every empty cell carries a clue, with a further hint behind a button, so a stuck child has somewhere to go. This pairs directly with our Base Ten Regroup Lab, where the same exchange is done with physical blocks. Grids are worked by tap or keyboard, every cell is announced to screen readers, and wrong digits flash and can be replaced. Free, no sign-up, no advertising to children.
Where to go next
Chosen by the skills this activity practises.
Next — more of the same skill
Printable worksheets for this skill
A hand for grown-ups
- Before you start
- Have something countable nearby. Being able to check "3 and 2 really is 5" by counting builds trust in the maths.
- While they work
- If a sum is hard, suggest counting on from the bigger number rather than counting both from one. It is a real strategy, not a crutch.
- Afterwards
- Try one together out loud, talking through how you worked it out. Hearing an adult think aloud is genuinely useful.
- Watch out for
- Counting both numbers from one every time. Nudge gently towards "start at the bigger one and count on".
- Away from the screen
- Add up small shopping items, or dots on two dice. Board games with dice are addition practice in disguise.
How to play
A question appears on screen
A maths question is shown in large text at the centre of the play area. A timer bar begins counting down from 150 seconds.
Choose the correct answer
Answer options are shown as large buttons. Tap and drag, or use the mouse on desktop. Any input method works — touch, mouse or keyboard.
Build your streak
Each consecutive correct answer increases your streak. A longer streak lights up the flame icon and adds a bonus multiplier to the XP you earn for the level.
Finish the level
Each level has 4 questions. Complete them to earn the full level reward (+10 XP, plus up to +10 XP for a perfect run). Progress is saved locally and shown on the Parent Dashboard.
Curriculum alignment
Mapped to national curriculum frameworks so teachers and parents can match practice to school standards.
- United StatesCommon Core State Standards for Mathematics · addition, place-valueAligned to addition, place-value number and operations objectives.
- United KingdomNational Curriculum for England — Maths · addition, place-valueAligned to addition, place-value number and operations objectives.
- AustraliaAustralian Curriculum v9.0 — Mathematics · addition, place-valueAligned to addition, place-value number and operations objectives.
- CanadaPan-Canadian Provincial Standards · addition, place-valueAligned to addition, place-value number and operations objectives.
Common questions from parents & teachers
Everything you need to know before your child starts playing.
- A mixed set lets a child pass a whole level by ignoring the carry. Making every problem carry means the step has to be understood rather than skipped.
- At the first two levels, yes, so they can see where it came from. From the third level they work it out themselves.
- Base Ten Regroup Lab. It does the same exchange with physical blocks, so the carried digit arrives already meaning something.
- Every empty cell has a clue, with a further hint behind a button. Wrong digits simply flash and can be replaced with no penalty.
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